State of the Union speech refreshing

Glen J. Gillette, Las Vegas

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008 | 2 a.m.

I watched the State of the Union address with great interest and approval. I felt like President Bush delivered the message with conviction and determination and that it was well-received on both sides of the party line.

I can’t imagine that any American could have watched it and come away with anything but approval and admiration except for those who have so much anti-Bush hatred in their hearts that they don’t want to find anything that he has to say of interest.

It was apparent that even those of the other party were in approval judging by the amount of applause and the standing ovations that he received. The only readily apparent deviation that I noticed was when the cameras panned in on Sen. Hillary Clinton. There she sat, unmoved and smug in her own world.

The conviviality and bipartisanship was refreshing. President Bush certainly did not appear to be the “lame duck” that he is.

The Democrats’ response, delivered by Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, was likewise well-prepared and delivered. It also exhibited a lot of the hope and interest that the country is feeling at this time. This was the only rebuttal to the State of the Union address in my recent memory that did not contain a lot of rancor and display the vitriol that usually accompanies the opposite party’s answer.