The State of the Union, Part I: The Organization
By Chad A. B. Wilson
Published January 25, 2007, 12:44 pm in News.
There is a charm about G.W. Bush that I just can't put my finger on. I find myself wanting to be carried along by him, to want to trust him and believe that he knows what he's doing. Partially, it's the speech itself--its words, its organization--but it's also partially Bush's gift for delivery. He seems sincere and trustworthy, as if he really does believe what he says. So I often I feel as if politicians say whatever is popular or convenient, not what they truly believe (I fear that John McCain is this way, too), but Bush really does believe what he says, or at least he comes across that way, and that's really what matters, anyway.
But the star of the State of the Union Address was not Bush; it was Nancy Pelosi. Sure, I was still trying to pay attention to Bush, but I found myself drawn to the upper right-hand side of the screen. Sometimes I would glance left and see a scowling or smirking Dick Cheney, but mainly I was focused on Pelosi. I have always thought of Pelosi as a tough and unloveable, but she exhibited some real charm and grace during the speech. I wanted to watch her reactions to everything, instead of following Bush himself. In fact, I would say that she has the same kind of charm that Bush has, albeit in a very different manner.
But I will talk more about the reactions of the different members in a later column. I plan three columns on the State of the Union Address. This, the first one, will be about the organization of the speech and how Bush is able to lead us along. The next one will focus on the words and policies themselves. Then the last one will discuss the Republican/Democrat divide and the reactions to the speech.
There are three primary sections of Bush's speech:
I. The Economy and Policy Reforms
II. The War on Terror
III. America's Mission and Examples of American Heroism
These three sections are then further subdivided, as I will explain below.
The Economy and Policy Reforms
Section I deals with many different issues, and I have decided to group them because they act as a prelude. Everyone knows that Bush can't delve into Iraq right away, but all of this other stuff just seems like front matter, the obligatory stuff before we get to the meat of the speech, the heart, if you will.
In this first section, he disscuess
The Budget and the Deficit
It should be eliminated within the next five years.
Earmarks
They should be cut in half by the end of the session. (For more information on this, see my previous columns "George Bush and the Earmarks of the New Congress" and "The Ethics of the House" where I discuss a speech he gave on January 3, 2007. Much of this current section of the State of the Union was previously brought up in that speech, including tax cuts, earmarks, entitlement programs, and the budget.)
Entitlement Programs
We must keep our "commitments of conscience," such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, but they must be reformed.
Education
The No Child Left Behind Act has enacted good and should be be reauthorized.
Healthcare
Here, Bush outlines two strategies to provide more private healthcare for Americans. First, there is the standard tax deduction for health insurance. Second, authorizing and rewarding states that manage innovative means of providing private insurance.
Immigration
The U.S. should have comprehensive immigration reform that puts less pressure on the borders.
Energy
The U.S. must reduce its dependence on foreign oil by reducing gasoline usage by 20 percent over the next 10 years. Alternative fuels must also be researched.
Federal Judges
Congress must give judges a fair hearing and rule on them.
The War on Terror
And then comes the switch: "For all of us in this room, there's no higher responsibility than to protect the people of this country from danger." From this point on, the speech concentrates on terror and Iraq. It's an interesting move, too. Bush begins by asserting the need to do all of this other stuff, like reform healthcare and immigration, and then he says that those issues pale in comparison to the real thing--safety. Bush has managed to turn the tide, where the others are the pets of Congressmembers. Bush's agenda, the thing that he will be remembered for, is national security and the war in Iraq. That's why he brings it up here, and that's why he says that it is the "higher responsibility," much more important than those other measley issues.
It makes sense for Bush to say this, too. He's the Commander in Chief, but Congress makes the laws. What Bush can do is send the country the war and direct war policy. He is the important one with the most important job of all.
He invokes September 11, of course, and says, "Yet one question has surely been settled: that, to win the war on terror, we must take the fight to the enemy." That's what Bush did, and that is the tactic that is failing. It still makes sense, though. The best defense is a good offense. You can't win a football game by concentrating on defense and never throwing a pass, or win a basketball game by having your players crowded around your own goal and never going over to take a shot. But the metaphor quickly breaks down. We're not talking about games, and we're not talking about winning or losing. We win by not being attacked, right? Bush's idea is that the way to not be attacked is to stop the terrorists before they even get here. And that makes sense.
He recounts the terrorist attacks that have been foiled, but insists that "America is still a nation at war. He quotes from terrorists, blames both Sunni and Shia radicals, and claims it is an ideological struggle. He praises events in the Middle East, in Lebanon and Afghanistan, and even in Iraq, and then moves into the Iraq policy.
He uses a few great statements here: "This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it the fight that we are in." Or "Let us find our resolve and turn events toward victory." Then he turns to the new strategy in Iraq.
What is most interesting about this section is that there is no difference between the war in Afghanistan, Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, and the war in Iraq. They're all a part of the war on terror, and our course of action should be precipitated by 9/11. It is that defining moment that has led to our action in each conflict.
Again and again, Bush ties 9/11 to Iraq and insists that it is another front in the war on terror. And people believe it, too, especially as al Qaeda has taken up residence there. The way he moves seamlessly from terrorism to Iraq is meant to embed them into our brains as the same fight.
America's Mission and Examples of American Heroism
I am unsure where to place the division here, but it seems to occur with this statement: "The war on terror we fight today is a generational struggle that will continue long after you and I have turned our duties over to others." Bush moves into three plans:
1. Establishing a "special advisory council on the war on terror."
2. Increasing the size of the military.
3. Establishing a "volunteer civilian reserve corps."
It sounds like this is just another part of the war on terror, and it is, but it is also very different from the discussion of Iraq. Instead of attaching it there, it fits best with the next part, which is about America's role in the world. If this is a global or "generational" struggle, America (and thus all Americans, hence the three things outlined at the beginning of this section) has a major role to play: "American foreign policy is more than a matter of war and diplomacy. Our work in the world is based on a timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required."
In other words, America and Americans must serve to help other nations achieve freedom by fighting disease and poverty. But what can I do? the American individual asks.
Bush proceeds to answer this question with four examples of Americans who have made a difference. Hearing their stories made me get teary-eyed. And that is where it ends.
It is a masterful example of using organization to achieve one's ends. I applaud Bush for it.
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