Back in the old days, presidents sent their State of the Union messages in writing to Congress.  So most Americans did not read or reject it.  Maybe a member of Congress said something to the newspapers, but don't bet on it.

That was then, and now they are on TV subject to ratings like everybody else.  It does not appear that many Americans clicked the channel to watch what President Biden had to say.  Here is the story:    

Ratings for President Biden's State of the Union address saw a significant dip since last year, according to early Nielsen data. 

Biden's speech on Tuesday was seen by roughly 23 million viewers across the seven major TV networks, which is down from the nearly 34 million that tuned into his first State of the Union address last year.

The 2022 speech was a notable increase from Biden's first address to Congress in 2021, which also drew roughly 23 million viewers. 

Well, we can call it a flop in terms of viewers.  Wonder how many of those 23 million stuck around until the end?

To be fair, these speeches are victims of a lot of hype.  The cable news channels go into "Pre game mode" with a clock counting down to the speech. Am I the only one who finds that silly?

President Biden made several mistakes in the speech.  

First, his calls for big-government solutions drop dead the moment they leave the Capitol.  These "solutions" do not solve any of our problems, especially the ongoing money difficulties faced by so many. I'm sure that some housewife listening screamed at the TV screen about the price of eggs at the grocery store.

Second, calls for unity require words that unify.  I did not hear any.  

Third, his "economy story" does not pass the smell test.  A ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 40% of Americans say thumbs down to his policies or wake up worse off financially under President Biden.

So people did not watch. Wonder why?

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Image: Gage Skidmore