Wednesday, February 01, 2006

State of the Union Thoughts


I thought that Bush did a pretty good job last night during the State of the Union. I was glad that he spoke in more general terms than about specific, expensive programs.

Energy Reform I was more than happy to hear the President talk about a need for change in the way that we consume energy. He admitted, even though most of his wealth comes from oil, that the country needs to stop relying on oil that comes from extremely unstable countries. He proposed initiatives to research hydrogen and ethanol fuels. He also mentioned that we need to invest in energy generating plants that create less pollution and emissions. I am extremely glad that we might actually starting pushing for energy reform that doesn't compromise our environment or national security.

Science Education I was also glad to hear that Bush wants to invest more money into science education and research. I really feel that we are falling behind the rest of the world in the sciences, and we certainly need to catch up. How far will this go? I'm not sure, but I hope this turns out to be a great effort.

Baby Boomers I liked the President's idea to create a bipartisan commission to study the effects of the baby boomer retirements. The 9/11 commission did a great job of discovering our country's weaknesses and proposing improvements. I hope that another commission regarding the baby boomers and government programs will bring forth some more ideas regarding this issue. This might turn into just a show put on my the President and Congress, but I have hope that we might actually get reform out of something like this.

Democrat Response I think that the Democrats realize that many Americans are tired of seeing the same old faces that constantly whine; it was a good move on their part to offer someone a little fresher. I don't really think, though, that Governor Kaine was appropriate. He has been Governor of Virginia for less than a month, and he was only a mayor before that. Does he really have the experience of national politics to be speaking on behalf of all the country's Democrats? Kaine said, "I want to offer some good news tonight -- there is a better way," but I don't he really had a good reason why the Democratic party is a better way. What have they done to prove that they are "a better way" except yell every time the President sneezes?

Positive Reaction A poll by the liberal CNN showed that a majority of Americans viewed Bush's speech as somewhat positive. Forty-eight percent said they reacted positively to the speech, and twenty-seven percent said they had a somewhat favorable reaction. Only 23 percent said that they felt negatively about the President's words (note, the audience was 23 percent Democrat). Maybe Bush is on the right road now; only time will tell though. (poll found here)

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