Bush Agonistes--Depressed Audience Response SOTU

[eblack101]

Friends,

Aside from the obvious "canned laughter effect" in the State of the Union speech, the thing that I thought was genuinely remarkable and moving in a sympathetic vibe kind of way, was that throughout the speech there were no manifestations of genuine happiness, joy or even humor in the audience. None.

There was triumph, cynicism, loyalty and a kind of dark comraderie amongst the Rad-con legions, but nothing that even hinted of genuine pleasure or real laughter.

And this is talking primarily about the Republican side of the house. The soldiers, despite being pointed out and commended, ranged from sullenly respectful to openly downcast and resentful.

The libs on the Dem side tended to look to the floor, eyes and face cast down, as if in shame. Kennedy couldn't contain himself; writhing in a grim and sardonic rejection and despair.

Conservative commentators chided him the next day for his "bad form", but I don't think he was reacting exactly on purpose; certainly not if he could have seem what he looked like during his petit-mal grimaces. Even Hillary, at least in the telecast I saw, looked uncomfortable, really almost sickly, and also spent most of her time staring into the floor.

It was a scene out of Dante, and I think in it's total effect, showed us how deeply everyone, Repubs as well as Dems, was really aware, just under the surface tension, that this whole unworthy affair was just an ugly charade offered up in some faintly disgraceful imitation of a backwoods tent revivalist's "miracle Cures"... the whole thing trumped
up to cover up lies and bring in a little cheap profit.

Did any of you notice this, and if so, what did you think about it?

eric

[krkaufman]

1. SOTU observations

• Loved Teddy's barely noticeable shaking of his head back-and-forth, displaying subtle disdain for all Bush was spewing.
  
• Loved the clapping when Bush said that, without Congressional action, the Patriot Act would expire. (5:50) And same thing (clapping) when he said "unless you act the tax cuts will expire." (31:45)
  
• *LOVED* the further Young Frankenstein-esque "murmurmurmurmurmur" grumbling from the Democratic side for each of Bush's continued warnings that his various tax cuts would expire. (31:50)
  
• My nomination for the most obvious deception: "9 months of intense negotiations, involving the US & Great Britain, succeeded w/ Libya while 12 years of diplomacy with Iraq did not. ... no one can now doubt the word of America" (14:10) A howler!!; We've had sanctions against Libya since 1986. I don't have any doubts about his word. Haven't for a long time.
  
• Simultaneous pain & humor with each "nukular"
  
• "rostrum"... very impressive. (I can just imagine his practice sessions... "Is rostrum another word for illegitimate presidency?")
  
• "weapons of mass destruction program-related activities"; nuff said (19:10)

NOTE: Time start (00:00) at "Mr Speaker"