The State of the Union: Just Plain Silly

A quick turn of the TV dial or glance at a newspaper today divulges almost verbatim what the president will say in his upcoming speech tomorrow night. It's called The State of the Union, but a more accurate name would be The Posturing of Politicians.

Here's what will matter most: Who will be sitting where? If the democrats and republicans are sitting next to one another, will that help Obama get re-elected in 2012? How many times will our fearless leader be interrupted by applause? How many sound bites will come from the speech, written by somebody else and tweaked by another somebody else?  Will Obama look presidential? Will Joe Biden be caught yawning? Most important, of course: Who will be sitting next to Michelle? A survivor of the Arizona tragedy, no doubt, catapulted to instant hero status just for not dying that day at the Tucson Safeway. Or maybe even Gabby Gifford's husband!

Our elected officials appear more juvenile every day, reminding me of kids in the schoolyard at recess. I'm not sure if this is because I'm getting older or they're getting younger. Either way, it's just plain silly, not to mention a total waste of time since every detail will be spun to death on CNN and MSNBC and FOX and in newspaper editorials across the country, to watch the parade of frozen smiles and handshakes of our "leaders" as they enter the hallowed halls of the Capitol. And while it is sort of fun to count how many of the women wear red in hopes of standing out from the crowd, I'll pass anyway.