Union Address a letdown

President George Bush appeared to be giving more of a campaign speech rather than announcing the radical changes everyone expected in his State of the Union Address Tuesday.

It was a far more relaxed atmosphere than a year ago when he was riding on the success of U.S. victory from Operation Desert Storm. Then, he was on top. Now, he’s looking for a way back.

Still, there were many positive aspects to his speech, such as tax cuts for families and businesses, a defense budget reduction of $50 billion over five years and his $5000 credit for first-time home buyers.

But he offered none of the dramatic changes everyone expected. There were no specific programs mentioned to increase jobs for Americans, simply that “we are going to lift this nation out of hard times inch by inch and day by day and those who would stop us had better step aside.”

Also, there was no talk of a new health care plan, although a Bush staff member said it would be unveiled later.

While the speech was a great opportunity for sound bites, with phrases such as, “By the grace of God, America won the Cold War,” and Bush did a good job of portraying a confident “leader of the free world,” his address was a letdown for people who expected something special to be revealed.

Bush sought to relieve anxieties Americans had about the recession, as well as show his opponents he’ll give them a good fight for the presidency. If this address was an indication of his campaign speeches, Bush had better work on more solutions and less rhetoric.