The Inauguration of President Barack H. Obama

[Spino]

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.

The problem with Obama's speech was that it sounded like the same sales pitch he was dishing out on the campaign trail. A few nice bits were sandwiched in between the 'must mention' bullet points.

As to the poet, that was truly bad stuff. I mean truly bad. Kudos to modern artists & poets lowering the bar to previously unimaginable depths. Personally I would have preferred to see a crack addled monkey toss paint at a canvas for 5 minutes. Appropriate or not it certainly would have done wonders to keep the attention of that mammoth crowd.

[Xiahou]

The problem with Obama's speech was that it sounded like the same sales pitch he was dishing out on the campaign trail. A few nice bits were sandwiched in between the 'must mention' bullet points.

Yeah, the speech gets a big "meh" from me. Seemed pretty boilerplate.

As to the poet, that was truly bad stuff. I mean truly bad.

Come on, I thought the poem was comic gold.

I've gotta say- Obama, sure he's big government liberal, but I'm willing to take a wait and see approach. Clinton managed to do some good on a few issues and maybe Obama will do the same. But what really creeps me out is the fact that we now have Joe Biden as VP.... every time I think about that, it still makes my skin crawl.

[GeneralHankerchief]

I was actually at the Mall for the event. I'll provide a report for you guys in a few hours after I get some rest (up since 3:30 plus an 8-mile walk to get back to my dorm is not conducive to good reporting).

[Meneldil]

Good luck to Obama and the US. I know Realpolitik and petty interests are always involved at some point, but I hope they will become once again the beacon of hope and freedom they are supposed to be.

[Lemur]

I've gotta say- Obama, sure he's big government liberal, but I'm willing to take a wait and see approach.

I believe you, millions wouldn't.

[Hooahguy]

my baby bro was watching "Bob the builder" and then i realized something.
obama and bob have the same slogan: "yes we can."

it would have been funny if obamas slogan had been taken off of the show, and funnier if he dressed up as bob for the inaguration and then said "Barack the builder- can we fix it?!"

just some thoughts.

[drone]

my baby bro was watching "Bob the builder" and then i realized something.
obama and bob have the same slogan: "yes we can."

it would have been funny if obamas slogan had been taken off of the show, and funnier if he dressed up as bob for the inaguration and then said "Barack the builder- can we fix it?!"

just some thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNXytgKiAHQ

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...arack+the+buil

[King Jan III Sobieski]

Nevertheless, I'd like to wish our new president all the best.

[Tribesman]

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

Is that because Europe doesn't have such large numbers or concentrations of them and doesn't have countries with the electoral system that America has ?

As for the inauguration itself....hasn't Aretha got old .

[Strike For The South]

Is that because Europe doesn't have such large numbers or concentrations of them and doesn't have countries with the electoral system that America has ?

As for the inauguration itself....hasn't Aretha got old .

True colors?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Wishazu]

I watched it all on TV over here after I finished work. Maybe it`s just because I`m not American but I was quite bored. Anyways, hopefully he`ll do a good job for you lot.

[Devastatin Dave]

Change?
http://content.usatoday.com/communit.../01/61651854/1

"help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right"

Sounds like the same race victimhood crap we've endured since the 60's. For God's sakes, we just stuck an unqualified black man in the white house, what else can white people do to make "right".

The next four years of, "you can't criticise Obama, that's racist!!!" is going to get old quick.

[Hosakawa Tito]

I do solemnly swear...line, please?

Here's your chance to throw him out on a technicality, Dave, no mulligans. paging Kenneth Starr...

[GeneralHankerchief]

Okay, here are my on-site thoughts.

(Note: Some of it may be rambling, as well as the fact that a lot of it is familiarized with the city's geography. I'll try to pare it down so that people unfamiliar with DC get the idea.)

I woke up at 3:30 AM, and left with a group of friends around 4, which is when the Metro (DC's subway system) opens. Got to the nearest Metro station and the place was packed already. Not a good sign. The first train went by, already completely full. Luckily, the second train was fine so we all squeezed in. After a couple of incidents on the train, we got off at the Farragut North stop, which is a moderate walk away from the Mall.

Got to the Mall and started walking in the direction of the Capitol, passing the Washington Monument as well as a few news HQs. We eventually settled on a spot of dirt and gravel roughly a quarter-mile away from the Capitol, with a good view of a JumboTron screen (in case you remember the overheads, there was one up near the front, and then a row on the opposite side of the Mall. We were behind the first JumboTron in that row). All in all, we were all settled in a bit before 5:30 AM.

It was cold. Gloves, hoods, anything to help block the temperature, came out. One girl had enough of it and went home just as the sun was starting to come up. She was from Upstate NY, too, which gives you an idea of how bad it was.

When we arrived, a good portion of the Mall (closer to the Washingtom Monument) was still open and for the most part people-free. By sunrise, there were people as far back as I could see. I'm told from eyewitnesses that the crowd eventually extended well beyond the Monument and even pushed to the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool (well over a mile away from the Capitol).

Slowly, time passed. When I wasn't trying to get warm I took a look at the crowd around me. The thing that struck me the most was the ratio of black people to white people, with the whites being heavily outnumbered. When you think of DC, you usually think of all of the politicians and lobbyists related to it, and forget that a large majority of the city's population is black. I was definitely reminded of this fact today. To a man, they all seemed to be wearing Obama gear, and were clearly in a good mood. I'm searching to find the right word for the overall tone they had, and although nothing really matches, I think the closest descriptor is "peaceful vindication". I heard several comments throughout the day that Obama had "finally did it" and that this day was the realization of thousands, if not millions, of dreams. There was no malice, no "time to reverse the tables" sort of thinking. It was all "we did it, things are finally going to be right". I think this general lack of malice is a great sign for the country, as it means that perhaps we've finally closed the book on racism. I can only hope that the feeling stays as the GOP no doubt attempts to oppose the Obama Administration in certain areas.

All in all, the crowd was very liberal, as you might expect. My friends who arrived later were telling me that farther back, by the Monument, you got the crazies and weirdos, like one guy who dressed up like a tree. Closer up front though, where I was, as the dignitaries were introduced, the Democratic figures on the whole got way more applause than the Republican ones did. This held true even for the controversial Democratic people (Pelosi, who got big applause) and the relatively noncontroversial Republicans (a relatively indifferent reaction to Bush 41). Bush 43 was the only person who got openly booed, and there was a small chanting of "na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goo-ood bye" going on.

However - and this, along with the tone of the black crowd gives me a great hope for the future of the country - once Obama was into his speech, and wholeheartedly gave thanks to the outgoing president for his service, the boos turned into applause and some cheers. To me, the applause didn't sound reserved, as if the crowd was clapping only because it was told to. I think the audience, no matter their feelings as to the past eight years, looked deep down and recognized the man's good parts, and (belatedly) saluted him for it. If, as in these two cases, if we can get past our conflict-ridden histories and move on for the good of everyone, then I have hope for our country's future. At the very least, its tone if not his policies.

Obama's speech, while partially focusing on the policies (which, being a fiscal conservative, made me slightly uneasy), also heavily hit on the conclusion I made in the above paragraph, which is exactly what I think he needed to do. For this reason, his speech - while not in the same rhetorical vein as JFK's or the "I Have a Dream" speech - was successful.

I also need to give a special mention to the Rick Warren invocation, which was very powerful and, in my opinion, the best speech of the day. For all the controversy surrounding his appointment, he made it perfectly clear that he wants nothing more than to see Obama do well and the country to prosper, which goes well with what I thought to be the theme of the day. It also takes something, in this day and age, to get two million Americans from all backgrounds, standing, with our heads down, to recite the Lord's Prayer.

Despite all this, the inauguration ended on something of a low note for me. Although the sun warmed us up some, I was still freezing and left immediately following Obama's speech, not bothering to listen to the poet and whatever pastor they had on afterwards. I made a beeline for the nearest Metro station, L'Enfant Plaza, which was massive and I figured would be able to handle the crowd of people. It took me about 20 minutes to get to the nearest station entrance, at which point we (I was separated from my group by this time) were informed by the Army that the entrance was closed and the nearest one was about a block down the street.

Well, it took me about 20 more minutes to get back to the street I was originally on, and I looked ahead and saw something out of a disaster movie where the city was being evacuated. We were going nowhere, and I had no chance of getting to that station in anything remotely resembling good time. So I trek off, fighting through the crowds of people, looking for additional exits from the Mall area. The only problem was that pretty much every single artery was clogged with people. There were all kinds of rumors that the Metro was closed, that it wouldn't be open until the parade was over, etc.

I eventually ended up taking a ridiculously roundabout route, finally getting into the city proper at Foggy Bottom (above the Lincoln Memorial, which is really far away from where I was), and trying to see if the situation at that Metro station was any better. From two blocks away, I saw a huge crowd by it, and figured not to bother. I could have headed east and tried the Farragut North station, where I got on, but I figured the situation wasn't any different there, and besides, my campus was to the northwest. So I just decided to keep on walking and several uphill miles later, I arrived home.

All said, my inauguration experience took around 12 hours, from the time I left (4 AM) to the time I got back and sat down (4 PM). It was a lot to take in for one day, and while I'm glad I went and experienced it, I wish the conditions and planning had been a bit better.

I hope this post was insightful to you from a perspective of someone who was actually there.

[CountArach]

Well I stayed up all night to watch the thing (He was scheduled to take the oath at 4am...) and I have to say it is amazing to see just how many people turned out. For all the flack that Obama took during the campaign about being nothing but rhetoric this just went to show you what his rhetoric was capable of doing. Looking at the faces of the people there you could see the mood of the nation changing from one of hopelessness, to pure hope itself. A national revival such as this is healthy for all nations to undertake regularly and I don't think it could come at a better time for America.

Congratulations President Obama - serve your country and the citizens of the world proudly, truthfully and well.

[Caius]

Gud luck Obama. I wish him luck. I think he has the potential to do a lot of things for ye country.

[Tribesman]

True colors?

Thats a song by Steinberg isn't it ?

[Hosakawa Tito]

Thanks for the on the scene report GeneralHankerchief. Too bad you couldn't score one of those steam grates. Did you notice any of the usual array of homeless vagabonds about or did security remove them?

[Strike For The South]

Thats a song by Steinberg isn't it ?

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

Show me a smile then,
Don't be unhappy, can't remember
When I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

[Tribesman]

See they could have used that as a poem instead of that they had at the inauguration .

[Strike For The South]

See they could have used that as a poem instead of that they had at the inauguration .

I would've gone with this.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZEoqjdrcIs

[Seamus Fermanagh]

GH:

You WALKED from L'Enfant to Hoya High (I'm guessing you meant Georgetown)? In today's weather? SERIOUS Nanook points lad!

[GeneralHankerchief]

Hosa: No, the grates were long claimed before I arrived. But I think it was just normal people who thought ahead; the hobos were nowhere to be seen.

Seamus: Nope, try Tenleytown and American U.

[LittleGrizzly]

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

We got a scottish pm... doesn't that count for anything ?

I wish Obama best of luck, im unsure on the guy but my thinking is along the lines of things can only get better...

[HoreTore]

Is that because Europe doesn't have such large numbers or concentrations of them and doesn't have countries with the electoral system that America has ?

Shhh.... Let the yanks have their moment, no need to tell them that our immigrant populations are just that - immigrants - who came here only some 30 odd years ago...

African americans are just that - americans. Just as american as any other human living there. Actually, a little less american than the indians, but whatever. When you elect, say, and Indian or Arab, then we can talk.

The bottom line is, our africans are immigrants(the jews are our only real "native aliens", and I do believe we've elected them). African Americans are Americans. Being black shouldn't be an issue at all, really. But being an immigrant, ie. coming from one culture and having to learn another culture, etc. is a significantly bigger step.

Though, it could be pointed out that Sarky is Hungarian, and as such an immigrant, much more than Obama

[Tribesman]

African americans are just that - americans. Just as american as any other human living there. Actually, a little less american than the indians, but whatever. When you elect, say, and Indian or Arab, then we can talk.

Well they can't do that , even if the arab or indian gets citizenship they still can't be elected as the office is only open to natural americans .
So for example while Bustamante was a hispanic he could get elected for state governement and could run for president , but Arnie who is "white" could run for state government but not for president .
So while you mention Sarko as an example of a son of an immigrant being elected as President I suppose Ireland can go one better by having had several actual immigrants elected as President and several minorities elected to that office too .
Ireland the banana republic that is the true leader of freedom and beacon of democracy in the western world .

[Ronin]

I would've gone with this.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZEoqjdrcIs

You surprise me Strike....

I though you´d go with this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ5SVDYBNrY

;)

[Idaho]

Change?
http://content.usatoday.com/communit.../01/61651854/1

"help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right"

Sounds like the same race victimhood crap we've endured since the 60's. For God's sakes, we just stuck an unqualified black man in the white house, what else can white people do to make "right".

The next four years of, "you can't criticise Obama, that's racist!!!" is going to get old quick.

Much as I love you Dave, I am deeply relieved that your lot of neo-con religio-corporate *&%$s have been consigned, with the contempt that only history can muster, to the political dustbin.

I still think that Obama will be a company man within a year or two and will largely dissapoint.

[KukriKhan]

I still think that Obama will be a company man within a year or two and will largely dissapoint.

Your prediction leads to my biggest fear for Mr. O: the teeming masses he mobilized during his campaign, who (wrongly) think he's gonna pay their mortgage and car-payment, and all they gotta do is point to the "I Voted for Obama" pin on their shirt - are gonna be severely disappointed when those payments don't arrive in the next 24 months.

He never explicitly promised that stuff, but many expect it anyway. How hard will they turn on him?

He's gonna have to continue 'selling' his slow-moving programs (whatever they are) to an impatient public.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

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.

That's awesome. I was there yesterday. My electoral politics seminar from last semester headed down to D.C. from Gettysburg at about 4:30. And I'll tell ya the city was packed. It took us maybe two to three hours to get to the mall from Shady Grove. The part of the class that I was with ended up just below and to the right of the Washington Monument. We were on the mound of the monument so we could look out over much of the crowd, though of course not to the capital for some reason. It was awesome. My toes nearly froze off, but the crowd was really excited and aside being nervous that Obama wouldn't make it through the ceremony or that he wouldn't live up to all of the expectations we have for him it was awesome.

Did anyone else notice during the Invocation when the guy said "KinSHASHA!" the whole crowd cracked up at that one.

Also at the end somewhere, I forget exactly what speech it was, but some guy made some rather extreme comments on race including "When the white man can do the right man" or something like that which I think was a bit overboard. But other than that it was an awesome ceremony and experience.