State of the Union 2008 | Monday, January 28, 2008, 9pm EST

The State of Our Union? We have some opinions about that...

On Monday night, when the applause dies down and the President takes his spot behind the podium, he will reach that moment where he gets to sum up the "state of the union."

More often than not in the past, he has declared it to be "strong" (2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002). And he goes on from there.

Sometimes, people listening take his word for it. (Indeed, in many respects our nation does remain strong.)

But this year, people are listening with a new sense of perspective. And skepticism. They see a different nation than the President does. A recent poll found that:

Four out of five Americans (81%) think that the current state of the country is fair or poor.
Four in five Americans (81%) say that the economy is going poorly.
Three-quarters of Americans (75%) say that making taxes fairer is going only fair or poor.
Three in five (61%) Americans think the war on terrorism is going poorly.
Two-thirds (66%) say the war in Iraq is going poorly.

But when the president talks, he will paint a picture of his union. And he lives in a different place than the rest of us.

It's up to you to listen carefully, and to determine whether that picture has more to do with perception or reality.

He will choose which topics to address, and he will present his point of view. Keep in mind which topics you would like him to bring up. (Refer to our listening guide for an outline.)
This is an address that indicates direction, but does not contain policy. In fact, the real power is in the purse; and that purse is presented in the form of the federal budget. The President must propose his federal budget by the first Monday in February. It is not an exciting moment, but it contains much more power and policy.
The President will choose his words carefully; it's up to us to see beyond them to the intent. Will he use phrases and images that aim to frighten us? Will he play on war and terror? Will he be threatening? bullying?
Then, take action. We're all in this together. Read more, and send a message to Congress.

Listen up!
Please use our Listening Guide to help put the address in context. The Guide consists of a series of handy charts, which are easy to print out and fill in. The charts highlight specific topics to listen for, along with spaces for taking notes and recording conclusions.

Click here for the PDF version of the WAND SOU Listening Guide.

Have a party!
Please consider organizing a house party, so you and your friends and family can share the ups and downs.

Click here for the online version of the WAND guide to organizing a SOU house party.

Blog on!
Stuck at home on your own with George? Do you just need to share your opinions or you'll burst? Some of us will be online to keep you company. Please feel free to join in the blogging --it's fun and easy.

Click here to comment in our SOU blog!

Take action!
When all's said and done, make your views known to the President and members of Congress. Addresses are listed at the bottom.

Visit www.wandactioncenter.org to send an email to the President, Congress, and your local media.

Some fun resources

Just can't get enough of the analysis of and ideas about the State of the Union? Here are some great tools:

To contact President George Bush	Telephone: White House Comment Desk: 202-456-1111 Fax: 202-456-2461 Email: president@whitehouse.gov Mail: President George W. Bush, The White House, Washington, DC 20500
To contact your Members of Congress	Telephone: Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 800-839-5276 Email: Find your senators and representatives here. Mail: Sen. ________, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510 Rep. ________, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515

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