Richard Norton Smith Steven, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida writes: I as a historian, strongly believe in having a voice in government, and would like to know... if I am to give history lessons to our citizens, would it be best to start with the Revolutionary Period, or should I start with the history of what our Countries Founding Fathers envisioned for us as One Nation Under God? Richard Norton Smith
Someone else could fault me for being too English-centric - after all, there is a century of more of American history in points distant from New England or the East coast. Zach, from Sullivan writes: Richard Norton Smith
It is true that Presidents spend an enormous amount of preparation on the speech. Richard Nixon, for example, prior to his 1971 State of the Union address commissioned a number of public opinion polls which told him of growing environmental awareness and he surprised many by emphasizing the environment in that message out of which came the EPA among other initiatives.
Dennis, from Branson writes: Richard Norton Smith
But no, these tend to be, particularly in the TV age, they are very carefully choreographed, finely tuned speeches. Actors on stage rather improvise neither do presidents. Andrew, from U.S.A. writes: Richard Norton Smith It has been theorized that one reason that Jefferson halted the practice of delivering the speeches in person was because of his discomfort with public oratory. For most of our history the State of the Union address was not called that -- it was the annual message delivered not in January but in December when Congress convened. In Washington's time when he spoke they tended to be quite brief in comparison with modern presidents.
Teddy Roosevelt holds the records with 20,000 words in his first message.
Truman sent a 16,000 word message for his first time out of the box. TR's message was not delivered by TR -- it was delivered by a clerk and was 2 1/2 hours long.
Liz, from DC writes: How can these writing strategies be applied to my personal and academic writing? Richard Norton Smith I think in modern White Houses the creation of policy is inseparable from the pursuit of politics. It is not surprising that a great many people want to have their oar in the water. Some overt political advisors, poll numbers are factored in. I do remember when I worked with Mrs. Dole at DOT and other people in the Reagan WH, I can assure you long before January, there was a game being played and it goes on in every cabinet department -- people are wondering, "what do we need to do to get in the address?" Cabinet Officers will be soliciting ideas, catchy phrases, success stories to point to. All in the hopes that they can be fed into the SOU address which is one reason why sometimes these addresses sometimes feel like ten point policy agendas bloated and themeless -- a kind of themeless pudding. There is a real discipline involved which can come from the President, speechwriters, political advisors, sometimes a combination -- but if you let everyone in DC who wanted a sentence, I can assure you TR's 2 1/2 hours would be easily surpassed.
It is an active definition for the country and the administration and definitions are achieved through editing not expansion.
Steven, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida US ofA writes: I was wondering if you could answer the question of how do we get back to the fundamentals of where our country was invisioned to be set on a path for? Richard Norton Smith
In a sense, every state of union address is an opportunity to return to fundamentals, one of those ceremonial links with our origins that actually precedes the first President. You may or may not know that for 100 years or more, every President from Jefferson to Theodore Roosevelt did not deliver the speech in person but rather sent a written copy by White House clerk. The reason for this was the concern, first-voiced by Jefferson, that for a President to personally deliver his annual message was too reminiscent of the speech from the throne - and the very monarchy to which Jefferson and his contemporaries took violent exception. Mark, from Australia writes: Richard Norton Smith Lauren, from Cleveland, Ohip writes: Richard Norton Smith The funny thing is Madison wrote all of them. Madison was talking to himself and then some as the president. It was a process that took much less time because you had much less to collate -- much less policy to formulate. Only four government depts., at the state dept Jefferson had two clerks and an annual budget of 8 thousand. Washingtons government employed fewer people than Washington himself did at Mount Vernon. So you can imagine putting together an annual message -- much simpler and less time consuming process. Today, as I said earlier, some people in dc at least, begin the process of trying to shape the address months in advance. The actual writing and rewriting probably goes on for several weeks. I will give an exception. Ford, for his first State of the Union in 1975. First of all he did something no one had ever done and probably for obvious reasons. He got up and said candidly that the state of the union was not good. He thought he would credit for candor -- he did not. More to the point and as bizarre as it sounds, he was up until 4am personally meshing two rival drafts of the speech. One prepared by Donald Rumsfeld, and the other by the presidents speechwriter, Bob Hartman.
After that experience the board made it very clear to Hartman that it would not be repeated and that important speeches would not be delivered to him the night before it was to be delivered to the public.
Geoff, from Virginia writes: Richard Norton Smith
And every president since has maintained the tradition.
Patricia, from Naperville, IL writes: Richard Norton Smith Even poor old James Buchanan, whom most of us forgot as one of the least successful presidents. The flip side is that every president is interesting -- most are fascinating Washington is a great hero of mine because I think if he had not been willing to sacrifice the last decade of his life, peace of mind and risk his reputation on this untried experiment -- there might not be a presidency or the United States today. But almost every president can be held up as someone worth studying -- certainly knowing more about them than the stereotypes or the labels that get attached to most historical figures. Most people today know nothing about James K Polk. Perhaps some in Tennessee know him as " Young H ickory " -- the protege of Andrew Jackson. Some probably vaguely associate him with the Mexican War. Not many people know that he added more territory to the US than any other President. And to varying degrees this holds true for virtually every one of our chief executives but I.m also biased toward Lincoln and Wilson and Coolidge among others. Footnote: What did Polk add? For starters, modern day California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico. Nick, from Pasadena writes: Richard Norton Smith We know them as the four freedoms -- freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. And those were in the 1941 state of the union address.
FDR used the SOU address more than many presidents to encapsulate large measures -- in 1935, he launched the 2nd New Deal around security. Out of that congress would come social security. In 1944, he looked to the post war world and talked about an economic bill of rights -- one that would, over time be as important as our political bill of rights. He did not live to see it implemented, but the GI bill of rights is in many ways part of his vision.
jordan, from west chester writes: Richard Norton Smith Caleb, from Crawfordsville,IN writes: Richard Norton Smith And of course, there was the typical Washington speculation about what the president would do given the enormous pressure he was under and the distraction. The president rose to the occasion. That is when we started talking about compartmentalization. That would be one of the most dramatic settings ever for such an address. There is also built in drama for a new president any time a new president -- particularly one who becomes one under tragic circumstances. LBJ was a child of Capitol Hill and well known to his colleagues. Nevertheless, there was real drama in the House chamber when 40 years ago this month, he used the occasion at his first SOU address to declare what he called "unconditional war" on poverty. It was the birth of the "great society" and of course in time there would be another war which would define the Johnson administration and devour the war on poverty. Three years later, in January 1967, the president returned to the Hill -- he used that SOU address to insist that in effect the nation could afford to fight both wars -- what was known as guns and butter. If you think of Harry Truman appearing before congress for the first time -- even Calvin Coolidge...
Surprising man Coolidge -- in his first address Coolidge called for an anti-lynching law. He also wanted an amendment to restrict child labor, he wanted a minimum wage for women and along with a tax reduction he wanted to create a federal department of education.
Dillon, from Home writes: service? Richard Norton Smith By contrast, former presidents as you know, been accorded secret service protection -- came after Kennedy Herbert Hoover, on the day he left office, undoubtedly the most unpopular man in America , took a train to New York and spent the night at the Waldorf -- which received death threats against the President. A secret serviceman did accompany him to New York but then disappeared. In the spring of 1933, the most popular song in America was " Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf " -- its popularity was attributed in part to the departure of Herbert hover. He took office as the most revered man for his humanitarian efforts, but that changed. He had the longest ex-presidency and rebuilt much of his reputation again for his humanitarian work He had a wonderful line, not long before he died -- he lived to 90 . A friend asked him how he had managed to survive the long period of ostracism which coincided with the new deal before Harry Truman brought him to public life. Hoover said, "It is simple, I outlived the bastards." So I recommend longevity as the best revenge. He was a great man -- but not a great president. James Madison was a great man -- but not a great president. And it works the other way as well. There are great Presidents who are not necessarily great human beings.
In the White House virtue is not necessarily its own reward. Another great Coolidge quote, it was the source of safety to the country and great reassurance to a president personally for him to know that he is not a great man. That.s Coolidge the minimalist.
Elizabeth, from Boston Mass.
writes: give the State of the Union Adress on Tuesday Night..I was wondering what the State of the Union stabds for and Why do Presidents always do the State of the Union Address In the capital Building not in the Whitehouse..Is your job hard work. Thanks, Elizabeth Kronfeld From Boston ,Mass. Richard Norton Smith If it were the other way around, the President in the East Room giving a speech, you couldn't fit all of Congress there . Presidents have tried to get around this device. The last time a President did not go to Cap Hill and deliver the speech in person, was in 1973. Richard Nixon sent up a written report. The excuse was is that it was the same month that he was giving the inaugural address, but that had not precluded other Presidents in similar state from appearing in person . Nixon did not like the rituals surrounding the SOU -- he was always tinkering with it. One year he wanted 2 speeches -- a SOU and on the State of the World. One year he sent a written message (1973). Nixon was always looking for great slogans, something that people would march behind. Bill Safire , a speechwriter for the President, came up with The New American Revolution -- that was the theme of the 1971 address. 1971 was the year before the election and the President always wants to define the agenda leading up to his reelection. What came out of the 1971 speech that we should remember was a program called revenue sharing. Nixon wanted to begin the process of reversing the flow of power, dollars and decisions to washington that had commenced 40 years earlier with the New Deal . In fact, if you look at the history of the last 30 years, you can argue that process is real , ongoing, it is a theme that runs through all of the Presidencies.
So the notion of decentralizing government, returning power back to , block grants, revenue sharing, really does vindicate what Nixon called his New American Revolution.
Richard Norton Smith
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