President George W.. Bush’s second State of the Union address, delivered before a joint session of congress on Tuesday night, covered many topics ranging from funding for AIDS treatment in Africa to banning partial-birth abortions to research on hydrogen-powered pollution-free automobiles.
However, the President’s main focus remained on foreign policy, as Bush devoted roughly half his speech to issues like the war on terrorism and the administration’s policy toward Iraq.
“Many challenges, abroad and at home, have arrived in a single season,” said Bush toward the close of his remarks. “In two years, America has gone from a sense of invulnerability to an awareness of peril, from bitter division in small matters to calm unity in great causes.”
Following the President’s remarks, an instant-reaction poll of people who watched the speech conducted by the Gallup Organization showed that 67% of those surveyed felt the President had made a convincing argument for the need of the United States to take military action against Iraq, up from 47 % prior to the speech.
Gallup also noted that “Typically, presidential speech watchers disproportonately identify with the party of the President.” Among survey participants, 40% identified themselves as Republicans, 31% as independents, and 28% as Democrats. Although Republicans outnumbered Democrats by 12 points in the poll, this was down from last year when 50% of those surveyed identified themselves as Republicans.
One unusual development surrounding this year’s speech was the Democrats’ decision to issue a “prebuttal,” criticizing the President before he even spoke.
“The state of our union today is anxious,” said Senate minority leader Tom Daschle on Monday. “The triple threat of war, terrorism and recession are combining to make Americans unsure about their future and unclear about the course of action our nation is taking.”
House minority leader Nancy Pelosi also participated in the prebuttal.
The more-traditional rebuttal to the President’s remarks by the opposition party immediately following the State of the Union was delivered by Democratic governor Gary Locke of Washington State.
“I want every person to have the chance this country gave our family,” said Locke. “But like many of you, I’m concerned about the challenges now before us.”
A more in-depth analysis of the State of the Union will appear in next week’s Guilfordian. For some community reactions to the speech, see page 4.