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

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The discussion centers around the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as the first Black president of the United States, highlighting the significance of this moment in American history. Participants express a mix of excitement and skepticism about Obama's potential to address pressing issues such as the economic crisis and ongoing wars. Many celebrate the symbolic nature of his presidency, viewing it as a reflection of progress in racial equality and a shift in the political landscape. The conversation touches on the reactions to the inauguration, including mixed feelings about the previous administration, particularly George W. Bush, and the importance of unity moving forward. Some participants express concerns about the hype surrounding Obama, questioning the sustainability of the optimism. Overall, the thread captures a moment of hope and anticipation for change, alongside a recognition of the challenges ahead.
  • #61
misgfool said:
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.
 
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  • #62
misgfool said:
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.
 
  • #63
misgfool said:
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
 
  • #64
jimmysnyder said:
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.
 
  • #65
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.
 
  • #66
Good luck Americans, I wish you the best and hope Obama will raise your country to the lead again :smile:
 
  • #67
lisab said:
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.

Ivan Seeking said:
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?

 
  • #68
mgb_phys said:
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. :rolleyes:
 
  • #69
signerror said:
So at this rate of progress, the US will have their first woman president sometime around... 2060. :rolleyes:

Hilary won't wait that long.
 
  • #70
misgfool said:
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...
 
  • #71
LowlyPion said:
Hilary won't wait that long.
She can't. Of course Chelsea can hang out for a while...
 
  • #72
signerror said:
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. :rolleyes:
We will have elected a super computer long time before that :-p
 
  • #73
humanino said:
We will have elected a super computer long time before that :-p

President Turing!
 
  • #74
lisab said:
President Turing!
Oh ! You just made me think of von Neumann president ! :smile:
 
  • #75
signerror said:
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. :rolleyes:

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. :)
 
  • #76
Cyrus said:
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.
 
  • #77
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? :confused: One can only wonder how different things would be today, if only Bush had to make a promise like that at his innaugaration.
 
  • #78
Redbelly98 said:
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? :confused: 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?
 
  • #79
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.
 
  • #80
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!
 
  • #81
Hurkyl said:
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!
 
  • #82
BobG said:
Or were you being sarcastic?

Yes. :smile:
 
  • #83
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
 
  • #84
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 ..."
 
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  • #85
"We will restore science to its rightful place ..."
Rightful place - from whose point of view ?
 
  • #86
mgb_phys said:
Rightful place - from whose point of view ?

The godless, constitution-toting elitists who voted for him? :biggrin:
 
  • #87
Redbelly98 said:
The godless, constitution-toting elitists who voted for him? :biggrin:

Oh good - godless, constitution-toting elitists are my favorite sort. :biggrin:
 
  • #88
On a completely unrelated note - did that young-earth creationist Rick Warren still end up doing the government religion ceremony thing?
 
  • #89
signerror said:
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
 
  • #90
humanino -

I ATE your Belgian chocolates. :approve:

You waited too long to collect them.
 

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