“This year's State of the Union Address reminded me of Thomas Jefferson's Inaugural Address in which he intoned that ‘We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists.’  The bipartisan atmosphere was, of course, heightened by the "date-night" seating arrangement.  Moreover, the President offered a number of proposals (reduction of the corporate tax; spending freezes, welcoming ROTC to campuses, and the like) that would appeal across the now-dissolved aisle.

“The speech was more conceptual than many of its contemporary counterparts.  I liked the ending better than the beginning.  I do not think, as the first of the speech suggested, that America's economy is what makes it great.  I think, as he came closer to saying in the end, that our large economy grows from the unique freedoms that Americans exercise. 

 “Obama still has a tendency to state a goal; for example, so many electric cars by this date, energy sufficiency by that, high-speed rails by another, as though it were a policy. … I think his 2008 election showed that one can't simply fiat jobs or other goods into existence.

“Obama continued the practice that Ronald Reagan began (and which I document in "Presidents as Commenders in Chief: Recognitions of Citizen Heroes from Ronald Reagan through George W. Bush," Congress & the Presidency, 34 (Spring 2007), 27-54) of recognizing citizen heroes, who serve as testimonials of heroism, industry, or other virtues.  The practice is now so routine that the camera pans to the gallery without the president always indicating that the individuals are in the audience.  Abbie Gifford's "empty chair" was, of course, a particularly poignant symbol of the potential sacrifices of public service. 

“The speech put a great deal of emphasis on science, engineering, and technology.  Although this emphasis in and of itself is good, it seems to leave behind those who are in the social sciences and the humanities, which guide such endeavors into productive paths.
   
“Obama devoted the bulk of the speech to domestic matters, but supported America's role as a beacon to people who desire freedom everywhere.  It will be interesting to see if American policy matches American rhetoric if demonstrations continue in Egypt, whose largely unaccountable leader remains an ally.

“It was usual to have not one but two responses.  I thought the full Republican response was better than the Tea Party response.  The latter was delivered as though the speaker had not listened to Obama's own speech.  It thus blasted the current corporate tax, for example, without acknowledging that Obama had called for a reduction in it.  Significantly, all three speakers indicated the need for deficit controls, all without being particularly specific.”

Vile is dean of MTSU’s Honors College.

He is the author of several books on the United States Constitution and received four awards recognizing his Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments.

He received his Ph.D. degree in government from the University of Virginia.

To reach Vile, call 615-898-2596 or jvile@mtsu.edu.