Oh Happy Day!
At long last after a brutally frustrating eight years of arrogance, incompetence, and greed, the United States has an administration in the White House worthy of the office and all that it represents. History delightfully placed the inauguration of the first African American President directly next to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The two days combined with a weekend in DC to produce several days of history making festivities from an extraordinary concert by outstanding performers to more formal events including an unprecedented dinner President-Elect Obama held in honor of Senator John McCain.President Obama (doesn’t that just sound terrific!) begins his term with a most impressive 83% approval rating. His predecessor leaves office with a history making 22% approval rating, some of which emerged, although more mildly than I considered possible, as booing in the crowd and chants of "Nah! Nah! Hey! Hey! Goodbye!!" when the announcement came over the speaker that George W. Bush was no longer president, an event that taught me something. I thought the swearing in ceremony transferred the office. Not true. According to the constitution, power is transferred at precisely Noon, hence the announcement shortly before the ceremony took place.
The slightly awkward swearing in was due a slip by Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, who deviated slightly and interrupted Obama as he started to take the oath. Roberts spoke to Obama shortly afterwards and took responsibility for the minor snafu. Obama’s speech (text here) eclipsed it anyway.
2008 now stands as the most extraordinary and moving election I have experienced. The prior record was held by 1992. What a terrific day for this country. Enjoy!
posted by x4mr at 3:32 PM
2 Comments:
So much has been waxed poetic on this one, that I can't add much. It's been fun to have this blog as one of the following points.
I watched the inauguration partially via Twitter. I can best describe the experience as being at a cocktail party and wandering from conversation to conversation as big televisions played the action in the background.
The best comment I saw float by... John Hodgman (yes, the "PC" from Apple's "I'm a PC" ads, comedian, author, and Daily Show "Resident Expert"):
"Cheney in wheelchair. Where's the big, fluffy cat?"
I was surprised by how emotional I became watching it all. It was overwhelming when I think of where we were only a few decades ago with policemen blasting people with hoses in the South. I recall one image of two drinking fountains, a large white one labelled "White Only" and a smaller one less than half the size, labeled, "Colored."
My eyes welled up on several occasions as did the the lump in my throat.
This is a truly marvelous event. What an emotional day, but good.
I think this changes everything.
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