Possibly the name meant more back then rather than it does with the annual charade nowadays.
You know, there is nothing in the Constitution requiring the President to deliver that address - nor is there any timetable beyond 'from time to time'. The President could just type it up and ship it over to Congress.
A final aside, the ERIE has got to be the only road that liveried lightweight rolling stock in Pullman Green. That was the case until rather 'late in the game' when they adopted a quite attractive Green and Grey livery, which prevailed until the 1960 merger when the even more attractive Maroon and Grey DL&W livery was adopted system wide.
smitty195 Member # 5102
posted
Interestingly, the last president to skip the fanfare of going to the House and a joint session of Congress and instead opted to send a written report was Jimmy Carter (1981). Other than that one exception, once radio and TV became mainstream, they all have done it, beginning with Woodrow Wilson. They all use it to pump their poll numbers, push for what they want, and use the bully pulpit to deliver their message to the American people.
I'd prefer if we went back to the days of POTUS just submitting a written report. It's such an "ordeal" these days, and a predictable one at that.
posted