SOTU Again

Nick asks, "I literally fell asleep during part of Bush's remarks, so I might have missed it, but where were the 'regular Americans' the president traditionally honors during this thing--the folks like Mary Jo Ketchup who joined Americorps and saved six cats from a tree, etc.?"

Your senses did not deceive you, Boss: We were mercifully spared those moments, which may have been Ronald Reagan's worst legacy to the American people. Score one for the Bush team.

Comments

[Jim N]

You're right, Frank, and if I remember right, on her other side was a woman who served in Afghanistan. But for better or for worse they weren't mentioned. Thankfully we have a president who is not so inclined to use "regular Americans" as mere photo-ops. Remember when the pilots of that spy plane came home from China? Bush just let them go home and see their families and stayed in Washington. What do you think Bill Clinton would have done?

[R>C>]

I can guess what he would have wanted to do to the women!

[md]

Did it strike anyone else as hilarious that John Ashcroft was the designated Cabinet member that sat out the speech? You think they sat around giggling while they pictured the faces of those on the Left, and the libertarians when they got wind of that news?

[Franklin Harris]

Actually, I thought "regular Americans" were supposed to be represented by the empty seat next to the First Lady, the seat representing those killed on 9/11.

[Tuning_Spork]

Introducing guests in the gallery was a wonderfully folksy addition at first. Reagan started it with great effect. Bush the elder continued it. Clinton defiled it with overuse (my gawd, is this the 17th standing-O the past 8 minutes??).
I remember the moment Tuesday night when I realized that there would be no singling out a guest in the gallery. I sighed in relief. Mrs. Todd Beamer last year is a worthy conclusion to what had become a rather tawdry institution.