Guess Who is not Watching the State of the Union this Year?

This guy.

When I was a lad the State of the Union was sacred.  When I was a lad my mom would watch George H.W. Bush's SOUs, turning over every word for veiled threats to Headstart.  When I was a little older watching Bill Clinton's SOUs endowed me with a self gratifying veneer of sophomoric sophistication.  Older still, and you would find me glued to the TV while Bush the younger demarcated the axis of evil and made the case for a number of military misadventures.

And now with President Obama?  Meh.

If the Obama presidency proves anything, it is the limit of high falootin' oratory.  There is no doubt that Obama can turn a phrase and inspire the nation (at least when he wants to run for office), but Obama's State of the Unions have become little more than a long list of things that he would like to do that Congress ain't gonna do.

Add that to the fact that I already know what that list of things is, because the Obama administration has already told us (2 years of Community College for free; a bit of welcome wealth distribution), and there is really no need to watch.  The only fun in watching is see who in the crowd is standing up or sitting down as the speech is read, but that is only interesting for a few minutes.

So no thanks.  I'll read about it tomorrow in the papers (delivered wirelessly to the device of my choice, of course) and learn all I need to know in about 10 minutes.  If there are any jaw dropping errors or gasp inducing gaffes I'll be able to watch them on CNN or You Tube or whatever.  There are much better ways to spend my time then to watch a speech that is a symbol of our anarchic traditions which, while venerable, probably don't serve us particularly well.

How am I going to use the hour?  I could learn a new language with Rosetta Stone.  I could keep picking away at some George Eliot.  I could go out and get some exercise.  I could go shopping to strengthen the American economy.  I could go out and sabotage the prophylactic factory to make sure that America's population stays robust. I could go out with my flint lock and drill on the village green to make sure that the Queen of England doesn't get all colonial on everybody's asses.

But I think I will watch re-runs of the Simpsons.

Do I agree with what I am guessing Obama is going to talk about?  I suppose so.  If I had my way we would have fewer people go to college, deal with degree inflation, and make sure that public schools can equip people to have good jobs.  But that probably won't happen.  So I grudgingly accept that if the government could make an investment in its citizens by helping with community colleges.  I could be persuaded otherwise though, I think.

Taxes?  I would naturally be in favor of a modest tax increase on the wealthiest Americans, especially because some of that money would probably be coming my way in the form of higher child tax deductions.  Is it better for the nation?  I'm inclined to think so but I know that there are cogent arguments for why it isn't.  Is it better for me?  Hells yeah. And that is why I support it.

Anytime the government wants to give me money (or rather take less of the money I have already earned), I will take it.  Especially if that money once belonged to Bill O'Reily or Glenn Beck.