Inauguration Day 2021: Obama's 12-Hour Countdown in Washington D.C.

[Gokul43201]

I'm starting to get a bit concerned. Forgive me for being blunt, but the man hasn't done anything. How could one be excited already?

There's very little to go by so far, but even that little bit looks promising, and refreshing.

President-elect Barack Obama is set to visit a gathering of House Republicans. The incoming White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is in running cellphone contact with his former Congressional adversaries. Some Republicans say they hear more from the Obama team than they ever did from the Bush administration.
...
“The Obama transition team has reached out to Republicans and they got their fingers burnt by Democrats,” said Representative Adam H. Putnam of Florida, a former member of the Republican leadership. He said the continuing conversation is “not only a test to see if Republicans will genuinely engage in collaboration with the Obama administration, but it is also a test to see if Democratic leadership will tolerate collaboration.”
...
“I think they have been pretty impressive,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. “They are saying all the right things, and I think they did themselves some good in the briefing.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20repubs.html

So far, at least, Obama and his team have been showing a concerted effort to reach across a severe partisan divide. Obama himself has been seeking advice from election adversary, John McCain, in addition to honoring his service in an event this weekend.

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - On the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Barack Obama chose to spend time honoring Americans whose public service has been dedicated to "bipartisan achievement." One of these was his formerly bitter rival, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).

In the first of three private "bipartisan" dinners, Obama heaped praise on McCain, calling the two-time presidential contender "an American hero I have come to know very well and admire very much."

"On this night, we are glad that the days of rebuttals and campaigning are for now behind us," he said. "There is no doubt that throughout the summer and the fall, John and I were fierce competitors who engaged in a vigorous and sometimes heated debate over the issues of the day. And in a great democracy, this debate is both healthy and necessary."

"But what is even healthier and more necessary is the recognition that after the season of campaigning has ended, each of us in public life has a responsibility to usher in a new season of cooperation built on those things we hold in common. Not as Democrats. Not as Republicans. But as Americans," the President-elect added.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013770747

So far, that looks like a positive start, wouldn't you say?

You may, if you wish, compare that with the first meeting that (then) President-elect Bush had with (then) Senate minority leader, Tom Daschle:

As president-elect, Bush did pay a visit to Daschle’s office in December. At the meeting, Daschle said, Bush told him: “There’s only one thing that I ask you. I hope you never lie to me.” Daschle replied that he had two requests of his own. “I hope you never lie to me, and I hope we each can respect each other’s views.”

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/apr/23/news/mn-54485

 

[humanino]

A Frenchman who asks for Belgium chocolates?! Isn't there a French law against that?

I reckon that there is no place like Belgium for chocolate, beer, and political mess.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

You and millions of others. You'll be welcomed by millions more, once and future countrymen. But don't forget, Obama only gets eight years as President at most. You won't be marrying him, you'll be marrying us. We choose all kinds of Presidents and they may not all be to your taste. Will you still love us if they aren't?

I would say that you are marrying the Constitution. That is why men and woman pledge to die for this country if needed. But don't worry Humanino. As long as you don't join the Army you'll be fine. You don't plan to join the Army, do you?

I reckon?

 

[humanino]

I reckon?

Oh that was funny
I'm not sure I should display my opinion on that.

 

[turbo]

I reckon?

Too many John Wayne movies, I reckon...

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

By now, I have realized that French can choose way worse presidents than Americans !

I think that's a great endorsement for the American people, but I don't know how French Americans feel about it.

 

[BobG]

To me, this is an historical day for this reason ! I consider giving up my citizenship to become american (really).No, I have not the slightest clue, and only by reading here to I begin to realize. But I truly hope he is not just the first black president. I hope he is the last one. I hope from now one, the candidate will not be blue or green, man or woman, tall or short, fat or skinny, chess or go players, cheese or ice cream lovers... I hope people will think about candidates in terms of ideas and projects only.

It's impossible to ignore the historical significance of race in this inauguration, but, yes, I'll be glad when we move on to the actual governing part of Obama being President.

Do you think a black man was more/less likely than a white woman? Could Hillary have won it?

I would say a woman President was more likely based on the fact that there are more women in elected offices than blacks. I guess Clinton could be considered the most likely woman candidate, since her husband was a former President - the first three women governors in the US succeeded their husbands into office. I don't think that would have been a great precedent to follow.

 

[misgfool]

The stock markets aren't reacting in a too cheerful way.

Dow Jones Industrial Average
7,985.97 -295.25 / -3.57%

Nasdaq Composite Index
1,455.52 -73.81 / -4.83%

 

[hypatia]

It was the first inauguration sense Nixon, that I truly enjoyed watching. Everything {ahumm except the poem} was just as it should be. I hope he has a great 4 years.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Whewww! Thank God they got back in the car!

I was thinking that I was worrying too much when David Gergen let out a huge sigh of relief. Apparently Jessie Jackson did as well.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

The stock markets aren't reacting in a too cheerful way.

Dow Jones Industrial Average
7,985.97 -295.25 / -3.57%

Nasdaq Composite Index
1,455.52 -73.81 / -4.83%

I can remember when Bush was President, the market would be up somedays, down others, but I can't remember the market ever being up during the Obama administration.

 

[Astronuc]

The stock markets aren't reacting in a too cheerful way.

Dow Jones Industrial Average
7,985.97 -295.25 / -3.57%

Nasdaq Composite Index
1,455.52 -73.81 / -4.83%

Dow Finished - 4:04PM ET: 7,949.09 332.13 (4.01%)

Apparently the markets are very nervous about more bank failures, or excessive losses.

 

[Gokul43201]

The stock markets aren't reacting in a too cheerful way.

Dow Jones Industrial Average
7,985.97 -295.25 / -3.57%

Nasdaq Composite Index
1,455.52 -73.81 / -4.83%

Nonsense! The markets are reacting to the Obama inauguration about as much as the weather in Honolulu is!

Dow plummets 332 on bank worries

As the nation's 44th president took office from George W. Bush and walked up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House on a cold, sunny afternoon, deepening fears about financial companies battered stocks to two-month lows.
...
Financial stocks were by far the biggest losers today after money management firm State Street (STT, news, msgs) disclosed large unrealized losses and Wells Fargo (WFC, news, msgs) was hit by an analyst downgrade.

State Street was down 57.3% to $15.53. Wells Fargo was down 23% to $14.37 after Friedman, Billings, Ramsey's Paul Miller said the company needs to boost capital. It also may have to cut its dividend.

Bank of America (BAC, news, msgs) fell 29% to $5.10, the worst performer among the 30 Dow stocks, after one analyst predicted it would need to raise $80 billion in new capital.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market-dispatches-012009.aspx

 

[Gokul43201]

I can remember when Bush was President, the market would be up somedays, down others, but I can't remember the market ever being up during the Obama administration.

It was! You just weren't paying enough attention.

At 11:55 am, the Dow was at 8122.64, at 12:00 noon, it was at 8144.95, at 12:10 pm it was at 8155.14.

Obama became President at noon.

 

[edward]

The markets being down are Wall streets way of begging for more bail out money.

The last time the Dow was in the 7's was just before the first bail out installment was rushed through.

 

[drizzle]

Good luck Americans, I wish you the best and hope Obama will raise your country to the lead again

 

[signerror]

I believe she could have, but the country would not be as united as it is now. The feeling of unity is really amazing...all but the most stubborn right wingers are excited about this day.

Some hard lefties are unhappy as well. If both extremes are unhappy, we are on the right track.

This is ridiculous. I'm a centrist classical liberal, and I'm NOT excited at all! I think this is a ridiculous personality cult surrounding a highly unremarkable lawyer-turned-politician. I think is baffling how far the hype has gone over a load of empty, meaningless stagecraft and rhetoric. I can hardly wait for the bubble to pop, for the press to return to the cynical disillusionment of politics-as-usual.

Seriously, where do you get this poppycock about "excitement" and "optimism"? The choreographed parades? The paid PR hacks on the telly?

 

[signerror]

Do you think a black man was more/less likely than a white woman? Could Hillary have won it?

Well, looking up dates on wikipedia, the 15th amendment allowed black men to vote in 1870, whereas women did not get the vote until the 19th in 1920. So at this rate of progress, the US will have their first woman president sometime around... 2060.

 

[LowlyPion]

So at this rate of progress, the US will have their first woman president sometime around... 2060.

Hilary won't wait that long.

 

[signerror]

I'm starting to get a bit concerned. Forgive me for being blunt, but the man hasn't done anything. How could one be excited already?

Good question: how could one be excited?

It's not really fair to point out he hasn't done anything, because he didn't even finish a single term in Congress. Of course that's a WTF of its own...

 

[turbo]

Hilary won't wait that long.

She can't. Of course Chelsea can hang out for a while...

 

[humanino]

Well, looking up dates on wikipedia, the 15th amendment allowed black men to vote in 1870, whereas women did not get the vote until the 19th in 1920. So at this rate of progress, the US will have their first woman president sometime around... 2060.

We will have elected a super computer long time before that

 

[lisab]

We will have elected a super computer long time before that

President Turing!

 

[humanino]

President Turing!

Oh ! You just made me think of von Neumann president !

 

[jgens]

Well, looking up dates on wikipedia, the 15th amendment allowed black men to vote in 1870, whereas women did not get the vote until the 19th in 1920. So at this rate of progress, the US will have their first woman president sometime around... 2060.

Granted, treatment of African-Americans along with many of their newly enjoyed rights declined around 1877 after the end of Reconstruction while women's rights continued to improve. :)

 

[lisab]

I'm heading on the redline metro in a few hours (2 am here, 4 am metro opens)

I'm happy you could go...can't wait to hear how it was!

One thing's for sure: it had to have been a long day. Being in the cold for so long sucks the life out of you.

 

[Redbelly98]

I noticed, as part of the swearing-in process, Obama had to promise he would preserve and defend the constitution.

Is this something new they added this time around? One can only wonder how different things would be today, if only Bush had to make a promise like that at his innaugaration.

 

[BobG]

I noticed, as part of the swearing-in process, Obama had to promise he would preserve and defend the constitution.

Is this something new they added this time around? One can only wonder how different things would be today, if only Bush had to make a promise like that at his innaugaration.

He did. Just about all federal employees have to make the same promise whether military or elected official.

And, no, it's not new.

Or were you being sarcastic?

 

[mgb_phys]

Obama had to promise he would preserve and defend the constitution.

Bush did preserve and defend it - he hid it safely away somewhere where nobody could get at it.

 

[Hurkyl]

Sheesh, the day is almost over, and we don't even have world peace, rainbows everywhere, or even unicorns prancing in the fields! I'm disillusioned!

 

[mgb_phys]

Sheesh, the day is almost over, and we don't even have world peace, rainbows everywhere, or even unicorns prancing in the fields! I'm disillusioned!

But that's all Hillary's fault!

 

[Redbelly98]

Or were you being sarcastic?

Yes.

 

[rootX]

Looked more like a tradition. Is it bad to be excited, happy, hopeful, or optimistic on this day?
Not that people wanted to see some miracles.

I liked this person's comment:

Die-hard Republican

Tom Sims, 45, mechanical engineer from Pennsylvania

I voted for McCain. I'm a die-hard Republican.

But I came to this with my kids because he's going to be the new president, regardless of my party affiliation.

We have to support him, nothing I can do about it now for four years, and if he does a good job, he will win my vote.

from bbc

 

[Redbelly98]

The text of the inaugural address is here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090120/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_obama_text

Lots of great stuff. Here is one (of many) things that stood out to me:

"We will restore science to its rightful place ..."

 

[mgb_phys]

"We will restore science to its rightful place ..."

Rightful place - from whose point of view ?

 

[Redbelly98]

Rightful place - from whose point of view ?

The godless, constitution-toting elitists who voted for him?

 

[mgb_phys]

The godless, constitution-toting elitists who voted for him?

Oh good - godless, constitution-toting elitists are my favorite sort.

 

[signerror]

On a completely unrelated note - did that young-earth creationist Rick Warren still end up doing the government religion ceremony thing?

 

[mgb_phys]

On a completely unrelated note - did that young-earth creationist Rick Warren still end up doing the government religion ceremony thing?

Yes but the FSM is a benevolent God and so there were no thunderbolts

 

[Tsu]

humanino -

I ATE your Belgian chocolates.

You waited too long to collect them.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Tsu! I've been thinking about you. I had some red velvet cake the other day.

 

[LowlyPion]

I think everyone in America has a cell phone camera.

At every inaugural ball Obama's appeared at, he has faced a sea of cell phone cameras.

 

[GRB 080319B]

This should have been played in a continuous loop throughout the inauguration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcYy7-697ls"

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I absolutely do! But regardless, it's not who he is, it's what he represents in the office that he holds. It reminds me of a quote from a random war film "Salute the rank, solider!"

It is noteworthy that most of us are not soldiers. Again, given the nature of the day's events I do agree that booing was inappropriate. But generally speaking we yanks pride ourselves on the right to boo the President. In fact it gets to the heart of what this country is all about. Not only is this right protected by our First Amendment to the Constitution, but it also by far supercedes the importance of any person who happens to be President.

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Cheese and wine discussion moved here
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=286334

 

[turbo]

I think everyone in America has a cell phone camera.

At every inaugural ball Obama's appeared at, he has faced a sea of cell phone cameras.

I have a pre-paid cell phone for emergencies. No camera, no nothin' else. If it can make calls, that's all I want.

 

[Moridin]

A market anarchist responds with insulin for the candy floss of deadly rhetoric.

 

[Gokul43201]

Good question: how could one be excited?

It's not really fair to point out he hasn't done anything, because he didn't even finish a single term in Congress.

The exact same statement could be made of Lincoln, when he became President.

 

[misgfool]

The exact same statement could be made of Lincoln, when he became President.

Are you saying for certain that Obama's achievements will shadow Lincoln's?

 

[Gokul43201]

Are you saying for certain that Obama's achievements will shadow Lincoln's?

No. I said: "The exact same statement could be made of Lincoln, when he became President."

So if by some measure, Obama has done nothing because he hasn't even finished one term in (US) Congress, then prior to being elected, Lincoln had done nothing either, by that same measure.