The conspicuous absence from William Neikirk`s list of the president`s
”real duties” of any reference to the formulation of economic policy or budget development should have set bells off in the minds of most readers
(”America was ready for a message that Bush didn`t deliver,” Feb. 5).
Although Neikirk`s point is legitimate, it is hardly original, and the ensuing essay offers broad generalizations equally devoid of inspiration as President Bush`s speech.
Increasingly, there seem to be two journalistic responses to Bush`s State of the Union Address: one saying that he failed to inspire the country with a grand plan for the next decade and beyond; the second, complaining that his strategy for economic recovery lacks true punch and is merely a response to a falling approval rating.
Apart for the contradictory nature of these two themes, what irritates me is that journalists such as Neikirk refuse to offer plans of their own. It is easy to hide behind statements such as America needs a ”genuine revolution in the way America prepares its young people for work.” How about describing that revolution for us?
Certainly Americans are sick of partisan policies that ignore the long term in favor of immediate political gain, but I would also venture that they are fed up with cynical journalists who fail to present viable, detailed alternatives.
