Attacking the State of the Union
Gina Cora
junior
This letter is in response to Mike Marchand's Feb. 11 column.
President Bush did not shine with his State of the Union Address. He basked in the glow of a nation eager to rally behind their leader. There was no "plain-spoken eloquence." Implying that America is the unquestionable good opposed to "evil," categorically grouping three countries whose situations are very different into an "axis of evil," and saying things like "let's roll" and "make no mistake about it" is not eloquent. It is sensationalist, plays upon the American public's ignorance of foreign affairs and simplifies difficult questions. There was no "bold, visionary changes for both the immediate and the long-term future of the union."
Bush repeatedly returned to his patriotic rallying cry throughout the speech, not going into detail about domestic policy. His policies do not work for "America's hardworking families." Just take a look at his tax cut. He does not govern "from the center as much as possible." The nation has not heard rhetoric like his since Reagan. He is not "more of a rapid-fire texas gunslinger than a poet, linguistically speaking." He is a rapid-fire Texas gunslinger who is appreciated by people like Mike Marchand who can take pride in saying that "America will now work to annihilate the enemies of the 21st Century — before they can do it to us." His State of the Union Address confirmed that Bush is an "intellectual lightweight" who makes that point clear every time he opens his mouth.
Gina Cora
junior
off-campus
Feb. 11, 2002
All Viewpoint Stories for Friday, February 15, 2002
