The President gives his final State-of-the-Union address tonight; do you care?
As the President reports on the status of the country, what do citizens want — or need — to hear from George W. Bush?
“I think what we want to hear is about things that we're really worried about. And so right at the moment that sounds much more like the economy than other things.”
UW-Political Scientist Charles Franklin says the president will also include things that he wants us to hear, marking his legacy. But as a lame duck, he can't exactly promote new ideas and programs.
“On the other hand, with the apparent agreement on a stimulus package, I think he will certainly tout that as an example of success and leadership on his part to respond to conditions that are going on in the country.”
Mostly, though, Franklin says Bush will focus on foreign policy, the Middle East initiative, and domestic issues.
In the midst of a national presidential race, Bush isn't as visible anymore and many people might not even care about the speech. Franklin says people are paying less attention ( harris poll ) to the president these days.
“On the other hand I think that he can use the State-of-the-Union to say 'hey remember guys, I'm still the president; I'm still here for 12 more months. I'm not a potted plant.'”