Those of us in and around Washington D.C. like to tell folks in the days leading up to a president’s State of the Union (SOTU) address that the speeches rarely matter and are generally forgotten while the teleprompter’s still warm.

Then we analyze them to death for a few days. I don’t mean to sound cynical, but it does tend to help cable TV ratings and maybe even sell a few of those funny flat things called newspapers.

First, a little perspective might be in order. The good folks at the History Channel remind us that most SOTUs are remembered for reasons less to do with policy and more to do with current events. They point out that Harry Truman’s SOTU was kind of a big deal because... it was the first ever televised. Bill Clinton’s second SOTU was also a big deal... because everyone wanted to hear if he’d resign because of Monica Lewinsky and her blue dress.

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