Some folks want to make this story into a big snub, an insult by Obama to George Bush.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama skipped his soon-to-be predecessor’s final address to the nation on Thursday in favor of dining out.

At roughly 8 p.m. in Washington, about the time President George W. Bush began his televised speech, Obama left his new temporary residence across from the White House to go out for dinner in a restaurant a few blocks away.

A couple of observations.

1) In America, no one is required to watch a presidential address.

2) Obama had to eat sometime.

3) There is this remarkable invention called “Tivo” that allows one to record something off of the television to watch later – and there are also older bits of technology like VCRs and DVDs that do the same thing.

4) Like the White House hadn’t already forward Obama a copy of the speech before it was given?

So come on, folks – this is a non-issue.