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Which president gave the shortest address to Congress? Our political trivia expert, Rich Rubino gives us the answers.
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Welcome back to on the -- -- -- -- dot com live I'm Jonathan up.
State of the union tonight President Obama -- big speech 9 PM.
Eastern a special coverage right here of course.
With Paris fault live beginning at 815.
Tonight there are a lot of things you probably don't know about the state of the union speech.
But -- man who knows everything.
Including these strange -- facts.
Known to man eyes -- -- managing editor of Politico geek.
-- dot com -- one about -- favorite.
Website is great to see it was always a rich -- to be -- thank you -- I mean this is a speech which I guess has been going on a pretty long time.
Com and there's bound to be some weird little fact toy -- About it what's -- what are your favorites.
Yeah a lot of people don't realize actually George Washington delivered the first and 79 -- And it became a mainstay actually Thomas Jefferson.
Discontinued the practice of the president actually going to the congress and delivering the address at Jefferson was not a great speaker we actually deliberate to -- speeches isn't.
Entire presidency -- or not.
Today president wouldn't be -- BC -- leave DP empty speeches and today.
But it also because he viewed as more as an article Jefferson of course kind and anti federalists who believed that new lead in a great win the presidency and I think it was thought that would he be seen almost as superior to the branch congress here's the president lecturing and congress.
It actually came back under Woodrow Wilson in 1913 who decided that he thought she -- more intimacy between the executive.
Any legislative branch so that some day today we of course we expect the president that's -- appear that -- -- constitution.
-- city should do anything and just deliver our report in the -- -- -- theoretically could just do what every president from Thomas Jefferson to Woodrow Wilson did which is just to -- it which is just basically -- it.
Rest -- -- -- read it.
And and that 9 PM.
Pretty late Lotta people just wanna get on -- -- I don't know something more entertaining.
That you have but it hasn't always been that way.
Yes that was speaking actually and it wouldn't be Johnson in 1965.
-- -- but the AT&T want to -- in primetime yet at a very legislate it very ambitious legislative program in -- his great society Vietnam.
Civil rights he decided who basically put it -- Prime time and ever since since -- seems kind of primetime affair prior to that -- could be you could give it during the game earlier in the evening.
That was you talk about present Washington 1790.
Was that that was the shortest 10 was it -- one.
Yeah that was only a 133.
Words -- we'd all be grateful for that.
By contrast top Harry Truman in 1947.
Delivered one that was about 25000.
Words law.
And get this week and -- -- when they could just when -- -- -- right on the our freedom he gave one that was about 20027000.
Words long and even actually deliberate so.
Now these are always or always have been and that -- in general much longer than the inaugural address that a president games I guess.
-- absolutely and the other -- -- -- -- inaugural is generally schematic BC kind of easy quotes like ask not your country you preview what UST we do your country government is a problem.
In the State of the Union Address at least two under its current incarnation the president skid more programmatic BBC content laundry list what somebody's which may never.
Seeded -- editing and -- who's a lot different than -- where schematic.
Addresses that are delivered his terms of the inaugural address and sometimes as low as -- in his address that you see is.
The C you're only to Republicans beat you only getting up pretty regional vice president you don't agree with her.
The president says now -- I guess is a difference between the number of words.
And how long it takes to deliver -- given the though the breaks for applause and center who's given the who's given the longest.
Address in terms of time it's taken.
That was Bill Clinton it was less well -- as no surprise.
-- it did I have to say that.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- And you have total yet it was -- not that I -- you get a big -- board perspective there but now.
Pop up okay all right Rick Trevino managing editor of to litigate dot com -- deal with this idea of having some -- problems with the audio what did you -- say rich.
At that one more thing about Bill Clinton in 1985 he actually delivered the arms yeah actually deliver the democratic response.
It's that it rep President Reagan addressed and that's basically what could be on YouTube -- -- in -- to talk about building -- -- the 21 century.
-- -- became -- 1996 campaign the.
Interesting so they did they they use it to try it -- we'll see if we hear anything from a senator rubio that could.
Brings him until they had to to -- sixteen I guess rich.
Without without -- some sort of a correspondent there yeah all right -- -- managing editor of litigate dot com wonderful to soldier has always -- thanks so much for being here.
Thank you and we recommend everybody go check out -- geek dot com right now there it is the website on the screen forty.
