Pre-State of the Union Notes

I'll be viewing the President's State of the Union Address in about 20 minutes, with a deep interest in the fiscal side of the report. Beyond my interest as a citizen and a political partisan, I will give the Libertarian response on WXNT's "Abdul In The Morning" tomorrow at 8am, along with representatives of the other two parties.

One thing that has struck me in viewing pre-Address coverage on CNN and Fox News is how everything surrounding the event is staged. I understand that the President has to rehearse the speech. I've rehearsed speeches. But what struck me was how the acknowledgements the President will make are carefully and politically scripted. Not only that, the Democrats issued a response before the speech has been given!

I'm waiting to analyze and judge the speech until after President Bush has completed it. I think that's the only genuine way to go about it.