Preserved Seating

There's a movement for "bipartisan seating" during the State Of The Union address, rather than the traditional Dems on one side Repubs on the other.  It's a "symbolic gesture of unity" supported by many of the usual suspect (including, on the right, Lisa Murkowski, John McCain, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Kelly Ayotte).

If you really want to do some good, get rid of the SOTU address.  For years now it's been an excuse for grandstanding. Indeed, in an age of instantaneous communication and widespread information, it's an outdated requirement in that Constitution everyone read a couple weeks ago that could easily be satisfied by a few pages texted over from the White House.

Instead, we get silly braying from the party in charge whenever the President announces his partisan motives.  What difference does it make where they sit--we know who's cheering and who's sitting on their hands.  Mixed seating will amount to an elaborate dumb show that changes nothing.

Let me suggest some alternatives:

The Dems and Repubs enter the chamber skipping and holding hands.

In addition to mixing parties, we also have boy girl boy girl seating. (But no making out during the speech.)

When Obama enters, they all rise and sing, in unison (harmony optional) "Good evening to you/ Good evening to you/ Good evening Mr. President/ Good evening to you."