# Possible Republican Refusal of SOTU Address? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 26, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685 "2014-11-26T16:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/21 "2014-11-26T21:02:45Z")
What told you I was taking this way too seriously? When I said in the opening sentence that it wasn’t probable? :rolleyes: I was just surprised such talk was even on the table and wondered what others thought about the idea. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/22 "2014-11-26T21:18:41Z")
I don’t see any credible evidence that it is “on the table”. Frankly, though, the SOTU speech has become nothing more tjan a chance for olitical granddtanding by both sides. I’d be happy with a mailed in copy, myself, but it’s now too much of a tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/23 "2014-11-26T21:31:12Z")
They don’t want to pass up the opportunity to shout “Liar!” at him. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/24 "2014-11-26T22:25:44Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > That’s a relief! 'Cause it would really suck for Obama if the Republicans did this. Really dodged a bullet here, Mr. President. Whew. > > In case any Republican leaders didn’t hear me, I said IT’S A REALLY GOOD THING FOR OBAMA THAT REPUBLICANS AREN’T GOING TO DO THIS, BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY BAD FOR OBAMA. I agree - why didn’t they think of this before? After Obama ruined the stock market, gave people health insurance, it’s about time the republicans stand up to him. If they do this - he will never recover - people will be so proud that someone took a stand and didn’t allow that guy to speak. I hope when they see him - and he tries to shake their hand - they do the old - move the hand through the hair thing. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/25 "2014-11-26T22:36:23Z")
Now, some might think the Republicans are smart enough not to pull such a bone-headed blunder…but [this ongoing 17,958 post(so far) thread in The BBQ Pit](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=511831) erases all doubt in my mind as to whether they are capable of being that stupid and/or desperate. ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/26 "2014-11-26T23:42:55Z")
The new intake of Republicans will be there for the next SOTU. I’d give short odds that if he does address them there’ll be outright heckling. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/27 "2014-11-27T00:03:08Z")
Part of me hopes they do it, because the State of the Union address is horribly boring, inevitably valedictory, and pretty much always a waste of time. The President almost never says anything informative or entertaining. That being said though, it’s pretty much a tradition by now and so it’s inevitable they won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/28 "2014-11-27T00:09:38Z")
> [@DeptfordX](#): > > The new intake of Republicans will be there for the next SOTU. I’d give short odds that if he does address them there’ll be outright heckling. Works for me, if he fires back. “The state of the union would be just fine, if not for you assholes.” That sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/29 "2014-11-27T16:07:04Z")
If my Emperorship of the media goes through before the SOTU, I’m going to, on the day of the speech, have all TV stations play Pinocchio throughout the day. Maybe through some SNL of John Lovitz’s lying guy. There is nothing Obama can say at this point that will either be true or helpful. If someone does jump up this time and yell “Liar”, and least they’ll be on very solid ground. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/30 "2014-11-27T17:45:57Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > There is nothing Obama can say at this point that will either be true or helpful. If someone does jump up this time and yell “Liar”, and least they’ll be on very solid ground. Man, it sucks that the stock market is up and unemployment is down! ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/31 "2014-11-27T18:12:43Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > There is nothing Obama can say at this point that will either be true or helpful. Wow… I thought that only nuts like Steve King actually believed this kind of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/32 "2014-11-27T18:21:27Z")
I didn’t see much hope for this thread, as it seemed little more than a Fox News-type non-report of a non-event to rile up the faithful. However, I gave it a chance. Since it has now deteriorated into one more partisan bickering session, I am moving it to The BBQ Pit. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/33 "2014-11-27T18:29:18Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I don’t see any credible evidence that it is “on the table”. > > Frankly, though, the SOTU speech has become nothing more tjan a chance for olitical granddtanding by both sides. I’d be happy with a mailed in copy, myself, but it’s now too much of a tradition. I agree. I’ve watched a grand total one State of the Union, and the ridiculous performance of pauses in the speech and ovations by the audience, designed as a political version of a laugh track to let the TV viewers know which stuff is Important, made me vow never to watch another. I just read the transcript. Takes about one-fifth the time, has all the information, and i don’t have to look at the face of any of the assholes in Congress who are constantly fucking things up in this country. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/34 "2014-11-27T18:37:23Z")
Delivering the SOTU by written communication used to be the standard and accepted practice. No prob, Barry, you were going to write out the speech anyway, right? Write it out, send it along, and act like nothing has happened. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/35 "2014-11-27T18:50:04Z")
I don’t bother watching political speeches, including the SOTU. Politicians lie so much that paying attention to what they _say_ is pointless, I just look at what they _do._ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/36 "2014-11-27T18:51:59Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I didn’t see much hope for this thread, as it seemed little more than a Fox News-type non-report of a non-event to rile up the faithful. However, I gave it a chance. > > Since it has now deteriorated into one more partisan bickering session, I am moving it to The BBQ Pit. > > [/Moderating] Probably a wise move. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/37 "2014-11-27T19:09:10Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I agree. > > I’ve watched a grand total one State of the Union, and the ridiculous performance of pauses in the speech and ovations by the audience, designed as a political version of a laugh track to let the TV viewers know which stuff is Important, made me vow never to watch another. > > I just read the transcript. Takes about one-fifth the time, has all the information, and i don’t have to look at the face of any of the assholes in Congress who are constantly fucking things up in this country. It’s like Super Bowl Halftime. They’'re never any good, but people always make a big deal about them. ---
**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:** [November 27, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/38 "2014-11-27T19:15:25Z")
When was the last address that people even remembered for more than two days? The era of big government is over? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/39 "2014-11-27T19:30:42Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s like Super Bowl Halftime. They’'re never any good, but people always make a big deal about them. Maybe Obama could spice things up with a little wardrobe malfunction. Who wouldn’t want to sneak a peak at the First Shlong? ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685/40 "2014-11-27T20:59:39Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Maybe Obama could spice things up with a little wardrobe malfunction. Who wouldn’t want to sneak a peak at the First Shlong? In front of the whole audience of the SOTU Address? That would be almost as many people as saw Clinton’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-republican-refusal-of-sotu-address/705685.md?page=3)