State of the Union as spectator sport

Tomorrow night’s State of the Union address will be President Barack Obama’s last, during an election year already rife with divisive and derisive rhetoric. So, how about we have some fun instead? Below is a post from 2015 that surveyed social media responses to that year’s SOTU. It reaffirms my faith in mankind’s intrinsic smart-a$$ery, an important self-preservation skill in any election year.

What’s new this year? Looks like the White House is trying to sit at the cool kids’ table by joining SnapChat.

For you political wonks out there, here are a couple of links to help you get ready:

5 Things to Watch for in Obama’s Final State of the Union (NPR)

From this article, I learned that the following phrases would make great SOTU Bingo spaces (or key words for a drinking game), for those so inclined:

shared prosperity

inclusive growth

gun control

immigration reform

initiatives

long way to go

let’s not let the Republicans take us backward

Everything you need to know about the 2016 State of the Union address (Politico)

My favorite paragraph from this source is the explanation of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s nap last year:

Wow, I never knew Ruth was a party girl! Makes you wonder who else isn’t “100 percent sober” at the event. A tweet of Justice Ginsburg’s sleeping pic is included in the original post below.

Will you be watching the State of the Union address? Will you be tweeting, bingo-ing, or drinking? I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time,

Kathy

P.S. – don’t forget to submit your flash fiction tale about the barber shop pole for a free audiobook or ebook! End of January is the deadline. Details here: You Tell the Story!

—————–

Originally posted 21 January 2015:

Today’s post is a bit different from our usual historical and mystery-based themes, and is just for fun. No policies or partisanship here. We want to talk about the stuff that people really care about.

Preparing for the event:

After all, what State of the Union address is complete without a fog machine?

We viewers at home had some preparations to make as well. Bring on the drinking games and Bingo!

Here’s a drinking game that DebateDrinking.com devised for the occasion:

For the rest of the rules, click here. I would add “veto,” “children,” and “community college.”

Vox.com posted this Bingo card:

Not sure how you win when everyone’s card is the same, but at least you won’t be falling asleep:

Although some appreciated the Supreme Court Justice’s approach:

Okay, so now we’re ready. Let the pageantry begin.

The President Makes an Entrance:

Face-Off: the Men Behind the Man

There were tons of tweets about Biden and Boehner.

You know, I can see it….

Boehner’s tan drew a lot of attention:

And what was that silver thing on Boehner’s desk? A couple of theories:

Biden got his share of tweets, too:

I’d missed Biden’s facial expression during Obama’s off-the-teleprompt zinger. Thank goodness for social media, LOL.

The Quaker Oats Guy, or Mad-Eye Moody?

Someone else caught the eye of the Twitterverse last night:

When generations collide: the astronaut on instagram

The President to astronaut Scott Kelly: “Good luck, and post pictures on instagram!”

Do they have wifi in space?

Wrapping it up:

There seemed to be a lot of standing ovations. Here’s one reporter’s tally at the end:

At least the Democrats got their aerobic workout for the night.

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems strange to see the President signing autographs after the address. To add to the weirdness, he signed a tie last night.

Maybe it will start a trend. But what’s next? Groupies throwing their underthings at the President to sign? *shudder*

If you skipped the State of the Union address altogether, here’s one guy’s strategy for catching up:

Hope he’s not part of this teacher’s class today. There may be a quiz:

Did you see the State of the Union address last night? Were any naps or drinking games involved? I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,

Kathy

P.S. – 10 more days until the end of the Unseemly Ambition giveaway!

Unseemly Ambition Giveaway

To celebrate the release of my most recent Concordia Wells mystery, Unseemly Ambition, I’m holding a prize giveaway. There’s still time to get your name in!

Click here for easy ways to get your name in the drawing, and a list of prizes!

4 people like this post.

Like

Unlike