Last nights rebuttal was, well, depressing, as it always is, and it is time to end the damn thing. Rather than actually acomplishing anything useful, or helping the opposition, I think it actually does more damage than good. If you disagree, let’s step into the wayback machine:
– Remember Bob Dole’s rebuttal- snarling at the camera for 10 minutes? I half expected him to dust off his carbine and shoot the cameraman. Halfway through his presentation (and I am being charitable), I realized no matter what he said, all I could hear was ‘Get off my grass!’
– Remember JC Watts, the GOP rising star? I think we can trace the beginning of the end of his political career with his rebuttal.
– Who can forget Gary Locke? Apparently me, because I forgot about his rebuttal until Oliver reminded me.
– Perhaps the worst wasthe blonde Republican woman from the House who did the rebuttal after a Clinton SOTU. I can’t even remember her name, and neither can you. I bet that is the only thing about that rebuttal she is happy about- that none of us remember who to blame.
Who says fierce ideological opponents can not agree? Link to this post if you agree with me and Oliver that it is time to tell our elected officials to just kill the damn rebuttal. Give it a fancy burial if you must, but kill it dead.
jeff
I believe the “blonde Republican woman” you’re referring to is Susan Molinari.
CadillaqJaq
jeff may be right: I thought it was Jennifer Dunn, R-WA…
Bingo on “deleting” the damn rebuttal. It all comes off as sour grapes IMO, regardless of the party or personalities involved.
Jay
It was Jennifer Dunn, R-WA. She and Watts did the rebuttal together.
Rebuttal’s ALWAYS look bad because they’re always defensive. Remember when Newt Gingrich gave his national address in 1995? Dick Gephardt gave the rebuttal from a school in Virginia and looked lousy.
The Lonewacko Blog
I liked Nanci showin’ some leg.
Harry Reid seems like one of the few nice liberals, but I get the feeling there’s a snarling leftie ideologue behind the charm. OTOH, I have at least seen the signs for Searchlight.
Jay
Susan Molinari gave the keynote address at the GOP convention in 1996. She made the crack about something disappearing “faster than a Big Mac on Air Force One.”
Farix
Well, maybe not get rid of the rebuttle, but at least delay it for 48 hours or more. Then you will have a chance of it being relevent to what was said in the SOTU.