January 23, 2007
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State of the Union
President Bush is giving the “State of the Union” address tonight.
The idea is that the President would tell us how we are doing as a country. Presidents have also tried to cast a vision for goals and objectives for the next year.
If you were describing the state of our union, would you describe it as good or bad?
Comments (142)
Bad – Dems have the Senate and the House
bad. bush.
bad duh
good….. it could be worse
Bad.
Republican president vs. Democratic House AND Senate.
Turmoil is a guaruntee.
It could always be worse.
bad
we are, as a nation, safe, secure, fat and happy. we are also stupid and immoral. not so good.
bad.
the nations definetly not in the best of shape
bad bad bad. optimism is definitely NOT what we need right now.
Bad?
Sure.
I’ll be sure to watch that tonight.
fantastic! [/sarcasm]
The state of our union is good — economy is strong, unemployment is low. The state of other countries we are trying to help is not going well. I’m anxious to see what our President will say tonight. I hope he does what he needs to do without worrying about what others will say.
Haha I love reading these answers.. because people from both sides are saying “bad.”
Hmmmmm. Tells you a lot.
terrible
good
I think its bad. We have many men and women fighting for all of us and they need some rest and to be with their families. Look at how many have lost there lives already. I say catch Osama and run
bad…
and i’d rather not sound like a tween/middleschooler/green day fan and just say “Bush” after that.
I’d like to think is a group of things
bad, but improving. But thats my own personal opinion.
There’s a rumor going around that as a country we’ve pretty much reached our climax. And the only after going up is down. Anyone agree?
bad, but improving. But thats my own personal opinion.
Posted 1/23/2007 5:56 PM by LightningRichy
I think so, too.
Bad.
Bad, and degrading.
I’d be inclined to say bad, but I don’t think it is really as simple as that. All I know is that I am required to watch it tonight for my American Government class. Fun? Sure. o.o
l.o.l.
…sorry :-/
hmmm… at the end of the clinton administration we had a budget surplus… in the middle of a 2nd bush presidency we have the largest national debt in history and are still embroiled in an amorphous war that is more religious than not… our economy is shedding high paying jobs overseas and replacing them with low-paying service jobs… the rich have gotten incredibly richer, and the middle class is fast approaching the ranks of the working poor…
i think i would say the state of the union is bad and worsening. TG the dems have control > let’s hope they remember their commitment to the people and work to fulfill the mandate they have been given.
Bad.
Hmm… bad.
Good if you’re a Republican, bad if you are a Democrat.
Funny how that works…
Pretty darned good, but has some deadly black spots.
The state of the union is disunion at the hands of cry-baby democrats and whining republicans.
Could be worse, but still ridiculously bad.
Hey, no civil wars for over 200 years, that’s gooD!
It’s bad, but do people really want to hear that?
I would try to say it without actually saying that the country is going down the toilet.
Um, bad.
Honestly, we’re a lot better than other countries. There is no such thing as perfection and like everybody has something to work on, so does the country.
Regardless, I’d still rather be living here than in some other countries.
bad
Looking up because more people, including Republicans, are opposing Bush.
bad and getting worse everyday
Festering like an open, dripping, cancerous sore.
bad, the US is a degenerating society
We have serious problems that need fixed, but I still believe we are the greatest nation in the world.
I think we have alot of work to do, but as a whole “not too shaby”. I would say we have lost alot of moral backbone after the 60′s, and have gotten used to it, but other than that I do not see much to complain about.
“We just have to stop crying and start sweating”
I would describe it as questionable. While things are getting better, we still have a lot of problems that have stemmed with the war, and these problems need to be fixed before the country can be declared A-OK.
Good
In order for us to overcome our nation’s many problems, we need to admit them first. We are in a bloody, violent war with no way out and more and more jobs are being shipped overseas daily. Denial is pointless.
Ha!
And if you want to blame a political party (either one) for all of our nation’s problems, then keep in mind that you are a moron.
i was better, untill the hippy-loving, acid dropping, flatulant smelling, tree hugging democrats siezed power
divided and polarized
ah, damn. Is he speaking in public again?
my night = ruined.
terrible
It is definitely not good. It could be a lot worse though. Of course no matter how bad it is any president is going to say that it is great because by the time they have gotten to that level of politics they have lost all touch with reality.
idk
Not so good…maybe it would be better if we could get somebody else in office though.
I’m only going to watch it tonight to see how many ‘uhs’ and ‘ums’ he says…I get a kick out of that! You’d think with his dad being a former president, he would of taken a speach class or something…
We’ll make it. We always have. Bush wasn’t the greatest president. He was more of a “placer President”, just filling the shoes. I hope we get one who will take us places soon
And hey! We’ve got Democrats! No more Christian fueled agendas! Maybe we’ll learn things in Biology!
bad
stupid. i have to watch the whole thing and take notes on it for my political science class. UHH!
Both. Morally we are declining, freedom of speech is under attack, freedom of religion is being whittled away, the right to keep and bear arms is now a joke, we are extremely wealthy, taxes are high but not prohibitive, freedom of speech ,religion and the right to keep and bear arms are still light years ahead of most other countries, despite efforts to the contrary it is still very easy to start a business and quite possible to succeed.
There is still no other country on the face of the earth where a person’s freedom and ability to raise his situation approaches that of the citizen of this great union.
It’s just not as bad as people think. Everyone always thinks things are worse than they are. I tend to think things are going downhill because of the widespread liberalism and the endless lies of the media being believed by a foolish populace, but these things have been around for a long long time, and we’re still here. No one takes America seriously anymore because of the liberals who insist that if we act like pussies for long enough people will leave us alone, but aside from that we have it pretty good I think
could be better
Bad, very bad.
Bad. And it will continue to be bad.
Why?
Because…
Most Universities are “liberal”
Most Media outlets are “liberal”
Most Newspapers are “liberal”
Hollywood is “liberal”
Art (music, lit, plays) is “liberal”
The American mind….? Is closed.
flamboyant gay!
Oh wait we’re not allowed those kinds of unions.
nightmare, mess, humiliating, tragic, unnecessary, depressing, vile, pretty damn f***ed up, and in debt.
bad. dur…
Not as terrible as the movie.
well last night I watched a documentary about Pearl Harbor, then I decided to read all about world war two and then the depression (I was bored). Anyway, compared to that part of history, we’re doing pretty well. Its not the present I worry about, its the future. Mostly I worry about which of the muslem countries will try to blow up Isreal first and what we’ll be force to do about it..
Bad
Our union was good, but with the DemocRATSs now in control of the congress our union will go downhill very fast.
In debt!? OMFgggg!!!1 I mean, this if the first time we’ve ever been in debt!
Oh wait, no. We’ve always been in debt, ever since this country was founded. We had to pay for the Revolution… Then the Louisiana Purchase… War of 1812… American System (Supposed to make money, I don’t think it did much)… Paying of Texas’ debt… Civil War… And on and on.
My comments would be very mixed. Don’t forget, I live in State #49 out of 50 when it comes to the economy…
I agree with ryoma136.
In debt? Was there a time when we weren’t in debt? I said this on another post, but the debt we’re in is so far past our ears that the phrase “in debt up to your ears” is completely meaningless. Somehow, the fact that we are in debt doesn’t keep us from spending money. I’ve never really understood that concept so I guess the fact that we’re in debt doesn’t really make any difference.
Is there a country that ISN’T in debt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_external_debt
Wh333333333 let’s play….find the U.S. on the table of debt.
not good…
bad.
pretty damn bad
bad
is this a trick question?
Good………
I mean bad……….
I mean? well?
Both good and bad.
It depends on the person giving it.
It depends on how the President gives it.
Take Bill for example,
or George for example?
ummmmmm…………
The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the U.S. Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). The address is also used to outline the President’s legislative proposals for the upcoming year. It has occurred in January except for six occasions in February since 1934. The 2007 address will take place on January 23.
Modeled after the monarch’s Speech from the Throne in the United Kingdom, the address is required by the United States Constitution: [The President] shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
This requirement does not specify the address’s form, frequency, or depth of information. Although all Presidents have given an annual message, its form has changed over time.
George Washington gave the first state of the union address on January 8, 1790 in New York City, then the provisional U.S. capital. In 1801, Thomas Jefferson discontinued the practice of delivering the address in person, regarding it as too monarchical (similar to the Queen’s Speech). Instead, the address was written and then sent to Congress to be read by a clerk until 1913 when Woodrow Wilson re-established the practice despite some initial controversy. However, there have been exceptions to this rule. Presidents during the latter half of the 20th Century have sent written State of the Union addresses. The last President to do this was Jimmy Carter in 1981.
In the State of the Union the President traditionally outlines the administration’s accomplishments over the previous year, as well as the agenda for the coming year in upbeat and optimistic terms. At some point during the speech, the President usually says “The State of our Union is strong” or a very similar phrase.[2] Since the 1982 address, it has also become common for the President to acknowledge special guests sitting near the First Lady in the gallery, such as everyday Americans or visiting Heads of State. The guests are usually relevant to some part of the President’s speech, and are called by the speechwriters as Lenny Skutniks after the first such guest.
Ordinarily, the President himself is not permitted to enter the House Chamber without the explicit permission of Congress and for each State of the Union address in which the President is going to read his remarks, a formal “invitation” is made. The President’s presence upon entering the House chamber is ceremoniously announced by the U.S. House Sergeant at Arms, who calls out, “Mr./Madam Speaker, the President of the United States!” The President enters the chamber to a standing ovation and spends several minutes greeting members of Congress and walking toward the podium at the front and center of the House chamber. Once there, the President hands copies of the address to the Vice President of the United States (as President of the Senate) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, both of whom sit behind the President for the duration of the speech. If either is unavailable, the next highest-ranking member of the respective house substitutes.
The President delivers the speech (with the aid of dual transparent teleprompters) from the podium at the front of the House chamber. State of the Union speeches usually last a little over an hour. Part of the length of the speech is due to the large amounts of applause that occur from the audience throughout. The applause is somewhat political in tone, with many portions of the speech only being applauded by members of the President’s own party. Applause indicates support, while applause with a standing ovation indicates enthusiastic support. Members of the Supreme Court rarely applaud or participate in standing ovations during the speech. It is believed that as the judicial branch they must remain impartial to any political positions, statements or objectives stated during the speech. The Joint Chiefs of Staff applaud statements regarding foreign policy to support the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, but they do not applaud or participate in standing ovations for statements of domestic policy, as it is believed the military should not interfere with domestic policy…………
So? both good and bad………
Morally-Horrible. Economically-Pretty good. Education system-state of emergency.
Ahh…depends totally on the situation.
..room for improvement!
Sure it’s not a flawless as we wish it could be, but honestly, nothing in this world is perfect. The world will never be perfect, because perfection is a state reserved for God. This countrly could be better, it could be worse.
we are, as a nation, safe, secure, fat and happy. we are also stupid and immoral. not so good.
Posted 1/23/2007 5:47 PM by ionekoa
Bad – Dems have the Senate and the House
Posted 1/23/2007 5:42 PM by RdKingClassic03
I agree with both. if that makes sense. pffh.
i would describe it as bad
Not so amazing. The future is pretty bleak.
we’re not the best
Bad.
But it’s been a snowball effect — it didn’t start in 2000, for sure.
Good. It can be worse waahhahhahah.
Bad. But I’m not American, so what do I know?
If you are wealthy, the state of the union is GREAT!
If you’re not wealthy, you are praying for the next presidential election to arrive as quickly as possible.
we are, as a nation, safe, secure, fat and happy. we are also stupid and immoral. not so good.
Posted 1/23/2007 5:47 PM by ionekoa
–I agree.
Could be worse, bot not fantastic by any means.
I would say that it can not be defined in a single word.
I really can’t say one way or the other because I don’t know enough about politics or ecconomics, but I support Bush and your troops and will continue to do so.
I find it interesting that alot of people have said that we could be worse or that we are doing better than others. I mean, it isn’t as if that statement is false in anyway. However, things aren’t really going too well for our darling USofA. As someone above me stated, the rich are getting richer and everyone else is getting poorer. It is true that our economy is still gaining financially, and that, viewed as a whole, we are doing very well. However, when you look at everything close up, things change drastically. Yes, America is better than alot of countries, but that doesn’t mean that things here are particularly good at the moment. And yes, they could be worse. But until the world ends, they can always be worse, and just because they can be worse doesn’t mean they are good. We are not in the best of shape, and there are alot of things that need to be done to fix the long list of problems we have right now.
Bush did a great job on the speech.
What do you think?
None too good.
How about…scary.
Let’s just say I’m fairly happy to be moving elsewhere, and to return once this set of clowns has left the White House.
Of course by then we’ll just have a different set of clowns running things, but hopefully they’ll at least be better than the current bunch. Expectations are not high.
Bad. Everyone’s political affiliations suck.
Not great, but good.
I really don’t know.
Our country is fine. IN fact i woudl say the state of it is good. Now other countires we might be in……
you do the math:
232: Number of American combat deaths in Iraq between May 2003 and January 2004
0: Number of coffins of dead soldiers returning home from Iraq that the Bush administration has allowed to be photographed
0: Number of funerals or memorials that President Bush has attended for soldiers killed in Iraq
100: Number of fund-raisers attended by Bush or Vice-President Dick Cheney in 2003
10 million: Estimated number of people worldwide who took to the streets in opposition to the invasion of Iraq, setting an all-time record for simultaneous protest
2: Number of nations that Bush has attacked and taken over since coming into the White House
16,000: Approximate number of Iraqis killed since the start of war
$100 billion: Estimated cost of the war in Iraq to American citizens by the end of 2003
$13 billion: Amount other countries have committed towards rebuilding Iraq (much of it in loans) as of 24 October
92%: Percentage of Iraq’s urban areas that had access to drinkable water a year ago
60%: Percentage of Iraq’s urban areas that have access to drinkable water today
i could go on. but i think it serves clear how our state of the union adds up today.
of course my figures were from 2004…so you do the math!
bad until we elect a new preisdent and then ask me again
bad and yet we’ll continue to have people fighting to get in here. says something about the states.
I liked the showcase of Americans, including immigrant Americans. Is the glass half full or half empty? Bill Cosby’s grandmom has it right. Depends on if you are drinking or pouring. Well, I am pouring and I like the fullness we have. Trying to contribute more toward it as well. State of Union….still worth preservation and investing in.
bad
I have a better word for the state of the union. Here it is: Craptacular.
Id say bad but not becasue of anything the predident or congress has done we no longer have morals or for that matter relative inteligence however politicaly we have equallibrium for the moment the war on terror is going well I live without fear however in about two years the american way is going down the toilet because in all likely hood we will have a democratic president ( Im praying not hillary) and checks and balances will be out the window
Bad and becoming worse
Bad, relative to what?
I’d love for things to be more in-line with my preferences, but I think the state of our union is spectacular. It’s better than any other union’s state in my opinion. I appreciate what we do have.
One more thing. In our society, as the rich get richer, the poor get richer. You can say I’m lying, but that’s why “poor people” in America have air conditioning, a television, and a car. They may not be the nicest and the newest, but they’re abundant.
Some people may have disproportionate pieces of the pie, but the pie can get bigger.
Also, I’m a fan of Benjamin Disraeli’s statement, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics.” Even legitimate numbers can be used to promote inadequate arguments. While you’re presenting them, you could at least give credit to change-links.org or whatever site you’re copy/pasting from. Propaganda ftl.
I’d say we’re doing pretty good seeing as how we haven’t had another terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11, our economy is back up and unemployment is low. Iraq isn’t so hot but what are you gonna do? We’ll never fix socail security if women keep killing off half of the population that would pay in if they weren’t aborted. Health care is a disgrace but still better than most places. Education is one of the worst areas of our country. We really should do more to fix it.
I like how everyone always turns this into an Iraq question. Like that is the only thing going on with our country right now. Geez.
I think the November elections show exactly where the state of the union is. Bush has isolated his base, and is now trying to go for democratic policies in order to appease his strongest opposition? Not smart, Dubya. Not smart at all.
bad, as usual
Bad, very bad. Folks say “It could be worse” just can’t admit that it IS not good and it IS quite bad- that or they don’t pay too much attention and are going off of what they hear elsewhere.
i’ve scanned through all the comments and it seems to be that the majority thinks america is not in the best condition. and sure, i’ll agree with that. america is not perfect. but do you really expect perfection?
americans are spoiled. they always seem to have something to complain about. “america is in debt…” “too many people are dying in this war…” “bush is an idiot…” “my computer is too slow…” “the stupid waiter brought me the wrong meal…” blah blah blah.
at least americans have somewhat of an idea of what’s going on in our government.
at least americans have a tv to watch the “state of the union” address.
at least americans have a computer to post comments about how much they think their country is degrading.
at least americans have the opportunity to go out to eat or to the movies.
at least americans have the right to vote.
at least americans have a “bill of rights.”
americans are spoiled.
they expect perfection and complain when they get anything less than that.
and i think that’s the real problem with this country.
everything else is trivial.
It’s definitely not “good”, but it could always be worse
Not good.
I cant wait until we get a new president. One that actually has a brain!
You gotta have perspective. There is always room for improvement, but compared to most countries around the world, we live in paradise.
Bad, very bad.
-KrIsTiN-
I hope to someday be a famous singer or songwriter. I can’t sing that good but I can really write. I can write really inspirational, funny, or even tragic songs. This is one of the tragic ones. This song is about how one small girl is hit by a car and dies to get a ball that rolled into the street. If it makes you cry tell me. It made my own mother cry when she read it. She told me, “Kelli, you can write. You can write. There is no doubt about it. You can be a songwriter someday.” I cried right with her because now I know that there is a place for someone like me. Here’s my song. If you get emotional don’t feel bad. This is a powerful song and must be sung always.
A LITTLE GIRL
Once there was a really little girl
She had red curls
She was playing with her doll
When big brother asked if she’d play ball
She said okay
The brother told her to hurry right away
So he threw the ball to her
But she didn’t catch it and the ball rolled over the curb
Brother told her to go and get it
He didn’t know he would soon regret it
The little girl ran into the street
But she experienced defeat
A car ran right over her and the ball
Then she wasn’t alive at all
The little girl used to be so happy
Now she is taking a permenent nappy
I hope to someday be a famous singer or songwriter. I can’t sing that good but I can really write. I can write really inspirational, funny, or even tragic songs. This is one of the tragic ones. This song is about how one small girl is hit by a car and dies to get a ball that rolled into the street. If it makes you cry tell me. It made my own mother cry when she read it. She told me, “Kelli, you can write. You can write. There is no doubt about it. You can be a songwriter someday.” I cried right with her because now I know that there is a place for someone like me. Here’s my song. If you get emotional don’t feel bad. This is a powerful song and must be sung always.
A LITTLE GIRL
Once there was a really little girl
She had red curls
She was playing with her doll
When big brother asked if she’d play ball
She said okay
The brother told her to hurry right away
So he threw the ball to her
But she didn’t catch it and the ball rolled over the curb
Brother told her to go and get it
He didn’t know he would soon regret it
The little girl ran into the street
But she experienced defeat
A car ran right over her and the ball
Then she wasn’t alive at all
The little girl used to be so happy
Now she is taking a permenent nappy
I hope to someday be a famous singer or songwriter. I can’t sing that good but I can really write. I can write really inspirational, funny, or even tragic songs. This is one of the tragic ones. This song is about how one small girl is hit by a car and dies to get a ball that rolled into the street. If it makes you cry tell me. It made my own mother cry when she read it. She told me, “Kelli, you can write. You can write. There is no doubt about it. You can be a songwriter someday.” I cried right with her because now I know that there is a place for someone like me. Here’s my song. If you get emotional don’t feel bad. This is a powerful song and must be sung always.
A LITTLE GIRL
Once there was a really little girl
She had red curls
She was playing with her doll
When big brother asked if she’d play ball
She said okay
The brother told her to hurry right away
So he threw the ball to her
But she didn’t catch it and the ball rolled over the curb
Brother told her to go and get it
He didn’t know he would soon regret it
The little girl ran into the street
But she experienced defeat
A car ran right over her and the ball
Then she wasn’t alive at all
The little girl used to be so happy
Now she is taking a permenent nappy
I hope to someday be a famous singer or songwriter. I can’t sing that good but I can really write. I can write really inspirational, funny, or even tragic songs. This is one of the tragic ones. This song is about how one small girl is hit by a car and dies to get a ball that rolled into the street. If it makes you cry tell me. It made my own mother cry when she read it. She told me, “Kelli, you can write. You can write. There is no doubt about it. You can be a songwriter someday.” I cried right with her because now I know that there is a place for someone like me. Here’s my song. If you get emotional don’t feel bad. This is a powerful song and must be sung always.
A LITTLE GIRL
Once there was a really little girl
She had red curls
She was playing with her doll
When big brother asked if she’d play ball
She said okay
The brother told her to hurry right away
So he threw the ball to her
But she didn’t catch it and the ball rolled over the curb
Brother told her to go and get it
He didn’t know he would soon regret it
The little girl ran into the street
But she experienced defeat
A car ran right over her and the ball
Then she wasn’t alive at all
The little girl used to be so happy
Now she is taking a permenent nappy
I hope to someday be a famous singer or songwriter. I can’t sing that good but I can really write. I can write really inspirational, funny, or even tragic songs. This is one of the tragic ones. This song is about how one small girl is hit by a car and dies to get a ball that rolled into the street. If it makes you cry tell me. It made my own mother cry when she read it. She told me, “Kelli, you can write. You can write. There is no doubt about it. You can be a songwriter someday.” I cried right with her because now I know that there is a place for someone like me. Here’s my song. If you get emotional don’t feel bad. This is a powerful song and must be sung always.
A LITTLE GIRL
Once there was a really little girl
She had red curls
She was playing with her doll
When big brother asked if she’d play ball
She said okay
The brother told her to hurry right away
So he threw the ball to her
But she didn’t catch it and the ball rolled over the curb
Brother told her to go and get it
He didn’t know he would soon regret it
The little girl ran into the street
But she experienced defeat
A car ran right over her and the ball
Then she wasn’t alive at all
The little girl used to be so happy
Now she is taking a permenent nappy
I hope to someday be a famous singer or songwriter. I can’t sing that good but I can really write. I can write really inspirational, funny, or even tragic songs. This is one of the tragic ones. This song is about how one small girl is hit by a car and dies to get a ball that rolled into the street. If it makes you cry tell me. It made my own mother cry when she read it. She told me, “Kelli, you can write. You can write. There is no doubt about it. You can be a songwriter someday.” I cried right with her because now I know that there is a place for someone like me. Here’s my song. If you get emotional don’t feel bad. This is a powerful song and must be sung always.
A LITTLE GIRL
Once there was a really little girl
She had red curls
She was playing with her doll
When big brother asked if she’d play ball
She said okay
The brother told her to hurry right away
So he threw the ball to her
But she didn’t catch it and the ball rolled over the curb
Brother told her to go and get it
He didn’t know he would soon regret it
The little girl ran into the street
But she experienced defeat
A car ran right over her and the ball
Then she wasn’t alive at all
The little girl used to be so happy
Now she is taking a permenent nappy
Bad. We have Americans getting killed with regularity on foreign soil. That makes it bad.
L,r
I have to write a 1 page paper on it.
Bad and Good…Bad, President sucks…Good, Dem’s all up in da house.
XP
<3.
-Paige.
Neither. It was all one big LIE. He says all these good things he could do, so he could get a cheer or two from the smart ones in the chamber [THE DEMOCRATS] but I doubt he’ll do half the things he said he would.
Bush is a liar and an evil-doer.
fairly good, but it could be better.
bad, of course
could be worse, there could be car bombs going off in our back yard instead of those of middle eastern people
It could be better but it’s not terrible.