The Inauguration of President Barack H. Obama

[Seamus Fermanagh]

As I write this, Obama has just reached the platform where, in less than 20 minutes, he will write a new page in history.

Inaugurations always make me very proud -- in some ways they represent the best of what the USA is and represents. This will be our 44th rendition.

[tibilicus]

As I write this, Obama has just reached the platform where, in less than 20 minutes, he will write a new page in history.

Inaugurations always make me very proud -- in some ways they represent the best of what the USA is and represents. This will be our 44th rendition.

Your ceremony quite frankly highlights how dull and boring our UK process is.

For these 2 hours I genuinely wish I was american..

[drone]

Don't really know how the new boss is going to work out, but for the old one...

[Lemur]

Anybody got any links to video?

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Why are they treating him like Jesus Chirst? Makes me sick. He's a African American (nothing wrong with it, I'm not racist, just saying), and the deal is....? They are now making such a big deal out of it, acting like he's Jesus Christ who's coming back.


Nevertheless, it's historical, regardless of the fact I don't care much for him.


Good Luck President Obama.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

With one sentence it is accomplished. Barack Hussein Obama is President.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Watching on CNN.com

CR

[ICantSpellDawg]

What he has earned are our congratulations and the benefit of the doubt. I hope that he is successful by American standards and avoids the abortion debate. It is a proud day for the United States.

[Lemur]

CNN put me on a waiting list, the jerks. Oh well, it's not like they won't be rebroadcasting every darn thing for the next 24 hours. I'll catch it later.

In my attempt to see who was hosting video, I stumbled across this gem, which made me laugh sufficient to spray coffee on my keyboard:

Enjoy being Muslims, America, because that is exactly what you became when Barry spewed his secret snake code all over Abraham Lincoln’s 400-pound brown hellbox, the Bible. Let’s liveblog his declaration of jihad against you people, the whites.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Why are they treating him like Jesus Chirst? Makes me sick. He's a African American (nothing wrong with it, I'm not racist, just saying), and the deal is....? They are now making such a big deal out of it, acting like he's Jesus Christ who's coming back....Good Luck President Obama.

It is not really about him anymore; it is far beyond that now.

[Fragony]

It is not really about him anymore; it is far beyond that now.

But it's a good thing regardless, this is truly amazing, America I salute you no way this could happen in any European country, tough but fair

edit: cheeky thought, america's first black president might just be the one in charge of a nation in a meltdown that's gonna losen up some tongues at the prestigious business school at the Mugabe University.

[Monk]

It is not really about him anymore; it is far beyond that now.

Agreed. He now represents Americans as a whole and the office of the presidency, not just his party. A position only held by 43 others in the last 200 years, today is much more about the prestige of the position and ceremony than the man himself.

I'm stuck in labs most the day, so I'll likely miss the innaguration. Maybe I can catch it tonight on a CNN re-run.

[||Lz3||]

Hehehe, this makes me ashamed of our last presidential inauguration....

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Good tone to the speech. Not quite "morning in America" but a very good sense of this moment and how he wishes to go forward.

43 have now sworn that oath and striven to do their best -- mostly -- to uphold it. I wish our new President success.

[Lemur]

I finally got the CNN video working, and what was my reward? A University of Chicago middle-aged poet rambling on. That's just brutal, man. That's just wrong.

Oh well, back to work.

[naut]

Best of luck to you America and your new President.

What the hell was up with that poem though.... Ugh, it was almost as if she just wrote out a list of things see saw in a week and then sprinkled it with a smattering of clichés and odd imagery just for s and giggles.

[Don Corleone]

I've never been prouder to be an American than I am right now. He's not the leader I chose, but he is my leader none the less, and I am honored to have him as my president. I wish him the best of luck, and I will do all I can to respond to his call, to continue down the path, despite the hardships, and pass our legacy of freedom and propserity to the generations that follow.

They say that being a good leader is about the ability to inspire people to do that which their better selves already know that they should do. I would say in that regard, we have an excellent leader. Lemur, you're got to fine a loop of the speech. Maybe it's the emotion of the moment, but it's one of the best, one of the most inspiring, I've ever seen or heard.

As an aside, did anybody else notice CNN's cameras zoom in on Bush when Obama uttered the line about "not sacraficing our principles for our security"? Bush looked like he had swallowed a bug.

[DemonArchangel]

I don't quite know what to say besides "That was epic."

And it was.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

... As an aside, did anybody else notice CNN's cameras zoom in on Bush when Obama uttered the line about "not sacraficing our principles for our security"? Bush looked like he had swallowed a bug.

I've always thought that Bush did the Patriot Act stuff out of what he felt to be necessity, not out of some love of power or sense of cruelty. I have no doubt he found it a bit galling to have that aspect of his legacy highlighted so poignantly.

And yes, Don, I agree with you that the media had that shot planned from the moment they read their advance copy of the text. It was the primary reaction shot they highlighted Bush 43 for.

[Kagemusha]

Congratulations US of America. Hopefully things will now take turn to better direction.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

National Park police have estimated the crowd at roughly 2M people.

This means that nearly 1% of the entire country actively chose to show up -- in person -- to watch the innaugural. Impressive.

[LittleGrizzly]

I have no doubt he found it a bit galling to have that aspect of his legacy highlighted so poignantly.

Hopefully it will encourage future presidents to act more cautiously towards civil liberties... ill probably wait for a video on youtube or something...

[tibilicus]

Why are they treating him like Jesus Chirst? Makes me sick. He's a African American (nothing wrong with it, I'm not racist, just saying), and the deal is....? They are now making such a big deal out of it, acting like he's Jesus Christ who's coming back.


Nevertheless, it's historical, regardless of the fact I don't care much for him.


Good Luck President Obama.

It's more of the fact that 60 years ago black people weren't allowed to drink from the same water fountains as white people but now an African American is leading the worlds super power. It's a testimony to the change that has happened in the world since then and the huge steps forward we are taking as people to end intolerance of others.


It's also more significant as it marks the end of a president with one of the lowest approval ratings of all time, who is finally leaving office and marks the day where not just America but the world can start to clear up the economic problems, stop the blood shed in the middle east and finally start to clear up all of the mess the Bush administration made.

Obviously I know that he isn't going to be a miracle maker and he'll do well to fix half those problems but the fact is as an American you should be happy the finally have a leader who wont throw away your civil liberties in the name of anti terror legislation and wont support torture as a means of defence.

Basically be grateful. No matter what you think of Obama surely he can't do as bad as Bush, well it's debatable if that's even possible.

[Banquo's Ghost]

It was indeed an inspiring speech.

I was moved by the appeals to history - as an Irishman, invoking the ancestors and their struggles guarantees a lump to my throat, even if it's other people's ancestors. It struck the right note of solemnity in face of momentous events, and inspiration that those events are small in the light of the sacrifices and achievements of prior generations.

Though many of us over the waters are jealous of how America has re-invented herself again, it is the jealousy of an aged relative truly proud of the achievements of youth. A faint nostalgia rather than an envy. Inaugurations embody that hope and speak to us all.

[Strike For The South]

Bush Clinton Bush Obama

:usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa::usa:

[Lorenzo_H]

Did the Chief Justice fumble his words?

[drone]

Yup. Roberts misplaced "faithfully", I believe.

[Hooahguy]

In my attempt to see who was hosting video, I stumbled across this gem, which made me laugh sufficient to spray coffee on my keyboard:

Enjoy being Muslims, America, because that is exactly what you became when Barry spewed his secret snake code all over Abraham Lincoln’s 400-pound brown hellbox, the Bible. Let’s liveblog his declaration of jihad against you people, the whites.

that.... was.... hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i am SO posting that on my facebook page!



on a more serious note, i wish president obama the best of luck!

[Husar]

I saw it live on Joost, surprisingly good stream with absolutely no problems.

The speech he held I also found very inspiring, though a bit critical here and there.
The speech of that woman after him was, well, if that's what Lemur meant I agree.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I saw it live on Joost, surprisingly good stream with absolutely no problems.

The speech he held I also found very inspiring, though a bit critical here and there.
The speech of that woman after him was, well, if that's what Lemur meant I agree.

President Obama's speech was solidly done, with a clear and sober tone. It was not, regrettably, a speech for the ages as were FDR's 2nd, Kennedy's, or Reagan's 1st.

The woman following him was reciting poetry. I will refrain from commenting on either the poesy itself or the oral interpretation. I will only note that it did serve to begin clearing The Mall.