President Obama gave his final State of the Union address last night. While interest in the speech was the lowest it has ever been, which speaks to the anti-establishment surge from Trump this election season, that’s not what I want to talk about today.
I’ve written about the theatrics involved with the SOTU before. It’s pretty sad. But watching the build up to it last night really hit me. America, no, Americans, have made their politicians into celebrities.
Once considered to be a selfless job, politics is now a job of celebrity. And the 2016 State of the Union Address was nothing more than theatrics, demagoguery and pageantry with coverage of the event intended to build up the egos of these politicians.
Fox News, for example, was running its usual programming last night, but in split screen mode. They had a camera rolling inside the House of Representatives and tracking Obama’s preparation hours before he began his used car salesman speech. Why? So viewers could see his motorcade idling outside the White House and watch as congressmen and senators shook hands and wished each other a Happy New Year…
Reminds me of a scene from high school - a popularity contest. Who looks the coolest when the cameras are on them. Who’s talking to who. “OMG is that Marco Rubio talking to Chuck Schumer? One is a Republican the other a Democrat… are they friends? OMG”
“Did you see that look Joe Biden just gave Paul Ryan? Oh no he didn’t…”
What a joke…
All these politicians are perfectly capable of talking to each other during the day, everyday. And believe me they do (that’s part of their job after all). But yet when the cameras are on, they have to show the people at home how many people they know, how many hands they can shake, and how big their fake smiles can be - ear to ear baby!
And the media treats it like a red carpet event! Streaming the play-by-play to viewers at home, yet nothing of substance is happening. No wonder America is a mess. It attracts wannabe celebrities to public office; and Hollywood celebrities stump for these jokers…
This is kings and serfs behavior. Putting these people on pedestals. Scary stuff. Think I’m being extreme? Look at the squire introducing the President, and then watch the desperate brown-nosers as they fight to get Obama’s attention just for a split second. Just watch, and think about what I’ve written. Why the hell is this being filmed?
This SOTU intro below is from 4 years ago, but it’s always the same shit. King Tut, I mean the President, enters the room and the desperate politicians fight to be seen on camera looking jovial with him.
Thomas Jefferson, one of the greatest and most selfless Presidents in American history, deplored the State of the Union address, so much so that he decided to cancel the speech entirely and simply provide it in written form. It accomplished the mission without the gaudy theatrics he said reminded him of a throne speech from the King of England. No kidding…
Jefferson’s tradition of simply writing the State of the Union so everyone could read lasted over 100 years. To end this celebrity culture in your political system, that might be a tradition to bring back, America.
Aaron
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