# Not a State of the Union Address? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318 "2009-02-25T03:50:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/1 "2009-02-25T03:50:37Z")
[NPR](http://www.npr.org/blogs/daydreaming/2009/02/whats_the_state_of_your_union_1.html) and other venues have stated the Feb 24th Presidential speech wasn’t a State of the Union Address. Looking it up on [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union_Address) I see that new Presidents give them in Februrary (versus January). So what was I just watching? Is there going to be another address in the near future? ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/2 "2009-02-25T04:00:15Z")
Your answer [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_State_of_the_Union_Address). ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/3 "2009-02-25T04:11:15Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > Your answer [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_State_of_the_Union_Address). OK, that makes more sense. It’s in conflict with the WIKI site I linked. I looked at Bush’s and he didn’t have a SOTUA until his 2nd year in office. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/4 "2009-02-25T13:59:19Z")
No, it doesn’t really answer it. I’d like to hear something clear from the Obama Administration on these questions: [ul] [li]Was this a SOTUA or not?[/li][li]If not, is one being planned for the near furture, or is he planning for his first to be next year?[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/5 "2009-02-25T14:07:58Z")
These questions have already been answered, chief. It wasn’t a State of the Union. If it was, it would have been billed as one, and the networks would have called it one. It’s uncommon for a new president to give a formal SOU his first year in office, when he’s only been president a month or so. There is no requirement to give the speech every year; that’s merely tradition. The Constitution only requires that the president report to Congress on the Stte of the Union “from time to time.” And according to the woman I saw talking about it on C-Span last night, from Jefferson throughout the 19th century, it was always a written report, not a speech at all. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/6 "2009-02-25T16:02:58Z")
[This site](http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou_words.php) gives a chart with the date of every State Of The Union, and whether it was written or oral. From what I see, Washington’s first SOTU was on 8 Jan 1790, and he gave another eleven months later, on 8 Dec 1790, putting two in the same calendar year. The tradition of giving it at the end of the year continued until 1932, with exactly one SOTU per year, usually in December. Hoover’s last SOTU was on 6 Dec 1932, and FDR’s first was on 3 Jan 1934, slightly less than 13 months later. There was none in the calendar year 1933, but if we allow for rounding, it is still accurate to say that there’s been an uninterrupted exactly one per year. The next anomaly is in 1953. Truman gave an SOTU on 7 Jan 1953, just before he left office. Eisenhower gave his first less than 4 weeks later, on 2 Feb 1953, shortly after taking office. This pattern was repeated in Jan 1961, with both Eisenhower and Kennedy giving SOTUs. Since then, we’ve gone back to exactly one per year, at the beginning of the year, usually in January (i.e., at the end of each year in office). LBJ gave one on 14 Jan 1969, six days before leaving office. Ford’s last was on 12 Jan 1977, 8 days before leaving. Carter’s last was 16 Jan 1981, 4 days before. Reagan’s first was in 1982, at the end of his first year. It seems that he declined to give one at the end of his eighth year, and the SOTU for 1989 was given on 9 Feb 1989 by GHW Bush at the beginning of his term. Similarly, Clinton gave his first on 17 Feb 1993, at the beginning of his term as well. And likewise, GW Bush gave one at the start of his term too, on 27 Feb 2001. Whew! All that leads me to this: Out most recent SOTU was on 23 Jan 2007. If Obama waits until next winter to give his first, that will put a good 23-24 months or so between them. I concede that the Constitution does not require it to be yearly (only “from time to time”), but still, it will be a gigantic break with tradition if he doesn’t give one soon. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/7 "2009-02-25T16:17:36Z")
I was not going to be home to watch. When I went to the program guide to program my DVR, “State of the Union” was the program choice listed. In our society is there any source more definitive than a TV listing? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/8 "2009-02-25T16:22:11Z")
The list is out of date. Bush gave his last SOTU speech on January 28, 2008. In the Nineteenth Century the SOTU was called the President’s “annual message” to Congress, and as noted from Jefferson forward it was delivered in writing. It was invariably delivered shortly after the opening of the annual regular session of Congress in late fall. Under the pre-20th-Amendment schedule, Congress met in “lame duck” session in even-numbered years, from December through March, so even when both the President and Congress were “lame ducks” there was substantial business to discuss. When Roosevelt moved the speech to January in 1934, it was in anticipation of the Twentieth Amendment, which took effect on January 3, 1935. From that time forward Congress has met each year on or shortly after January 3. This schedule creates a problem in transition years, because the new president doesn’t take office until January 20. From Truman through Ford the outgoing President would take advantage to deliver a last SOTU before leaving office. Reagan didn’t do so, and since the Reagan/Bush transition the incoming president has delivered the SOTU, usually in February. I hadn’t thought about it until now, but it’s surprising that Obama hasn’t done so. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/9 "2009-02-25T16:40:02Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Bush gave his last SOTU speech on January 28, 2008. AARGHHH!!! I thought Bush gave one recently, but I couldn’t find any article about it in Wikipedia, so I figured my memory was faulty. Thanks for setting it straight! ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/10 "2009-02-25T16:54:14Z")
NO!!! Dammit, I got used to putting “2009” on my checks weeks ago, but my head still can’t do the math right. > [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > Bush gave his last SOTU speech on January 28, 2008. Yeah, duh, well that was a year ago!!! How long will it be from that one until the next one? Will we have one in the next coupla weeks or will it be two years from Bush’s last until Obama’s first? The Teeming Masses need to know! ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/11 "2009-02-25T17:28:33Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > Will we have one in the next coupla weeks or will it be two years from Bush’s last until Obama’s first? The Teeming Masses need to know! Only Barack knows, and he isn’t saying. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/12 "2009-02-25T17:32:28Z")
The President spoke about a lot of stuff last night, not just the economy. I think the Republic will still stand even if he doesn’t give a formal SOTU until a year from now. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/13 "2009-02-25T23:19:38Z")
**Keeve** , you’re not paying attention to your own cites. What that list includes as Bush’s first State of the Union wasn’t one – it, not unlike this one, was explicitly billed as a speech about the budget, which pissed me off no end until someone explained to me that it was a common occurrence. Perhaps if you looked at the State of the Union page on that same site, you’d see it say: > [@](#): > > Also, the three most recent presidents (Bush, Clinton, and G.W.Bush) addressed a joint session of Congress shortly after their inaugurations but these messages are actually not considered to be “State of the Union” addresses. Bush’s 1989 and Clinton’s 1993 messages are called “Administration Goals” speeches, G.W. Bush’s 2001 speech is actually his “Budget Message,” and President Obama plans a similar non-State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on February 24, 2009. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/14 "2009-02-26T00:11:34Z")
Does it actually make a difference whether a particular speech is officially a State of the Union Report or not? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/15 "2009-02-26T15:51:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Does it actually make a difference whether a particular speech is officially a State of the Union Report or not? Not really, at least as long as the president does deliver a report on the SOTU “from time to time.” –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/16 "2009-02-26T16:18:32Z")
Which could be once in a term, or in a written report. Not that any contemporary President would forego the hoopla and visibility of an in-person annual SOTU. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/17 "2009-02-26T16:42:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Does it actually make a difference whether a particular speech is officially a State of the Union Report or not? And moreover, do you really need Obama to tell you what the state of our union is right now? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/18 "2009-02-26T20:00:11Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > **Keeve** , you’re not paying attention to your own cites. … Perhaps if you looked at the State of the Union page on that same site, you’d see it say: … You’re totally right. Thanks very much for pointing that out. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/19 "2009-02-27T03:04:27Z")
Think of the STOU as a particular type of address to a joint session of Congress. The STOU is required by the constitution to be given from “time to time.” Through tradition this has been accepted to mean once every year except for newly inaugurated presidents. A speech to a joint session of Congress that isn’t required by the Constitution is called a speech to a joint session of Congress Newly inaugurated presidents are not required by tradition to give the STOU, so if a new President decides to make a speech, he is not giving the required STOU address. ---
**Author:** ![Lungfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@Lungfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lungfish)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318/20 "2009-02-27T03:38:37Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > And moreover, do you really need Obama to tell you what the state of our union is right now? “The state of the union is strong” is what the presidents have said in all of the STOU addresses I have seen. Obama, I expect, will say the same words in all of his. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-state-of-the-union-address/487318.md?page=2)