In his annual State of the State address, Gov. Frank O'Bannon sacrificed substance for style.
He told Hoosiers of his plans to balance the budget, and he told them about the need for cuts. What he didn't tell them, however, was how much the cuts were for. He didn't speak of any alternative solutions. He hardly described how he arrived at his own conclusions, only saying he consulted with both Republican and Democrat fiscal experts.
Instead, he opted to fire off fine-tuned soundbites that gave Hoosiers only a notion of what was happening. He didn't say much, but at least he said it in a tidy 30 minutes.
Thirty minutes, though, is too short. O'Bannon should have explained the details and merits of his proposal. Then he should have taken the time to explain the details and merits of opposing solutions. Finally, he should have said what's next.
If he had done this, the speech might have required more dedication on the viewer's part. It might not have been as quotable, but it would be more useful and insightful.
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