The State of the Union Address and the Immutable Law of Speeches by Public Officials

I will not be blogging about the State of the Union address. First, plenty of other people have plenty to say. Second, I firmly believe in the Immutable Law of Speeches by Public Officials: the higher-ranking the official, the less interesting the speech. High-ranking public officials can't commit themselves to saying anything interesting in speeches, as things they say can have serious impact and consequences. The State of the Union Address -- and not just last nights -- is a platitudinous affair, in which the president says all kinds of nice things about what he wants to do, but offers no means of achieving those goals. Listening to a president speak, with very few exceptions such as when a major policy is going to be announced, is about as interesting as watching paint dry.