The 2008 State of the Union Address was especially interesting to me while being enrolled in such classes as Rhetoric, Communication and Change, as well as Propaganda Analysis. This is President Bush’s last State of the Union Address in his presidency. President Bush’s approval ratings are at all all-time low of 32% as recorded by the Washington Post. “The War on Terror” is still in full effect, the majority of the United States is completely unsatisfied with the healthcare system, and gas prices are off the charts, I filled my tank up for 2.80 a gallon today. For all of the reasons above and more, this State of the Union Address really interested me. I will look at the original text, the State of the Union Address via www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008.
President Bush says “We believe that the most reliable guide for our country is the collective wisdom of ordinary citizens.” This is a very loaded sentence using words such as “most reliable” “collective” “and wisdom”. This is the perfect example of a glittering generality in using such virtuous words to describe United States citizens.
President Bush knows that the hot topic among Americans is Healthcare. Not only does he keep this subject brief, but later in his speech, completely contradicts any idea hope to go forward in a positive, new direction. He says he wants to give patients and doctors more information and better options, yet later in the speech none of that holds a prayer. He mentions extending the frontiers in experimental medicine “without the destruction of human life” but never mentions how Americans are being destroyed everyday because they cannot pay the hefty costs to live through insurance companies and prescriptions. “So we’re expanding funding for this type of ethical medical research,” he says. He tries to make light of the fact that these advances are what sets America apart without getting to the issue of Americans. Through expanding funding for stem cell research, the “wisdom of ordinary citizens” is not being heard, and definitely not acknowledged.
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Not to nitpick, but the 2008 State of the Union address isn't necessarily Bush's last. He has the option of giving another State of the Union in the days before leaving office in January 2009.
Presidents Truman through Carter (except Nixon and JFK) chose to give a State of the Union address immediately before leaving office. Reagan, Bush Sr., and Clinton chose not to.
Funny GWB made so many references to the collective wisdom of ordinary citizens, when 2/3 of ordinary citizens disapprove of his work. I guess he wanted to compliment his audience so they'd better receive his proposals.
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