President Wilson gives the first in-person State of the Union address since the 18th Century.
We're trying something new at the Project on Ethics in Political Communication. From time to time we'll reach out to political and communication professionals, scholars, journalists, students and others for a quick reaction to events in the news that speak to political communication ethics.
Our first question is about the heckling during President Biden's most recent State of the Union address. We asked a range of experts for their 100 - 250 word take.
Heckling during the address isn’t unheard of. But as a number of media outlets have pointed out, when US Rep Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouted “you lie” during President Obama’s State of the Union address, he was roundly criticized and apologized. Biden’s hecklers have struck a much more defiant tone. New York Magazine’s Ben Jacobs declared “the polite state of the union is dead.”
We asked if heckling matters and if there a way back to a more polite or respectful State of the Union addresses. Below is what we heard. Answers are cut and pasted verbatim, I picked one key quote and put it at the top of each answer. The answers are posted in the reverse order in which I received them.
Admiral (Ret.) Bill Subblefield, PhD, Founder of the Bonnie & Bill Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications at Shepherd University
The 2023 State of The Union will unfortunately probably become the norm for future addresses, and we as a nation will suffer.
The previous acts of defiance during the State of the Union speeches were spontaneous, emotional outbursts. This time the defiance was a strategic tool. In my view, the President intentionally baited the Republicans knowing that they would respond as they did. And then instead of following the normal script of smiling, and making a few inconsequential statements, the President seized the opportunity to launch a well rehearsed counter argument. The result presented a strong Presidential persona while placing the Republicans on the defensive on social security and medicare. It was an impressive manipulation for a clear political gain. The 2023 State of The Union will unfortunately probably become the norm for future addresses, and we as a nation will suffer.
Scott Widmeyer, Founding Managing Partner/Chief Strategy Officer-Washington at Finn Partners, a strategic communications firm
…let’s ask a national panel of high school and college scholars to create a new model for SOTUs. Things can’t get much worse.
While prime time State of the Union addresses have been part of our world for almost 60 years, I think we have reached a crossroads and need to rethink what has become a dueling circus that often spotlights disrespect and incivility.
The 2023 version of the SOTU was marred by a sharp decline in the 2Rs—respect and ratings. MTG [US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA] was grand marshal of the disrespect flank, and viewership hit an all-time low of 27 million, down almost 30% from a year ago.
My recommendation—let’s ask a national panel of high school and college scholars to create a new model for SOTUs. Things can’t get much worse.
Kelly D. Johnston, a former speechwriter, blogs at Against the Grain was the 28th Secretary of the US Senate:
The path to respect starts with the speaker and the speech itself.
Someone I know texted me during the President’s State of the Union Address. “Well, the neighbors officially hate us,” he wrote. “We had (my wife and brother-in-law) yelling at the top of their lungs at the TV, volume high.”
The heckling seen in Congress during Biden’s speech last week primarily reflected what was being said in many American living rooms. The extraordinary amount of heckling by GOP members mildly reflects the views of many constituents.
And our parliamentary friends in London, Ottawa, and Canberra, thriving democracies all, are likely chuckling. Heckling has been a tradition of “question time” of the Prime Ministers there and elsewhere forever.
I’m also reminded of an occasional refrain from children everywhere. “So-and-so was mean to me.” I’m tempted to respond, “what did you do to invite it?"
The path to a more respectful State of the Union starts with a speech that is more respectful to audiences - humble, honest, and even self-deprecating. The path to respect starts with the speaker and the speech itself. It doesn’t help when they insult and sound more like campaign kickoffs than what was envisioned by our framers in Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution.
But given the gaudy spectacles that State of the Union addresses have become, perhaps the best way is a return to George Washington’s first one - a letter to Congress.”
Jeff Harris, non-profit management consultant, former Executive Director of the Junior State of America
Practitioners of political communication know best that the modern SOTU speech is performance over policy.
While I deplore how the State of Union speech is devolving into a WWE pro wrestling event, an hour plus long speech full of wonky policy proposals probably isn't the "must see TV'' that will engage tens of millions of Americans on a Tuesday evening. I am betting that we'll see a full on fist fight on the floor of the House or Senate before we see a return to pre-2009 decorum (the year of Congressman Wilson's "You Lie" outburst).
Practitioners of political communication know best that the modern SOTU speech is performance over policy. Heckling reflects how Americans are being brought into political discourse and it matters only about as much as the performative standing ovations. The media coverage focuses us on who is sitting next to whom, what our elected representatives are wearing and the expressions on our representatives' faces. Post-speech analysis focused as much on the "energy" President Biden brought to the speech as much as the policy implications of the speech.
But, let's remember that the SOTU hasn't always been and doesn't need to be a formal speech. Could using the tools of the digital-age make the SOTU engaging and accessible for Americans beyond us political "junkies?" Bringing the SOTU into the 21st century could allow alternative viewpoints to be expressed without disrespecting the President of the United States - both the person and the office. Moreover, that might allow for the president to present "the receipts," evidence to support their claims, in real time.
I can feel you rolling your eyes as you read this, so, yes, we need to develop digital-age systems that promote civil, respectful and engaging online debate and discussion to support such an evolution for the SOTU.
As all aspects of our society are leveraging, for better or worse, the advanced tools of the digital age, our political institutions and traditions are stuck in the past and straining to deal with how Americans approach politics - we all have a voice, we all have an audience and we are incentivized to express our opinions as loudly as possible. That's not appropriate in the chambers of Congress, but there are ways to robustly and respectfully engage with each other digitally.”
Dan Hazelwood, Founder Targeted Creative Communications, a Republican media consulting firm.
Sadly the SOTU has been a broken performance event for many years.
Sadly the SOTU has been a broken performance event for many years. Presidents have long assumed they can freely score points with the public or versus attendees. Not to mention their use of questionable facts. The catalog of guests now rivals an Oscars party. Naturally attendees in this era of showmanship want in on the game. We’ve had refusals to stand, refusals to clap, high school cheering, colored attire with some meaning and all sorts of performances including tearing up the President’s speech. Don’t forget the varied rebuttal and concurring SOTU responses. This is the inevitable and ongoing escalation. It will keep getting worse and habitual and that is sad.