The State of the Union Is... Lame
I didn't watch it, and I don't regret it.
It's all well and good that the President's required to visit Congress once a year (he's not even allowed to go in there the rest of the time) and tell them how he's doing. But everyone knows it's just another place for him to repeat the same things he says at all of his press conferences. The opposing party customarily gives a rebuttal afterward. But the President doesn't need to go all the way down to the Capitol to talk past elected representatives and have them talk past him. If I wanted to hear more Republican talking points, I'd turn on talk radio.
What would really liven it up would be a Q & A session, where Congressfolk could just ask the President direct questions, to his face, in front of everyone. How often does that happen? In the UK and many of the former English colonies, at least once a week - of course, they're parliamentary governments where the head of state (well, not technically that) is a member of the same body that's doing the asking. But still, it's fun to watch; the Prime Minister's Questions is one of my favorite TV shows. Say what you will about Tony Blair's governance, but the man is quick on his feet, and deals well with boos, hisses, and catcalls from his peers.
Maybe it would also make for better government. Imagine if the President were physically there, in front of a Congressman asking a question, instead of having the Congressman just announce his disagreement at a press conference. And he'd have to answer. Maybe this would be a big step toward turning our political system into some kind of dialogue or debate, instead of a bunch of nabobs nattering their tired old party lines whenever they're in front of a camera, with their votes already decided behind closed doors. If nothing else, at least it would be a better TV program than America's Funniest Home Videos.