In her latest gambit in the ongoing partial government shutdown fight, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is asking President Trump to reschedule his State of the Union address until the impasse is resolved, or deliver his speech in writing.
I think the latter option is an excellent idea. Trump should deliver the speech in writing, returning to the tradition that lasted through the 19th century, and in doing so we should put an end to the meaningless annual spectacle of the staged State of the Union speech.
The State of the Union as a television event may have served a purpose in the past, when the ability of Americans to see or hear the president and understand his priorities was somewhat limited. Also, in the past, when there were issues on which the parties could work together, there may have been some justification for the president making the case for his agenda to the whole Congress.
But as of now, there isn’t much point to the event.
During the day of the event, the White House typically briefs reporters on the major news and releases excerpts. By the time the president starts speaking, reporters get the transcript of the speech, which is typically used as the basis for any stories.
The actual speech produces no real news. So reporters typically focus on meaningless side stories: who lined up to shake hands with the president along the aisle, who applauded or sat on their hands for any lines, or what kind of facial expressions people were making.
The policy proposals are typically dead on arrival, and no speech by the president is going to do anything to change it. Everything that is said is quickly forgotten. Also, for a long time now, presidential approval has been unaffected by these speeches.
There may be times when it makes sense for a president to address a joint session of Congress in front of the whole nation, such as when former President George W. Bush spoke to the nation after the Sept. 11 attacks and laid out his vision for fighting the “war on terror.” But as an annual staged event, the State of the Union is pointless.
In an era of the 24/7 news, the Internet, and social media, there is no reason for networks to provide airtime to this event. The president has endless tools at his disposal to make his case to Congress and the country.
If Trump were smart, he would take Pelosi’s offer and use this as an opportunity to shake up the State of the Union as he has shaken up politics. Maybe he tweets out the salient points — or records his own fun short video. America will thank him for it.
As an added bonus, if killing off the staged State of the Union isn’t enough, by scrapping it he’d also be killing off the State of the Union response. That alone would make him a national hero!
