State of the Union: Tired of clapping
AP
Did the comments on Iraq, the economy, health care and immigration hit home with you, or had the television in your home already been changed to a station not broadcasting the address?
Let's face it, the address is always pretty boring. Important, sure, but pretty mind-numbing. A couple of sentences, followed by clapping by politicians trying not to doze off as they wonder if they set their TiVos to record "Celebrity Rehab" on VH-1.
Whenever I see the State of the Union address, I think how hard it must be to sit in those seats behind the President as he speaks. Vice President Dick Cheney and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had the cameras on them during most of the speech.
That means you can't smile, grimace or make any kind of face at all. No yawning, either, which can be a challenge. I know that, even if I'm hearing an incredibly inspirational speech, I'm bound to nod off if it lasts more than 30 minutes. That's why I sat in the back at lecture halls in college. But maybe if I got up and clapped after every sentence the professor spoke, I would've stayed awake.
Yes, that was a lot of standing up and sitting back down again for the attendees of the address. A pretty good workout, I think, so maybe some of them can skip a trip to the gym today.