Did I miss something? Or was the State of the Union Address delivered by President Obama last night unusually pedestrian, packed to the gills with clichés, promises, gimmicks, and endless talk of partnerships, goals, challenges, and commissions for which Washington is famous?

The only stirring moment came when Obama introduced the people he’d invited to sit in the gallery. They included the parents of a 15-year-old who marched in the inaugural parade and was shot to death a week later, a brave policeman from Wisconsin, a caring nurse, and a 102-year-old woman who waited hours to vote last November. They were fresh and inspiring and seemed glad to be there.