# He Shall From Time to Time (SOTU 2018) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 23, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261 "2018-01-23T00:58:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/21 "2018-01-30T20:34:49Z")
I fully expect another episode of “Lies Suckers Swallow”. I don’t know if I can bring myself to sit through it. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/22 "2018-01-31T00:12:21Z")
To be fair, I didn’t sit through all of Obama’s SOTU addresses either, and wouldn’t blame anyone who didn’t want to listen to Trump’s. I’m mostly here for the rage. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/23 "2018-01-31T12:21:54Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I predict that three quarters of the way through he’ll mumble, glug some water (half of which will dribble down his chin), choke on the water, and collapse. Other than this, the speech will be unremarkable. Damn. I was so hoping to be able to say, “told ya!” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/24 "2018-01-31T13:01:24Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > To be fair, I didn’t sit through all of Obama’s SOTU addresses either, and wouldn’t blame anyone who didn’t want to listen to Trump’s. I’m mostly here for the rage. Backordered. We’ve got fatigue and apathy— can you work with that? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/25 "2018-01-31T13:23:53Z")
What was the last one of these things that wasn’t forgotten within a week? “Axis of evil”? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/26 "2018-01-31T14:55:50Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Backordered. We’ve got fatigue and apathy— can you work with that? Oh there was plenty of rage, it was just in the other SOTU thread. Good times were had by all. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/27 "2018-01-31T14:56:51Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > What was the last one of these things that wasn’t forgotten within a week? “Axis of evil”? “You [Obama] lie” lasted more than a week. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/28 "2018-01-31T15:11:46Z")
I have a question: how do the Democrats choose the response guy/gal? Does the leadership write the speech, then hold try outs and pick who has the best delivery, or do they turn the whole thing over to whomever they perceive as the great Dem hope and let that person craft the speech all on their own and decide things like where it will be done from? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/29 "2018-01-31T15:28:57Z")
I would assume it’s done via the same process that brought us water-guzzling Marco Rubio a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/30 "2018-01-31T15:33:28Z")
I think no matter which party is out of power, the process is the same. Some 23 year old minion says, “How about so-and-so does our party’s response?” And all the important people with real decision making powers say, “Yeah, sure, kid. And bring me a caramel mochatinifritolatte, too. Double whip. Now GTFO.” ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/31 "2018-01-31T15:42:49Z")
I guess what I was really curious about is: does the respondent write the speech, or does party leadership write it and pick someone to deliver their pre-written speech? Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261/32 "2018-01-31T20:06:14Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I have a question: how do the Democrats choose the response guy/gal? Does the leadership write the speech, then hold try outs and pick who has the best delivery, or do they turn the whole thing over to whomever they perceive as the great Dem hope and let that person craft the speech all on their own and decide things like where it will be done from? This is a fascinating question. I’ve no idea. How do Republicans do it? Here’s who they picked for the English language speech; some years they had someone else do it in Spanish: 2016: Nikki Haley 2015: Joni Ernst (who?) 2014: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (huh?) 2013: Marco Rubio, who did both languages 2012: Mitch Daniels 2011: Paul Ryan 2010: Bob McDonnell 2009: Nobody [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/he-shall-from-time-to-time-sotu-2018/807261.md?page=1)