State of My Union Part II
Ha. I almost forgot. This cracked me up. From ABC News' The Note yesterday:
At some point tonight, the President is likely to say with anticipated great bravado, "The state of our union is X."
Every year, the Gang of 500 waits with great anticipation for these words, and, yet, a search of past moments from the Clinton and Bush years leaves us with a, uhm, strong impression that this moment isn't as momentous as we thought.
1994: "Tonight, my fellow Americans, we are summoned to answer a question as old as the republic itself, what is the state of our union? It is growing stronger but it must be stronger still."
1996: "The state of the Union is strong."
1997: "My fellow Americans, the state of our union is strong . . ."
1998: "Ladies and gentlemen, the state of our union is strong."
1999: "My fellow Americans, I stand before you tonight to report that the state of our union is strong."
2000: "My fellow Americans, the state of our union is the strongest it has ever been."
2002: " . . . (T)he state of our union has never been stronger."
2003: ". . . our union is strong."
2004: " . . . (T)he state of our union is confident and strong."
If I'm not mistaken, Bush repeated his 2004 line last night. I wonder what would ever happen is the Prez got a lump in his throat at that precise moment, and stumbled over that sentence?
It would suck to be him. Or her.
At some point tonight, the President is likely to say with anticipated great bravado, "The state of our union is X."
Every year, the Gang of 500 waits with great anticipation for these words, and, yet, a search of past moments from the Clinton and Bush years leaves us with a, uhm, strong impression that this moment isn't as momentous as we thought.
1994: "Tonight, my fellow Americans, we are summoned to answer a question as old as the republic itself, what is the state of our union? It is growing stronger but it must be stronger still."
1996: "The state of the Union is strong."
1997: "My fellow Americans, the state of our union is strong . . ."
1998: "Ladies and gentlemen, the state of our union is strong."
1999: "My fellow Americans, I stand before you tonight to report that the state of our union is strong."
2000: "My fellow Americans, the state of our union is the strongest it has ever been."
2002: " . . . (T)he state of our union has never been stronger."
2003: ". . . our union is strong."
2004: " . . . (T)he state of our union is confident and strong."
If I'm not mistaken, Bush repeated his 2004 line last night. I wonder what would ever happen is the Prez got a lump in his throat at that precise moment, and stumbled over that sentence?
It would suck to be him. Or her.