PEGGY NOONAN: Why Obama's State of the Union Speech Will Be Unusually Good (Barf Alert!!!)

FOX News.com ^ | January 22, 2011 | Peggy Noonan

[Kaslin]

The State of the Union Address is usually among the most important and least memorable of presidential speeches. The speech itself, in an august setting, is an opportunity for a president to break through in a new way. TV and radio carry it live, and it's hard for the average citizen to avoid seeing at least a piece of it. It's a real chance for a White House to tell the American people "This is where we stand, this is why we are here, this is what we believe in."

But most State of the Unions don't measure up. They get beaten down by the staffing process and flattened by the laundry-list aspects: "We'll do this and this and this." There's always too much going on in the speech, and in the end it's usually, in Churchill's phrase, a pudding without a theme.

The State of the Union Address is usually among the most important and least memorable of presidential speeches. The speech itself, in an august setting, is an opportunity for a president to break through in a new way. TV and radio carry it live, and it's hard for the average citizen to avoid seeing at least a piece of it. It's a real chance for a White House to tell the American people "This is where we stand, this is why we are here, this is what we believe in."

But most State of the Unions don't measure up. They get beaten down by the staffing process and flattened by the laundry-list aspects: "We'll do this and this and this." There's always too much going on in the speech, and in the end it's usually, in Churchill's phrase, a pudding without a theme.

[DarthVader]

Hate to break it to you Peggy but not too many people will tuning in.

[SAJ]

Follow up speech: Why Peggy Noonan blows chunks.

[ladyvet]

I wish she would just...shut....up.

[bwc2221]

I can't believe anyone follows this aging, air-headed, fawning bimbo.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

Hey Peggy - most of us care how America is doing...not how some speech went over.

[2ndDivisionVet]

GET A ROOM!!!

[digger48]

I see Peggy is planning on viewing the speech from under Obamas podium.

[marron]

Its hard to imagine that a decade ago I would read anything she wrote.

Now she just seems like a caricature of a caricature.

[Night Hides Not]

Your “barf alert” was redundant, my FRiend.

[marron]

Its hard to imagine that a decade ago

OK, maybe its been longer than a decade...

[Kaslin]

I certainly won’t and I won’t watch Bill O’Reilly’s interview either on Superbowl Sunday

[abb]

Peggy, you're nothing to me now. You're not a sister, you're not a friend. I don't want to know you or what you do. I don't want to see you on television, or read what you write. I don't want you near any conservative conferences. When you see my friends, I want to know a day in advance, so I won't be there. You understand?

With apologies to Michael Corleone.

[Lazlo in PA]

A prediction: President Obama's speech will be unusually good. Why? Because he's showing signs of understanding that if you say something simply, clearly and sparingly, it can stick.

Hey Piggy. Where exactly is there evidence of him choosing words sparingly? This article is just more evidence of you doing crack.

[DJ MacWoW]

The Wolves Are At The Door!

Stop Them With The Truth
Donate To Free Republic

[Cboldt]

and it's hard for the average citizen to avoid seeing at least a piece of it

Perhaps, but I don't find it difficult at all.

[mad_as_he$$]

Yea, right 0 will be the big budget cutter and deficit hawk.

[hinckley buzzard]

Sheesh. Menopause is not being kind to this woman. I think she needs some medicine.

[Revolting cat!]

A 1,000 points of trite!

[linn37]

Another Peggy O-gasm.