It's today. Consider this your open inaugural thread. I'll be quasi-live-blogging.
12:17 I think I've heard too many Obama speeches. I'm unmoved. It's not his fault.He sounds awesome as ever. But I've seen this too many times, I think.
12:05 Oh man. Let's go.
11:35 Dick Cheney rolls through. Que the Darth Vader theme music.
11:31 So what do we think of the dress?
11:16 Clinton looked pissed? Were they just beefing? And whats up with H.W. and Barbara's purple scarves?
11:00 Watching ABC. I don't know how these guys keep talking.
10:57 Kenyatta has announced that she will buy--and fly--an American flag today.
10:54 And now the Obama car. Man look a that motorcade. Pennsy Ave. never looked so good.
10:47 Cheney in a wheel-chair. Not as gratifying as I thought it would be.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
Copyright © 2009 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
My personal feeling is one of lightness of spirit. President Bush has been a kind of Schleprock for the last eight years, turning the world gray. He asked nothing of us and got exactly that in return.
Great leaders understand the need for participation and collaboration to meet goals. It is my hope that is what we have.
I'm ready to pitch in.
Historical day and I'm absorbing as much of it as I can from abroad.
Congratulations, President Obama, and good luck !
But let's not forget that America, for better and for worse, will be no different as a country tomorrow just because of who's inaugurated today. As I predict the President will acknowledge, it's up to the rest of us to pull our weight in making changes and getting things done.
Cheers,
The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw Cheney was Dr. Strangelove. Scary.
So glad it's over. Amen.
I feel you on the wheelchair thing, T-NC. My quip about hurting himself lifting the man-size safe in his office feels a little flat now.
Chief weepy points so far go to NPR's 8 a.m. profile of a pile of warm clothing on the Mall that contains, deep inside, a 105-year-old woman who is determined to see this.
Funniest commentary so far goes to someone at Balloon Juice who observed that Larry Johnston is cutting it really close with releasing that Whitey tape.
Finally, there was a brief report on the 2 dozen Protesters opposing the Antichrist (literally). If the Obama transition people hadn't filled these last couple of days with events for the media to report on, we'd just be hearing about protesters like this, interspersed with interviews with Joe the Plumber. So count me amongst those embracing the hoopla--not the celebrity aspect, but certainly the Americana, pulling-together, like Super New Year's in terms of ringing in a change, aspects. We need more than a low key switch with no partying as some curmudgeons have suggested; we need to mark this.
He asked nothing of us and got exactly that in return. --KevDog
Beautiful one sentence summary of what was wrong with Bush.
Cheney in a wheel-chair. Not as gratifying as I thought it would be.
As someone who is getting ready to go do some back exercises--and I'm only 40--I sympathized with Cheney. Besides, that 105-year-old woman was in a wheelchair; no point pretending that a wheelchair is some sort of struck-down-by-God symbol.
Obama's new car is based on GM's truck frame and has that huge Cadillac grill...take that Oklahoma and Louisiana as our Prez rolls through DC in an escalade!
If you're watching ABC, please tell me you saw Spike Lee and that hat.
MICHELLE LOOKS HOT!
SHE BETTER ROCK THAT YELLOW SPARKLY COAT/DRESS COMBO! (Not quite as fierce as Mary J. Blige's snakeskin boots from a couple of days ago, but fierce nevertheless.)
TOTALLY CRUSHING ON THAT BLACK WOMAN TODAY!
Watching it on CNN.com. They just showed Clarence Thomas...why does he look angry and confused?
Twice Brian Williams miss ID'd Michelle's brother as Reggie Love..we still all look alike even today
Not Strangelove. Mr. Potter from It's A Wonderful Life.
Tough road ahead, but for today I'm smilin'. And an eight-year long nightmare is over.
It's weird watching a lot of these scared white people here in Houston. A lot of them are making with jokes, and some are putting up hopeful messages on their facebook pages, but the overall vibe I am getting is that these people here in Texas are angry (though they aren't letting it show too much) and afraid.
Is it just me or is Chris Matthews an asshole?
someone please post when Rick Warren is done so I can go watch. I'm not watching that man, so I'm not going near the TV set until he's off the screen.
Chaney in a wheelchair should be gratifying. All he needs is a blanket over his legs and he can do the Old Man Potter shtick.
I think he hurt his back lifting a box full of all of his administration's betrayals of core conservative principles.
C'ya.
Not Strangelove. Mr. Potter from It's A Wonderful Life. Posted by dan | January 20, 2009 11:08 AM
ROTFL . . . we have a winner and the thread hasn't even reached the 20 mark !
Gonna be fun today ! ! !
Anyone know of a good place to watch it online? Everything for me is extremely overloaded, CNN, MSNBC, Hulu(Fox).
I'm calling it: Bush told the announcer to introduce him with a big, "Let's get ready to RUMMMBLLLLLLLE!!!!!!"
Don't know about online, but hit the C-SPANs (1 and 2). They have a lot of inside footage, and the only commentary is the PA.
That's what I'm watching, David B. Listening to the MSM today is a sure-fire way to ruin the atmosphere.
And why is Mrs. Boehner orange?
Why are people so fascinated by the colors, and by people I mean NPR in NYC?
I can't watch anything, but so far I know what color everyone has on.
Just talked to my dad on the phone--he's taking today off. The first thing he said to me is that he said he didn't think he'd live to see this day. The second thing is said is that he wishes his mother had. My dad's from Mississippi--he grew up facing awful racial prejudice. But his mother, my Gram, faced the worst.
It reminds me that a lot of the folks who fought hard for this day to happen aren't here to see it.
I don't even have words for today
part of me wishes the girls had naturals
@Cantankerous, yeah, Michelle too, but at least Malia rocks cornrows every now and then.
By the way, the girls look totally beautiful too! I'm so to the left of Obama, but I am so freaking excited!!!
Chris Matthews is definitely an asshole or at the very least, bad at his job.
The CNN feed shows him walking through the Capitol Building. He looks...calm. Serenely calm.
I'm tearing up.
@AMT
Why, what did Matthews do? (I'm watching ABC, too bloody broke for cable...)
Did Keith Olbermann just suggest that our new President is drugged?!!
Mrs. Boehner is orange in an apparent attempt to match skin tones with her husband. They both need to stop.
Anyone else notice Craig Robinson's gaudily orange-and-black striped scarf? That's some serious Beaver pride.
Did Feinstein just dis Malcolm on the sideways?
This is so great! It is something I would never see in my lifetime.
I had to turn away from Warren. I didn't think that it would really bother me as I don't consider myself to be personally invested in that particular fight, but it's funny how that works sometimes.
Someone let me know when he's done.
Warren is gawd-awful...no pun intended.
Ugh the Rickroll is tough to swallow.
For the life of me, I could never understand why people hung the stars and stipes outside of their homes. I now know why.
I am the son and grandson of Protestant pastors, and even I thought that invocation was a little over-the-top Christian. Guess the fabric for the big tent stretches only so far...
Warren referred to God as "Father" (way to gender the divine there, dude). He quoted the English version of the Shema (shoutout to us MOTs), then there was some pretty boilerplate, milquetoast stuff, and he's finishing up with the Lord's Prayer.
Way to not be inclusive.
Now he's done, and Aretha's up.
agreed, besides being annoyed that he got to do the invocation (or whatever), it just wasn't that compelling.
the queen of soul is taking it home, though
Aretha got me, man. I can't even imagine the emotion she must be feeling to sing that song for one of hers. Damn, I love this.
OK, I'm a completely cynical schmuck (and Canadian to boot), but Aretha made me cry.
Minutes away from a new President. :)
Loving the classical music. Those looking for online coverage, C-span is working. (And no commentary.)
Mrs. Boehner is orange in an apparent attempt to match skin tones with her husband. They both need to stop.
No, I think she's trying to look like Yo-Yo Ma's cello.
Hmm.
A John Williams piece, but borrowing heavily from Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man. Need to give props.
He was nervous. And it's over.
What a wonderful moment.
::Groan:: Roberts bungled the oath. Ten points to the first hate-mongering conspiracy theorist to speculate that this means Obama is not actually president.
I was ok until he took the oath. Then, I began to cry.
I have always been humbled by the transfer of power in this country.
oh my god, this is craziness.
a shout out to the Kenyan village where his father is from? I am flipping out.
I was looking at a story in the NYT which had a picture of Black students being attacked by police dogs during the desegregation of schools in Montgomery, AL in 1963. I was 7 years old then. I remember, in 1962,Louise Day Hicks, then Chairwoman of the Boston School Committee saying on WBZ TV that she didn't want "those little monkeys" going into South Boston. I remember my mother coming home from work after some Irish jerk in Southie threw a brick through her windshield because they were PO'd about black kids going to Southie High. I remember moving to Stoughton, MA in 1967 and when the junior high counselors, upon seeing our former address in Roxbury, told my mother that I would have to repeat sixth grade despite the fact that my IQ tests showed I was at a grade 11 level of comprehension. I remember thinking that in the age of Rush Limbaugh, George Bush, and divisive politics that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a Black man to be elected to the Presidency of the United States. Yet here we are. With God, nothing is impossible!
This is the first inauguration address that I remember where the President seems to be speaking to a world audience as much if not more than he's speaking to the American people. He's communicating our values, both explicitly and subtly, to anyone who's willing to listen.
This will be our most important job in a post-Bush America. I'm glad to see him cognizant of it.
Please, russd, god has nothing to do with it.
He took the oath with 'Hussein'. That was great.
Obama's speech was awesome. Didn't care for the poem. Shoulda stuck to the tried tested and true Maya Angelou IMHO.
Please Mr. President, don't steal our future -- spend the stimulus money MOSTLY on new technologies, not "shovel-ready" projects. Thank you.
I thought the speech was good. He didn't disappoint, but I think his best speech was the victory speech in November.
I noticed though that he was speaking to us as much as he was speaking to the world.
What do we think of the poem?
Wouldn't Cheney be Emperor Palpatine?
Not feeling the poem, either. How I hate "poetry voice." Seriously.
OMG could the girls be any CUTER?
I love Michelle's outfit. It's simply amazing.
I was quite moved by the speech, actually...I found myself tearing up.
The closing benediction is more lyrical than the inaugural poem, I think. And "Air and Simple Gifts" may become the thematic music of the Obama presidency.
Lowry quoting the Negro National Anthem. Love him.
dannity...oh yes...and im enjoying it thoroughly. he tells several compelling stories that man, barack hussein obama. sry...president, barack hussein obama...gotta get used to it! I think there are more citizens of the world than americans watching this, and in times like these it's of most importance that the US sends the right message and the right messenger! I remember Bush Jr's first inaguration adress, and man...this is something different.
and Rev. Lowery delivers the goods...
Alexander: "say it plain"
And then Loury TOTALLY JUST DID, lol!!!
loved it. loved both of them!
Lowery makes Warren look like the little man that he is
"I'm unmoved..."
...wow, don't get that.
Props on alerting us to the greatness of Rev. Lowry so many months ago.
Lowery is bringing the house down.
I don't know how many of you watched it on MSNBC but they cut to a closeup of Bush's face when Obama gave the "We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.” line. To say he looked like he swallowed a bag of lemons and a canary doesn't do the expression on his face justice.
"If he's yellow he will be mellow" lol
Being fair to Roberts, I thought Obama tried to start speaking too soon, which rather unravelled the neat sequence of speak and repeat. The poem was, as expected, poor at best. Warren tried valiantly to be inclusive, and ended up sounding less than convinced by it all, despite desperately trying to make out that Jesus is the great common theme of all world religions (Buddhism and Wicca excepted). It might be me, but I thought the Obama speech did a nice job of conciliating the reconcilable, while never really reaching the heights. I noted a lack of reference to Israel, which struck me as prudent, if somewhat disappointing. It was, overall, just too big a day for the players onstage to live up to, and no-one should blame them for that.
Lowery brought the good-crazy.
Damn, I love him.
The major thing I love about Obama's speech is he went right at some muthafuckas sitting right behind him on the stage. Bush on torture and other abuses and Boehner(mostly) and McConnell on the economic stimulus package. Labeling them "cynics" and turning around the whole "he's naive" meme around on THEM was straight AWESOME SAUCE.
Wow -- I never knew that Helicopter 1 could make it all the way to Paraguay.
Lowery's benediction was lovely. Can he be the nation's pastor?
Jesus, George Will is willfuly ignorant schmuck. Obama's speech was "culturally conservative" because he mentioned hard work? Asshole.
What a great moment. Obama hit the right notes of confidence, strength and just a bit of conciliation. I agree that it was hard for this speech to trump previous ones, and that for those of us who followed him closely, the notes were familiar, but he was speaking to a much larger audience this time. Those who hadn't followed him closely heard a great speech; it's not his fault that it seemed ordinary to those who've heard him do it a bunch.
I, Barack HUSSEIN Obama faithly swear....
---------------------------------------
You didn't think that wasn;t great, TNC???
You are not good crazy, but plain crazy!
That line is like a bullet in Osama and Ayman's brain. It might be the beginning of the end for Al Queada.
I got misty-eyed throughout but started sobbing when Lowery started in from Amos... let justice roll down... what a benediction.
What a day.
dan...Will has been groveling in his own self-pity for the last 40 days. He tasted defeat and then threw a pity party for himself and his fellow stooges...a party prez obama in all his grace attended only to give back an ounce of the vitriolic self-importance this man has invoked for so long. An pompous asshat if u will!
George Will makes some of the shockingly dishonest arguments imaginable in the most genteel manner. The only person even close on the right is Huckabee, except he's the populist version of George Will.
That's why they're both as dangerous as they are.
Lowery was outstanding.
Understand this, for the next four years everything that Obama does that works or that is seen in a favorable light will be labeled conservative but all republican/conservative bloviaters. Anything that doesn't work will be labeled liberal or progressive. And that includes some supposed "liberals" like Friedman, Dowd and Joe Klein. It is what it is man, but as long as Obama keeps moving the goal posts where civil unions, economic stimulus spending and soon universal health care is seen as center right I am good with that.
Jesus, George Will is willfuly ignorant schmuck. Obama's speech was "culturally conservative" because he mentioned hard work? Asshole.
Posted by dan | January 20, 2009 12:51 PM
Actually, Will understood the intent, if not the reality of what the hard work and other references mean. Obama clearly tried to hit some notes for the cultural conservatives. It's not his fault that they think the rest of the US is populated by idle welfare queens who don't ever do anything to earn money.
I feel so vindicated to have been shouting "Lowery" in response to Rick Warren's selection (even though I booed the selection too). Good crazy brought it home, with humanity, earned hope, experience, wisdom.
Alright, time to work.
Man, I love Lowery - if anybody hasn't seen his eulogy for Coretta Scott King, go watch it. Actually, I think Coates may have posted it at some point? It's amazing.
What a contrast between Warren, who felt the need to explicitly affirm the Christian God's supremacy and primacy, and Lowery, who loves the same God just as much but spoke so much more powerfully by simply saying "Let all who do justice an love mercy say Amen." AMEN!
Ooops made a typo
but = by
i thought it was a very good speech. i thought that what kept it from being a great speech was the early portions in which he went directly at the bush administration. doing so made the early passages sound too much like an attack and campaign speech. my guess is that we got that for two reasons: that he wanted to send a message to the world that this was a clean break and the united states that people used to admire was back and that he intends to try to put all this behind us with words, not prosecutions. if this is so, i cannot say i disagree with either point, but it did make the speech less elegant than i had hoped for. the latter parts of it, with the constant allusions, was, i thought, magnificient.
FreeBenoit,
God, has everything to do with it. Maybe you have a problem with God -- that's OK. I happen to believe in God, and in His son Jesus Christ. What I know is that in this country, one with a legacy of racial hatred, mistrust, and anymosity. Only divine intervention could explain how a Black man could be elected to the highest office in the Executive Branch of the government. Just as I had to accept God's sovereignty over the election of W., I acknowledge His sovereignty over this.
We can disagree (but then don't be surprised if I witness to you), but let us agree tp be respectful. I won't disparage your beliefs and ask that you not disparage mine. :)
OK, can't work before saying you're right, Andrew. Good point about the Coretta Scott King eulogy. This makes TWICE that Lowery has handed Bush his ass through prayer.
So, staying home today to watch the inauguration, I have unrestrained access to the remote. And flipping the channels just now, I notice that Bravo has decided to counter-program President Obama's (feels good to type that) inauguration with a rerunning of West Wing and Santo's inauguration.
Why would I choose to watch fiction when reality is playing out right now, and it's even better than some show?
Transcript of the speech posted at WM
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_01/016524.php#more
We were slow as hell all morning and only damned FIVE MINUTES I WANTED TO MYSELF TO LISTEN TO THE SPEECH WE GOT SLAMMED!!!
lol, dammit.
So, reading over the transcript, I'm struck on many levels and, as I already harbored a tentative optimism with the President-Elects actions since November, I'm very happy with his choice of words on every subject he touched.
@sg
Granted, that's true about those sitting nearby, but don't forget that he also called out just as many on the left. I'm particularly interested in hearing what the more liberal factions of the Democratic party are going to have to say over the next couple of days. Probably not much, given the national fervor, but he got some pretty hefty digs in toward that side of the isle as well.
Besides...this isn't a Pelosiesque moment for retribution, it's time to look forward and pick up the pieces the oafs of the last eight years have dropped...and stepped on...and broken.
Call me crazy but I kind of liked the note of buzzkill that Obama's speech brought to the proceedings. It had started to seem kind of unreal, this big party while the country falls apart. He reminded us what he was there for, and that he had his eye on the ball.
Prediction: The late and scrambled oath of office is going to be catnip for political crazies of the gold-flag-fringe-inspector variety. We're going to be seeing rants about how it makes Obama's presidency illegitimate for years.
Great speech, and Ambinder has a terrific annotated version up right now. Poem was meh; I muted Lowery due to a phone call and am now regretting it.
This is the part that made me lose it:
"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."
Scott
Care to elaborate on his "digs at the left". I must have missed those.
I gotta go with T-NC and say the speech didn't do a lot for me. Other moments certainly did, mostly driven by the crowd, especially the moment immediately after the oath of office.
As to the delivery of the oath itself, this is what happens when you don't rehearse. It's a classic example of something being so easy you don't need to go over it. I can practically guarantee that the President-Elect and Chief Justice rehearsal moment will be a part of future transitions.
Am I the only one that notices President Bush gives black handshakes? He hit Obama with one at Exec 1 and he gave one to the Iraq PM during the shoe incident...crazy!
k1
ryanculver.blogspot.com
sg,
You beat me to my own correction. I was going to repost saying that I retract the term "dig". I don't necessarily consider anything he said to be a "dig" at either side and, in that context, would now disagree with your comment about those sitting around him.
Throwing "digs" about in the course of a speech like that are exactly the types of things I believe he's saying we need to get past. The "gotcha" media moments that pundits and lay-politicians will salivate over ad infinitum.
Not a dig, a calling to task. Frankly, I don't disagree with anything he had to say and look forward to what could be the most pragmatic administration in my adult life.
I would dearly love to believe that he will brook no bullshit from either side of the Boomer-entrenched Congress and rule from the sentiments of that speech.
1. I am so glad that President Obama included non-believers in his speech. I have felt so marginalized for so long, it is nice to at least be acknowledged.
2. Overall, I thought the speech was good. I think it showed a clean break from the past eight years, but it also showed the President Obama understands that the road ahead will be very difficult.
Watching C-SPAN footage of the luncheon. Emanuel is sitting next to Cindy McCain. Funny.
Bush is going back to Texas!!!! Amen!
"What I know is that in this country, one with a legacy of racial hatred, mistrust, and anymosity. Only divine intervention could explain how a Black man could be elected to the highest office in the Executive Branch of the government."
Maybe your god should have divinely intervened and stopped all the racial hatred, mistrust, and anymosity a long time ago.
"Just as I had to accept God's sovereignty over the election of W., I acknowledge His sovereignty over this."
Goodness, gracious, that is dumb.
Scott
I put a blog post up about what you are talking about. Obama has been doing this or sometime now and very masterfully. He will totally deride and denounce neo conservative/regular conservative principles without calling it for what it is. Then he will move the goal posts and call for an end to the partisan attacks. Where the conservatives and neo cons always slip up is they love using labels. So whenever they speak out they are using terms like liberal or socialist which people can easily identify as attacks. Notice how Obama never uses the term conserservative in a negative way even after he has just finished wiping his ass with a conservative principle ie deregulation of the markets.
Its a beautiful thing, truly.
I am so glad that President Obama included non-believers in his speech. I have felt so marginalized for so long, it is nice to at least be acknowledged.
I was happy about that too, but then there was all that stuff about hard work and sacrifice, and I felt marginalized again.
Excellent observation, SG Hometeam.
Missed part of Lowry's prayer, anyone have it posted yet?
"10:57 Kenyatta has announced that she will buy--and fly--an American flag today."
Is she, like Michelle Obama, proud of her country for the first time?
Rofe:
you say:
But let's not forget that America, for better and for worse, will be no different as a country tomorrow just because of who's inaugurated today. As I predict the President will acknowledge, it's up to the rest of us to pull our weight in making changes and getting things done.
unquote
I feel different already- so much more ready, and eager, to take up that challenge, and I know I'm not the only one. It may not show in statistics, but the national mood is vastly important, and Obama has more personal ability to move people and change that mood than any politician I've ever seen. He is really good at changing the tone. That's a presidential power that doesn't come written in the constitution- it can only be used by someone who has the skill.
The only parts I heard live were Rick Warren's invocation and Aretha Franklin. It was an interesting study of contrasts.
One of them talks fancy about the importance of souls, but the other sounds actually to be in the possession of one.
*Happy Days are here again
The skies above are clear again*
They just showed Clarence Thomas...why does he look angry and confused?
Are you seriously asking this?
The speech looks pretty good on paper; a serious repudiation to the Bush years, while not being just about that. Very shovels-in-the-ground.
Warren was better than I expected until the very end (dude, if Jesus can hang with Samaritans, you can do an ecumenical prayer), but not remotely in Lowery's league (see above parenthetical).
Loved Aretha. Loved the quartet.
I enjoyed the poem. I really hadn't expected to do more than tolerate it, but I enjoyed it. And I bet it reads better than it sounds.
Obama's speech was very good.
Lowery -- from James Weldon Johnson to Amos to Big Bill Broonzy. We are not worthy! Best part of the day.
Not to take anything away from Obama, but I've been dying to write something for eight years now: FORMER PRESIDENT BUSH!
And yes, I think this one is worth shouting out.
I just have to type it one more time: Former President Bush!!!!
I bet the purple scarves by the Bush seniors is supposed to be a neutral color blending of red and blue = purple thing.
@AMT and @KevDog
The speech didn't do "much" for me either, and I think it's because the novelty has worn off a little after having watched virtually every speech he has given, and witnessed him speak three times in person.
I will say this, I still think his best speech was the Iowa Caucus victory. That one still makes me lose it.
I loved Michelle's dress, it was a successful critique of the first lady garb. Both the girls were so cute. Malia clearly understands her role and responsibility as big sister to Sasha.
And here's to you Mrs. Robinson, you are the quiet watchful eyes of the Obama family.
The poem actually made me tear up, I liked it. And Lowry was great--but I think why he was so great was because he synsthesized everything that was said before him (by Obama, Alexander, Warren, Aretha etc.) AS WELL AS what everyone was thinking but not saying.
My favorite part of watching an official ceremony is watching the
important people arrive, and seeing some of the hidden dynamics before someone's camera face is on. Did anyone see the soooo-down diss President Carter gave to President Clinton? Clinton was standing next to H.W. Bush; Carter came by, kissed Mrs. Bush, greeted H.W., and then turned and walked away from Clinton with nary a glance.
Other thoughts:
• Obama's must have received inspiration from Lincoln in its brevity. It was a lot like his other speeches: that's not a bad thing, just not anything different.
• Loved, loved Rev. Lowery's benediction. Charming, direct, and funny. I think the Reverend got the biggest cheers of the day.
• Elizabeth Alexander's poem was surprisingly underwhelming; I guess more was expected from a talent like hers. I know she's not a reader, but just seeing the words on the CC highlighted the pallid nature of the power.
Best part though? Was seeing the jubilation and amazement on the faces of the crowd. I loved that so many were moved to brave the weather and inconvenience.
bw, I thought the combo of yellow turtleneck sweater and purple scarf meant that Bush Senior is an LSU fan!
Rev. Lowery: "We ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in 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."
word
Rev. Lowery was fantastic.
Did anyone else think the way Warren said the kids' names was oddly inflected? Everyone where I was watching laughed when he punctuated "Sasha" so emphatically.
On Cheney being in the Wheelchair; it has been a lot of hard work being so evil over tha past eight years. He's tired.
Posted by Cynic-
::Groan:: Roberts bungled the oath. Ten points to the first hate-mongering conspiracy theorist to speculate that this means Obama is not actually president.
10 points to Fox News!
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/?last_story=/politics/war_room/2009/01/20/obama_oath/
Watched up through the swearing in, then listened to the speech while driving to the doctor. Unfortunately missed Alexander and Lowery (I could see them but not hear them on the set the receptionist had brought in) but I'll look them up later.
Hertzberg dissed the speech for lacking poetry; two Republican congressmen praised the speech highly for being something they could completely agree with. I think they got it and Hertzberg didn't....probably a good split if there had to be one. I still most highly prize Obama as a pragmatist who looks for ways to get things done, even if that means working with someone on issue A when you disagree with them on issues B-H.
I was reminded of Obama's speech on race, which deliberately avoided any phrasing that could be pulled out as "here's the important bit." If you want to know what was said, you'll need to read or listen to the whole speech, not the memorable seven second soundbite.
Tyler, we all waved and cheered when Bush's helicopter took off to remove him from DC.
Warren was pretty bad generally. The weird inflections were like cherries on a sundae.
I was disappointed by Hertzberg's take on the speech, which I thought was fantastic. It was eloquent without straying into the purple, and was both hopeful and realistic. I totally agreed with the two conservatives they had on NPR, both of whom seemed to be more level-headed than I would have necessarily guessed.
And Obama didn't need to be poetic. He got a poet to do that for him. (And I loved her poem.)
WORD.. LOL
not that i wish him ill health - i wish him to be tried in an American court for treasonous crimes. not like that's gonna happen, but it's what would be just.
Anyway -- if we mean and we live what was said today, then we will be God-blessed, or for those non-believers whose mention by the President made me glad, we will be redeemed. We'll be better than ever. I'm apprehensive but cautiously optimistic about the future, not least because so many of us seem newly invested in it and humble like we haven't been in the past. Onward!
And thank goodness this politics saturation might finally die down after two interminable years of "Campaign '08". Politics is important but it's also bunk, let's keep it real and stay vigilant. Best luck to you, President Obama. President Obama. :)
Best moment: As the helicopter took Dumbya away, I heard lots of voices in the crowd singing the "hey, hey, goodbye" song. Never has that song sounded so good to me.
As for Cheney in the wheelchair, I'm guessing the back muscle story is untrue. I think he's just feeling a tiny taste of the VICIOUS ASSKICKING history will give him and his moronic, criminal boss.
What a great day!
@sg
"Where the conservatives and neo cons always slip up is they love using labels."
...and you love to make statements like that. This goes right back to the "the way we do things in this country" somehow not implying things aren't the same everywhere else.
Your statement above implies that either that liberals don't use labels, or that they do use labels, but don't slip up when doing so.
Let's just remember where political-correctness, that ideological mecca of those in love with labels, came from. And that was/is definitely a "slip up" in the annals of language.
Did I say "slip up?" Sorry. I meant Friction-challenged-vertically-directed.
Happy Inauguration Day.
MoeLarryAndJesus,
oh man i missed that... (nana naa na, nana naa na, hey, hey, hey, Goodbye!) i gotta catch it on youtube or something. also missed the motorcade and all. we watched most of it at work but on a choppy web-stream, not tv.
Just want you to know that as soon as he was sworn in, I ran out to my car and stood on the horn bar, honking that thing like crazy, screaming Waaaahoooooo! over and over again.
Goodbye W, good riddance. Welcome President Obama!
If George Will wants to call Obama's invocation of hard work "conservative", so what? It's a good thing and a good idea, and if people like Will need to save face by calling it theirs, that's not going to detract from the idea or the virtue of doing it. Not letting people save face is a major source of stupid partisanship. Let us on the left be gracious winners. Let's all get on the boat- you say it's your boat, I say it's my boat, so what. It's more important that we're going in good directions.
There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said so I'll just go with, "Yay America! You did good!"
Also, I don't buy the box-moving story either.
someone help a white sister out ... Rev. Lowery's last bit (black, brown, red, etc) seemed so familiar but I can't place its context. James Brown? What?
I link to this remarkable illustration solely for its comedic value, not for the accompanying commentary. Conversate amongst yourselves.
Had the TV on since 330 P.S.T. and watched every second.
Clinton is pissed off because some noodle-brain in Texas won't vote aye on her confirmation and had it postponed until tomorrow.
Thinking about so many who are lost and should have been here to see this.
The Obama Family is the best looking First Family since JFK's.
Sorry, but I could think of a dozen other poets who do way more for me. It had a prime line about love but didn't move me; nor did her reading.
I think an inauguration speech is shorter than most. We are used to his stump speeches and theme speeches on race or war. I looked at JFK's speech and it was rough1y 1 1/2 pages. Barack accomplished his goal of laying out the challenges we face as a nation, painting a picture of the horizon before us.
Rev. Lowery is amazing, and I have a DVD of his officiating at Coretta King's funeral which I have shared with students in a public speaking class.
Wish I could have been there. I'm happy for all of you who are.
It's a Beautiful Day.
sv writes: "oh man i missed that... (nana naa na, nana naa na, hey, hey, hey, Goodbye!) i gotta catch it on youtube or something."
If it helps it was MSNBC that I was watching.
Bad news about Ted Kennedy going into convulsions at the luncheon. He looked happy at the inaugural ceremony and I hope he's okay.
farmgirl,
Part of it is from a song (30s or 40s) song by Big Bill Broonzy --
If you're white, it's all right
If you're brown, stick around
But if you're black, oh brother
Get back get back get back
But it's likely older than that.
"A John Williams piece, but borrowing heavily from Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man. Need to give props."
Someone probably already caught this, but Williams arranged a version of "Simple Gifts", the Shaker hymn that Copland "borrowed heavily from" when he composed "Fanfare for the Common Man".
(Need to give props, etc. etc.)
Scott
When you unbunch your tighty whities you will notice I was referring to President Obama not other liberals or progressives. Hell does what Jane Hamsher says really matter on the level of what President Obama says? And if you disagree with my assessment then provide a quote where Obama used the word "conservative" or even "neo con" which EVERYBODY uses in a derrogatory fashion.
I assure you there isn't a Republican in Congress that self identifies as a conservative that I can't pull out a quote of them derisively usuing the term "liberal". Hell I could youtube most of them from just about 3 or 4 months back. Now if you are touchy about me labeling conservatives then tell the rest of them to stop throwing the word liberal around like it is an alternate name for syphilis.
Again I hope they continue on just like they have been though. Makes it easier for Obama to push through his agenda.
That hey hey goodbye chant was petty and inappropriate I think. Regardless of what you think about Bush it disrespects not only him but the occasion and the office of the presidency.
As for Cheney, I think he wanted to appear weak and fragile so that no one would want to prosecute him. Like when aging mobsters show up in court in wheelchairs with IV's stuck in their arms.
I was eagerly anticipating Rev. Lowery's benediction. Loved most of it (choked up a bit around the time he referenced the Obama children).
But I've got to say I was really, really disappointed with the closing:
"We ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in 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."
I was smiling and nodding right up until the implication that white folks have yet to embrace what's right. On a day where we as a nation are celebrating the election of our (that's our, ALL OF OUR) first AA president, for whom a great many whites voted and volunteered, I thought it was pretty weak to throw that line out there.
Now class...i want you to pay attention now! Say it! Say it out loud...come on now...i now u want to!
President...wait for it, wait for it....
President Barack Obama!!
Thanks, AFT! I saw the Big Bill Broonzy ref upthread and thought it a likely source but did not find anything specific in his Wiki page.
"And Obama didn't need to be poetic. He got a poet to do that for him."
Except she epically failed at being poetic and chose to deliver her own crappy inaugural speech instead. Whether you're a cotton farmer or a lettuce farmer... a teacher or a coal miner... whether you play a cello or use a boom box... we salute you... and then she rambled prosaically about love and that was it. If we hadn't been told beforehand that it was a poem, I would've thought I was listening to a Clinton State of the Union.
@sg
Tighty-whities unbunched, I can assure you. I'm commando today.
Just to be accurate, I wasn't calling issue on your assessment of anything. I was pointing out that you seemed to only point the finger one direction. I thought I spelled that out clearly.
Not to be pedantic, but "Simple Gifts" was the inspiration for Copland's "Appalachian Spring," not "Fanfare for the Common Man."
That's one UGLY limo.
Word to what Dan said re: Copland, and I should also note that Copland composed the piece for Martha Graham, and that its original title was "Ballet for Martha." She renamed it.
laborlibert,
perhaps you are right about disrespecting the occasion. i can see how that disrespects the office itself. i'm not sure if i would have been swept up in that or not, if i had been there. i dont know how big it was.
personally though, i feel so deeply betrayed by GW Bush - by what i strongly believe are his numerous and very serious crimes against the innocent and the Constitution stemming (among other things) from his own failure, however well-meaning it may have been, to give to the office the respect it must be given - that i would have a hard time showing him the respect i'd normally show any other former president. but that doesn't mean that doing the chant in that context is appropriate (not that it's ever NOT disrespectful), especially since we're supposedly trying to pull together, respectfully disagree, mend our differences, etc etc. It does sort of express how so many of us loyal citizens feel, however.
whatever. not the biggest deal, i talk too much. i'm hoping for all this politics stuff to die down, and i'm eager to set stuff like that aside (the petty slights, not the deserved lawful prosecution for serious crimes no matter how influential the offender) to work towards real useful compromises with people i disagree with politically. heck i strongly support Obama despite not being a Dem.
Scott
What you spelled out was unequivically WRONG. If you can show me where I said liberals never use the word conservative derisively I would love to see it. Hell for that matter while that wasn't my point originally, the truth is you will never see anybody use the word "conservative" as derisively as the word "liberal" is used even by some Democrats. But really all of that is besides the point because quite obviously I wasn't comparing conservatives to liberals. I was comparing conservatives to President Obama. Now just to as a refersher...
Now can anybody objectively read that and think I am talking about any liberal other than President Obama?
Again if I am wrong provide an example where he used the word conservative or neo con in a derogatory fashion. Otherwise either let it be or just acknowledge that he is playing the game better and smarter than his conservative counterparts. I mean you DID start this argument.
also - you know what was really annoying?
we were watching the BBC web feed and the commentators kept on repeating the trope of how "Dr. King's dream has been achieved on this day"
I seem to recall Dr. King's dream involving economic justice (opportunity) for all and legal equality of all the races in America as well as equality within Americans' hearts - this is a step towards it, all different races voting for a half black half white man who's called black in America, but it's not like 'oh snap, racism's finished and we're all equal now that we have a black president!" i mean that's just ignorant. TNC you've touched on this in recent weeks.
anyway also not a big deal, i realize that commentators have got to fill dead air AND that there is a genuinely enormous historical, and even spiritual, and positive, significance to this day. but he's not just 'first black pres' or first non-white-man pres. anyway i'm so glad to see it come to fruition so that we can stop thinking of it as impossible and as anecdotal evidence of our meritocracy.
i want to start fresh now and see the executive branch start fresh too, i'm gonna make an effort to restrain tendencies of preconceived bias in either a positive or negative direction.
phew.
I'd say were pretty much done with this one, sg. Much love for you, but we're apparently missing one anothers' points completely. You missed it the last time too.
Kick back and enjoy the day and don't fret on this any longer.
sgwhite ruins a lot of threads.
Congratulations to Kenyatta on the flag: it should have been hers forever. Myself, I've just smiled for the first time ever at the sound of "Hail to the Chief."
A great, historic day. Warts and all.
The Quartet--today's America--on the John Williams sendup of Copeland was pitch perfect. Aretha improvising after a solemn Warren just right, and Lowery rescued Alexander, who seemed to be stuck between poetic and everyday usage. She overlooked Whitman, whose cadences and catalogs would have given her poetry an appropriately heroic perspective, and sense of history; she overlooked Langston Hughes. Yet Rev. Lowery's simple rhymes had both the common touch and the sense of Americana that Ms. Alexander, bless her, seemed to strain for.
And for these occasions, I just love Joe Biden. Whatever else one can say about him, his ability to have a good time is infectious.
We all love the Obamas; we want the kids to succeed; right now, they seem to carry our hopefulness, the weight and light of it, with aplomb.
George Bush is no longer the President of the United States. Barack Obama is President of the United States. Pinch me.
CitizenE
lol, so true. It's hard to dislike a guy like biden because of that trait. His manerisms aren't as effective in times of distress, but for this occasion...it's like he was born for this.
My mood today is reflected in the music I am listening to on Pandora. It is usually "industrial" - Nine Inch Nails, mind.in.a.box, Suicide Kommandos, Neurotic Fish, etc. Today I opted for reggae - not because of the African heritage of the performers, but for the happiness often conveyed in the music ("Three Little Birds"). Yes, I know, it is not all upbeat in content, but the rhythms lighten my mood, while the industrial music often helps dissipate tension for me. (I like Rage Against the Machine precisely because they do the raging for me!)
Well, I may be totally alone in all of this, but I actually enjoyed Alexander's poem.
http://bleakonomy.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-which-i-reveal-my-pedestrian.html
Man, I'm real late to the party on this one ... but at one point Cheney was in his wheelchair and had only put one glove on, and all I could think about was Dr. Strangelove...
The God I serve could have stopped all those things. But then He'd have to deprive you and me of our free will to choose between good and evil. God doesn't hold a gun to our heads and say that we should obey Him. He wants a relationship with us, so He leaves open the possiblity that we can reject Him if we choose. He did not create us to be automatons, He created us so that He would be glorified through a loving relationship with His creation. But the relationship is voluntary.
If we choose to have a relationship with Him, He provided us a vehicle to attain righteousness, that is the work of Christ on the cross. But such a relationship with the Father is entered into voluntarily, by faith in His Son.
I realize this sounds dumb to you but it is because you do not believe. But the word of God says "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1Cor 1:18) also, "The wisdom of the word is foolishness in God's sight (1 Cor 3:18)
Actually, I have to thank you for validating my belief in God to the point where you had no other fitting retort than to insult me. I'll be praying for you. Let's hope that the new President will be able to accomplish great things for our country and our people.
Just think now you have two bits of good news, God loves you enough that He wants to have a relationship with you, and Barack Obama is now President. Have a good day.
Fuck your prayers, asshole. Fuck your god, too.
"But then He'd have to deprive you and me of our free will to choose between good and evil."
Fuck your fucked logic. He wants us to have free will, yet you think he divinely intervened to give us BHO. I voted for the guy, but I want my free will back!!!
Pathetic.
Dr. Strangelove?
I didn't see it. All I saw was Hannibal Lecter wearing a leather mask and strapped down to a dolly being wheeled to the edge of an arena filled with hybrid pigs carefully conditioned to engorge themselves upon hearing Hail to the Chief.
Am I alone in this?