Saying dumb things for the sake of saying dumb things

I just made the discovery that the afternoon lineup on PBS here in Buffalo goes right from PBS Kids' programming to Tucker Carlson's TV show. Now, obviously I'm on the opposite side of the political fence from Carlson, so it stands to reason that I wouldn't generally find his show all that appealing. (Well, it's the politics and that idiotic bow-tie of his. I hate bow-ties, and I really hate them on guys whose suits look at least a size too big to start with. It's not unlike receiving political wisdom from Pee Wee Herman.)

Anyway, in the two minutes I watched, Carlson lauded President Bush's inaugural address (which I did not watch, having been at The Store at the time, and do not plan to watch, since I find most Inaugural speeches dull, Democrats included) for its lofty goals. Loosely paraphrasing, Carlson said that "This was not a speech where you heard about school uniforms or midnight basketball, this was a speech about great and majestic goals!"

And I'm thinking, when have I ever heard about school uniforms or midnight basketball in an Inaugural Address, whether it's been delivered by a Democrat or a Republican? Never. Inaugural Addresses are not policy addresses, and they never have been -- that's why incoming Presidents (and Presidents beginning second terms) deliver a State of the Union address a couple of weeks later. Inaugural Addresses are when you hear about "Asking not what our country can do for us" and "Forcing the spring" and generally saying very positive things about the United States and its democratic tradition.

I'm willing to bet that Carlson knows this, but he said it anyway. Too bad it completely neuters the point he was trying to make. (I changed the channel before I found out what that point was.)