Inauguration
Jan. 20th, 2009 12:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lumineaux11:45 a.m. I do believe that all productivity in this country has now ground to a halt for the next half hour, at least.
11:51 a.m. Rick Warren is surprisingly compassionate and inoffensive, given everything I've heard about him. Undoubtedly Christian, but at least he makes a stab at some sort of universal appeal.
11:53 a.m. Oh, Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. I love you to death, but that hat is FUGly.
I wonder if yellow is going to be Michelle Obama's signature color, the way red was Nancy Reagan's. She looks darn good in it.
11:57 a.m. Justice Stevens to administer the oath of office, one of the last of the hard core liberals.
Biden's middle name is Robinette?
11:58 a.m. Biden looks like he wants to dance with glee. I can't really blame him.
I didn't know that "Hail Columbia" was the official Vice Presidential theme song. Now I do.
11:59 a.m. Another musical interlude. Because the country is not yet blue from holdings its breath.
12:04 p.m. Chief Justice is administering the oath of office to Obama, because that's what he does. According to ABC News, Obama became President as of noon, even without having taken the oath of office. Did Obama just correct Roberts' grammar? Oh I hope so.
[ABC News subsequently confirms that Roberts flubbed the words of the oath and that Obama corrected him]
12:05 p.m. It's done. The long national triumph of style and stupidity over substance is finally over. May every higher power there is help this man get things done.
12:12 p.m. Obama's speech-writers are phenomenal. And his delivery is pretty darn good too. He's speaking the language of sacrifice, which the country has been waiting to hear: "Starting today we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."
12:20 p.m. ". . . we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your first . . ."
There are so many good lines I can't transcribe them quickly enough. Pieces of this speech are going to be in Bartlett's in years to come. It's such a pleasure to have someone who can make the language sing speaking to us again. I never understood the appeal of the "regular guy" as President. I want a President who is probably smarter than I am (hey, he made law review and I didn't, so he's presumptively smarter than I am). We need smart so badly now.
12:25 p.m. I think President Obama just knocked that out of the park. I am content. And now I will go back to work.
I should add that I'm working from home today, and that the contractors came up and watched the inauguration ceremony with me.
The unofficial estimate of people on the Mall alone is 1.4 million. That's not counting people along the parade route and those who counted fit onto the Mall.
12:50 p.m. I can't resist one more comment. The Obamas and Bidens are walking the Bushes and Cheneys out to their helicopter for their departure. Why do I get the sense that Obama wants to make damn sure they're really gone?
11:51 a.m. Rick Warren is surprisingly compassionate and inoffensive, given everything I've heard about him. Undoubtedly Christian, but at least he makes a stab at some sort of universal appeal.
11:53 a.m. Oh, Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. I love you to death, but that hat is FUGly.
I wonder if yellow is going to be Michelle Obama's signature color, the way red was Nancy Reagan's. She looks darn good in it.
11:57 a.m. Justice Stevens to administer the oath of office, one of the last of the hard core liberals.
Biden's middle name is Robinette?
11:58 a.m. Biden looks like he wants to dance with glee. I can't really blame him.
I didn't know that "Hail Columbia" was the official Vice Presidential theme song. Now I do.
11:59 a.m. Another musical interlude. Because the country is not yet blue from holdings its breath.
12:04 p.m. Chief Justice is administering the oath of office to Obama, because that's what he does. According to ABC News, Obama became President as of noon, even without having taken the oath of office. Did Obama just correct Roberts' grammar? Oh I hope so.
[ABC News subsequently confirms that Roberts flubbed the words of the oath and that Obama corrected him]
12:05 p.m. It's done. The long national triumph of style and stupidity over substance is finally over. May every higher power there is help this man get things done.
12:12 p.m. Obama's speech-writers are phenomenal. And his delivery is pretty darn good too. He's speaking the language of sacrifice, which the country has been waiting to hear: "Starting today we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."
12:20 p.m. ". . . we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your first . . ."
There are so many good lines I can't transcribe them quickly enough. Pieces of this speech are going to be in Bartlett's in years to come. It's such a pleasure to have someone who can make the language sing speaking to us again. I never understood the appeal of the "regular guy" as President. I want a President who is probably smarter than I am (hey, he made law review and I didn't, so he's presumptively smarter than I am). We need smart so badly now.
12:25 p.m. I think President Obama just knocked that out of the park. I am content. And now I will go back to work.
I should add that I'm working from home today, and that the contractors came up and watched the inauguration ceremony with me.
The unofficial estimate of people on the Mall alone is 1.4 million. That's not counting people along the parade route and those who counted fit onto the Mall.
12:50 p.m. I can't resist one more comment. The Obamas and Bidens are walking the Bushes and Cheneys out to their helicopter for their departure. Why do I get the sense that Obama wants to make damn sure they're really gone?
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no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 05:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 08:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 05:50 pm (UTC)They are. That speech had me wondering what it would've been like as a career.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 06:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 08:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 06:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 06:29 pm (UTC)I got away just to watch his speech. Missed everything else. Waiting for proofs with a deadline in a couple hours.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 06:46 pm (UTC)i have to say that next to the Obama taking the Oath, or standing at the Podium as the 44th President...
the sight of that Helicopter flying _away_ from Washington DC was possibly the best moment of the day ;)
no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 07:01 pm (UTC)I did it. As Citizen Bush, at the top of the helicopter stairs, turned and waved, I gave him a little wave back, like this...
Watched the proceedings up until the seating at lunch. When they actually played "Hail to the Chief" as President Obama entered, I had to clap out loud. If that man does nothing but give speeches for the next four years, the country will still be better off. The man (and writers) are speech artists.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 07:50 pm (UTC)The Obama's have been working so hard to be gracious, wherever possible.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-21 02:17 am (UTC)