Comments on: State Of The Union: In Name Only http://blog.bradrourke.com/2010/01/27/state-of-the-union-in-name-only/ Thoughts for leaders where new media meets public life. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: sutton http://blog.bradrourke.com/2010/01/27/state-of-the-union-in-name-only/comment-page-1/#comment-455 sutton Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:10:23 +0000 http://blog.bradrourke.com/?p=1934#comment-455 (Woops—I note in the paper that he did at one say "the state of the union is strong," my mistake.) (Woops—I note in the paper that he did at one say “the state of the union is strong,” my mistake.)

]]> By: sutton http://blog.bradrourke.com/2010/01/27/state-of-the-union-in-name-only/comment-page-1/#comment-454 sutton Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:59:00 +0000 http://blog.bradrourke.com/?p=1934#comment-454 Hmmm... no shout-outs to ordinary people in the audience (policy over anecdotes, yay!), 70+ minutes (with at least some substance), not any variations or versions of "the state of the union is strong" that I heard (as opposed to statements about the strength and "decency"—interesting word that got repeated—of the American people), and lots of recognition of the troubles those people face. I feel much of the same despair you mention affecting your friend. I am very downhearted at how casually people dismiss the possibility of our government doing much good. I definitely agree that the structures don't feel like they are working. I am cautiously reassured at how many of these points the president touched on. Not to exaggerate the point, but it almost felt like a speech that was consciously designed not to be the kind that inspires the skepticism you express here. Any second thoughts? Hmmm… no shout-outs to ordinary people in the audience (policy over anecdotes, yay!), 70+ minutes (with at least some substance), not any variations or versions of “the state of the union is strong” that I heard (as opposed to statements about the strength and “decency”—interesting word that got repeated—of the American people), and lots of recognition of the troubles those people face.

I feel much of the same despair you mention affecting your friend. I am very downhearted at how casually people dismiss the possibility of our government doing much good. I definitely agree that the structures don’t feel like they are working.

I am cautiously reassured at how many of these points the president touched on. Not to exaggerate the point, but it almost felt like a speech that was consciously designed not to be the kind that inspires the skepticism you express here.

Any second thoughts?

]]> By: bradrourke http://blog.bradrourke.com/2010/01/27/state-of-the-union-in-name-only/comment-page-1/#comment-453 bradrourke Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:33:43 +0000 http://blog.bradrourke.com/?p=1934#comment-453 And, on the chart, I rounded times to nearest quarter-minute, and made into decimal. (So 45:13 would be 45.25.) And, on the chart, I rounded times to nearest quarter-minute, and made into decimal. (So 45:13 would be 45.25.)

]]> By: bradrourke http://blog.bradrourke.com/2010/01/27/state-of-the-union-in-name-only/comment-page-1/#comment-452 bradrourke Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:32:44 +0000 http://blog.bradrourke.com/?p=1934#comment-452 Matthew, thanks for asking . . . I should have mentioned. The chart data is based on a table from the <a href="http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/index.php" rel="nofollow">American Presidency Project</a> at the University of California Santa Barbara. Angelique . . . thanks!! Matthew, thanks for asking . . . I should have mentioned. The chart data is based on a table from the American Presidency Project at the University of California Santa Barbara.

Angelique . . . thanks!!

]]> By: Angelique http://blog.bradrourke.com/2010/01/27/state-of-the-union-in-name-only/comment-page-1/#comment-451 Angelique Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:29:04 +0000 http://blog.bradrourke.com/?p=1934#comment-451 Great essay! I'm going to recommend it to my daughter as her article of the week for Government class. Great essay! I’m going to recommend it to my daughter as her article of the week for Government class.

]]> By: Matthew Taylor http://blog.bradrourke.com/2010/01/27/state-of-the-union-in-name-only/comment-page-1/#comment-450 Matthew Taylor Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:27:16 +0000 http://blog.bradrourke.com/?p=1934#comment-450 Brad -- where'd you get the data from that you used in creating your chart? Brad — where’d you get the data from that you used in creating your chart?

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