Obamania, For Real
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Many implied 'Bush, you totally suck and here is why' moments in there.
Perhaps it's different whistles for different dogs, but I heard plenty of not very subtle "time for everyone to chill the fuck out, cut the Red State-Blue State bullshit, and get to work" moments.
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Watching Al Jazeera on Stratos. Interesting panel includes a cynical Robert Fisk from Beirut who is dissecting the Middle East references in the speech. Also Naomi Klein who referred to Roosevelt (lots of people suggesting Obama most like FDR) as telling people that they had good ideas, but they had to make him do them - ie they had to hold him accountable. So she hopes the cheerleaders for Obama will make him do the things he has said he will. She also hopes he will prosecute some political crimes such as illegal wire taping of the Bush admin.
But overwhelming this for me is that in my head I can still hear Leonard Cohen and team's amazing rendition of Democracy (is coming to the USA) last night at about 11 pm as one of many encores in a 3 hour performance here in Wellington.
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Perhaps it's different whistles for different dogs, but I heard plenty of not very subtle "time for everyone to chill the fuck out, cut the Red State-Blue State bullshit, and get to work" moments.
I heard both.
"Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.But know this, America - they will be met. "
is surely a call to service?
But...
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.
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He messed up the oath. Cute.
It appears it was Roberts who got it wrong.
12:37: The Chief Justice in fact screwed up the oath. The Constitution requires:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Roberts left out the word "faithfully." (He also said "President to the United States.") Obama saw the mistake and stopped himself to give Roberts a chance to fix it.
Roberts redid the line, remembering to throw in "faithfully," but putting it in the wrong place — after "President of the United States" — and, this time, Obama went along with the wording. Close enough, I guess he figured. I wonder what Barack Obama was thinking. Maybe: Some textualist you turned out to be!
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Is anyone else here as totally-US-politics-nerdy as me, and setting an alarm to watch it live?
Yes indeed and it was 3.45am in Sydney. I reminded of a famous line by Bob Hawke who, after Australia won the Americas Cup, said any boss who docked pay from staff for being in late after the celebrations was a bum...
Not a terrible speech, but lots of platitudes and cliches, so now I guess we wait. Righto..time to go to sleep.
I liked it both because it was solemn and because it contained clear repudiations of the last eight years. I'm not sure how I feel about America's claim to global moral leadership, but I'm enthused by the idea that President Obama will at least stop America from its amoral decline.
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I'm not sure how I feel about America's claim to global moral leadership, but I'm enthused by the idea that President Obama will at least stop America from its amoral decline.
And I'm sorry for being grinchy here, but it's a shame President Obama chose someone who has compared gays and lesbians to animals -- and flat out lied about it when called out -- to deliver the invocation at his inauguration.
It's all very nice to (ugh) "bring in both sides to the faith discussion in this country"; but I'll put it this way -- why not invite a Mormon priest, despite the sad and ugly history of the "Curse of Cain Legacy"?
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Rick Warren was a sucky choice, no question. I suppose he was meant to be a signal to the wingnuts that Obama is 'your president too'. But... ick. Crap signal to a lot of other people.
Paul wins the dedication to the cause award! 3.45am is horrifying.
Two amusing things:
1. Dick Cheney in a wheelchair. Oh, schadenfreude, how sweet you taste.
2. Aretha Franklin's wacked-out head-bow fascinator thingy. She brings the crazy!
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And Bob, nice bit of snark from Atlhouse, but come on, people -- give Roberts a break! If I'd been in his shoes, I would have been trembling like a leaf in a hurricane and made some time for a power-chunder before leaving home.
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3410,
come on, people -- give Roberts a break!
Get over it. ;)
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1. Dick Cheney in a wheelchair. Oh, schadenfreude, how sweet you taste.
He hurt his back moving boxes to his new place apparently!
And I'm sorry for being grinchy here, but it's a shame President Obama chose someone who has compared gays and lesbians to animals -- and flat out lied about it when called out -- to deliver the invocation at his inauguration.
Yeah, I'm not unsympathetic to that point. Obama's previously made clear his tolerant and sensible views on sexuality, I'd also have preferred a less bigoted religious leader... but how cool was the benediction; groovy!
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2. Aretha Franklin's wacked-out head-bow fascinator thingy. She brings the crazy!
Was I the only one thinking "Melbourne Cup" for a brief shining moment? :)
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Get over it. ;)
Hey, I just think a little performance anxiety in the elderly is quite understandable. At least he didn't vomit on anyone. :)
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He messed up the oath. Cute.
It appears it was Roberts who got it wrong.
Just goes to show I shouldn't assume things. For me, it was obvious who'd stuffed up immediately. But I'm not sure why I assumed everyone else would realise it was Roberts.
But, any picks on the first weblog to assert that Obama isn't the real president because he wasn't sworn in properly, anyone?
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Hey, I just think a little performance anxiety in the elderly is quite understandable.
Roberts is only 54… but he has had two seizures. : )
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(He also mentioned atheists. Baby steps, I suppose.)
The actual term was 'non-believers', which is rather a demeaning term. I don't believe in anything?
Still, I was pleasantly surprised by the coverage on Sunrise--especially Oliver Driver's sharp comments.
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Roberts is only 54… but he has had two seizures. : )
I wouldn't joke about that -- apparently Ted Kennedy just collapsed at the Congressional lunch and Bob Byrd isn't too flashy either. I guess the object lesson is: Avoid the chicken at these things. :)
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Still, I was pleasantly surprised by the coverage on Sunrise--especially Oliver Driver's sharp comments.
Meh... I went for TVNZ 7 and it's 'just the facts' approach, because I'm never in the mood for the fatuous boobery of Messers Driver and Henry.
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But, any picks on the first weblog to assert that Obama isn't the real president because he wasn't sworn in properly, anyone?
Was I the only one who thought it a bit anticlimactic when they announced he had become president even before the oath on account of the fact that it was midday?
He had a rare chance, there, too: to execute the office of the president unfaithfully for a few precious minutes.
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"time for everyone to chill the fuck out, cut the Red State-Blue State bullshit, and get to work"
The presidents new speech writer: Jules from Pulp Fiction.
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I mucked up the time and woke at 2.30am, turned on the TV to BBC coverage (via TV1). Just a bit early for the main event. At some point there was snark for the main BBC reporter when he interviewed British Foreign Secretary David Miliband. They crossed to Miliband just as the reporter began to go into some depth as to how the luncheon utensils were to be replicas of Lincoln's luncheon utensils. "I'm here to rescue you from the cliches" remarked Miliband.
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Hey, he's left handed! And he did the curvy thing with his hand not to smudge!
I'm just like Barack Obama. He is my brother.
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Hey, he's left handed! And he did the curvy thing with his hand not to smudge!
Owmygawd, yet another sinistral! Seriously spooky.
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He had a rare chance, there, too: to execute the office of the president unfaithfully for a few precious minutes.
We entertained some speculation about this too. How could his unfaithful execution manifest itself? But then we realised we'd just had eight whole years of someone doing that, so...
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But then we realised we'd just had eight whole years of someone doing that, so...
Heh. And what a nice way to bring up the thousandth post.
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The presidents new speech writer: Jules from Pulp Fiction.
Roflnui!
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