Earlier I was thinking about the State of Union. I got to thinking, the last State Of The Union was on January 28th, but Obama would have only been in office for a week by this time. Do presidents really give an address mere days into their term? Yes.
But in my reading I learned that President Bush has the right to give the address before leaving office, if he so chooses. I say that it goes to the new guy.
Certainly it is true that he will have accomplished very little to nothing during this time (incoming addresses are usually in February, to give a little more time I guess). But, he will have something that Bush will not have, the will of the American people.
Obama was elected by a modern day landslide, and as we have seen over the past week people's opinion of the direction has gone from 17% right track to 36% percent. Between the electoral math and popular sentiment, he deserves it.
Second, Bush gave his first address weeks into his term, as did Clinton, and George H.W. Bush before him. It appears that this is becoming a modern day tradition, but one that I want to make certain continues at least to one more president.
Third, Bush is not able to fully disconnect himself from his policies and those of his Republican companions in the Congress. Can he real say that the State of our Union in 2008 has been strong? The Dow is down over 30 percent this year alone, unemployment is up, the credit market is still frozen, and on and on. Further, the address is a commentary on the past year and outline for the year ahead.
George W. Bush cannot give such an address, discussing how his policies help create this environment. And he wont be around a year from now.
Barack Obama, is not connected with the policies of the past year. Sure, he may have agreement with some of them, but at the core he will be able to give the American people what they voted for: Hope. He will be able to frankly discuss the shortcomings of the policies of the now, and lay out his vision not only for the next year, but for the next 4 years.
Great challenges lie ahead, we cannot fix this all in one year, and that is also why Obama should do the 2009 State of the Union. He will shoulder the burden of history for the recovery from this current situation. With all that must be fixed, much of the fixing is to be his.
Update on outgoing president address from "The American Presidency Project" from UCSB.
Finally, President George W. Bush delivered a State of the Union Address on January 28, 2008. It was widely stated that this was his last address before leaving office on January 20, 2009, but assuming this is incorrect. Bush has the right to deliver either a written or oral State of the Union in the days immediately before leaving office in 2009. Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Ford, and Carter chose to do so. Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, chose not to.