I tend to agree with Iain & Co. One of the things I’ve come to appreciate about the Westminster version is that, whenever one of the Queen’s more modish prime ministers attempts to goose things up with some Clintonian soccer-mommish it’s-about-the-future-of-all-our-children pabulum, Her Majesty appears to make a point of reading it out in an even duller, flatter, more lifeless monotone than her usual dull, flat, lifeless monotone. You go, girl! During Tony Blair’s premiership, I secretly nursed the hope that he might pull an SOTU and plant “everyday heroes” in the gallery just so the Queen could namecheck them with all the enthusiasm of a dentist’s receptionist.
On the other hand, if his performance with Martha Coakley is anything to go by, President Obama may give the Queen a run for her money on the flat-and-lifeless front.