State of the Union

by Ari Herzog on January 28, 2008 · 3 comments

I watched tonight’s State of the Union speech. While the global media spins their critiques, I’d like to muse on some undercurrents of the speech.

How many times Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton stand and clap at the same time? Or John McCain and Ron Paul? Or all four of them at once?
Did you notice Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stood and clapped on some items, and sat and didn’t clap on others? When she stands, is that a sign for other senators to stand to show Senate support?
What’s the reasoning behind Supreme Court justices sitting in the front row? It’s not like they can clap at new policies, for fear of bias. And why wasn’t the whole court present?
Why did the President autograph so many agendas as he departed the Chamber? Were they for the legislators or legislative constituents?
How come Jenna Bush’s fiancee is not mentioned in the guest list for the First Lady’s Box?
For the Democratic response, did you hear Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius relate to JFK about the need for a “common good?”

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