‘Jefferson (and maybe others) delivered his via a letter.”
Jefferson was a brilliant thinker and writer but had problems with public speaking, some shyness and he was not eloquent.
Series, if the `rats are going to turn this into another act of petulant `resistance’ next year he should make it CCT to the children and to the rest of the country, the adults, as usual on live TV.
He could do it. Most of us are fed up with the Democrats obstructionist nonsense. They will have a chance to tell their side when their great white (very white) hope starts stammering in their response.
By the way there’s nothing in the Constitution about a rebuttal, it was just started in 1966.
The SOTU isn’t stand-up comedy and the participants aren’t hecklers dissatisfied with the show.
TJ's shyness, etc might make him seem an odd choice for SecState and Amb to France, but Washington was apparently quite fond of him.