The next time the president of the United States --- not Bill Clinton, necessarily, any president, Democrat or Republican --- is going to make a speech, I'd like to volunteer some help. Please, Mr. President, let me see the speech in advance so I can weed out the worn-out and tired phrases in it and save both you and the American people time we so desperately need for a good night's sleep.

President Clinton's State of the Union speech reminded me of this, of course, but it's been true of every formal speech I ever heard a president give; the speech was too long and it was filled with clichés that could have been eliminated.

Mr. Clinton said a lot of god things in his speech, but it could have been cut from 64 minutes to 45 minutes without losing anything but fat and fatousness.

We know a president's speech is written in advance, but it shouldn't sound like writing, it should sound like talking. President Clinton talks better than he speaks. If a speech writer is any good, he or she can make it sound like talk. Peggy Noonam made it sound   that way for President Reagan and President Bush a couple of times.

Here are just a few phrases from notes I make the other night that could have been removed without loss to the real content of the speech. Most of the phrases have appeared in every State of the Union speech given by every president in the last 50 years

"We gather tonight in a world of hates..."
"We must do more..."
"It's time to stop..."
"We must set tough, world-class academic standards for all our children. (the phrase "world class" is a cliché that has been very prevalent for about 20 years now and ought to be retire. The writer probably thought it make the presenter sound "with it," but it make him sound out of it.)
"Its time to stop ignoring..."
"I know it will be difficult..."
"Tell it to Richard and Judy Anderson." The names change, but this line always follows some where shortly after the speech-making president tells a heartwarming (or heartbreaking) personal story that someone has dug up for him to make his speech sound more personal.
"To those who would..."
"It will not be easy..."
"I know that facing up to these interest will take courage..."
"As we take these steps together to renew our strength at home, we cannot turn away from our obligation to renew our leadership abroad."
"Of course, there are still angels in the world."
"But there is a long, hard road ahead."
"I say to you..."
"We'll all have to put our heads together..."
"....and let's be honest..."
"My fellow Americans...."
"Therefore, I urge, you ..."
"So I ask you to remember..."
"And so I say to you tonight..." (please don't tell me, you are going to tell us--- just tell us!)
"Let us weave these duty threads..."
"Let us not reserve..."
"Let us not be naysayers."

When it comes to speeches that are dragged out and made too long with the inclusion of meaningless clichés, I'm a naysayer.