Inaugural Address of President Barack Obama

[SWJED]

Transcript posted here by SWJ, as well as links to the new official White House web page, White House blog and new agenda items.

The address was impressive - I elected to listen to it on WTOP Radio so as to focus just on the words. I'm glad I did.

[Bullmoose Bailey]

Friends, desite being a lifelong Republican, as a patriotic American who has ever supported all of our country's elected officials I was inspired as I viewed the address on AFN today.

I am happy to make the following observation & to promise continued prayers for this administration.

I'm staying on the Presidential Prayer Team.

"I thank President Bush for his service to our nation as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition."

I'm thankful too. I humbly suggest that GW Bush will go down as one of the great ones.

"Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath."

I must think it's more, David Rice Atchison did, I'm fairly convinced, take the oath since the President refused to be sworn in on a Sunday.

"Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred."

Glad he admits these essential facts which many Democrats have obscured.

"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things."

Very appropriate, from I Corinthians 13 by St. Paul The Apostle, I believe.

"We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its costs.

We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age."

The call to duty for Obama's "New Age".... very well spoken & I agree.

"Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched."

Capitalism confirmed...hallelujah

"We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.

And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

quite frankly, awesome language I was moved by this portion of the speech


God Bless Our President.

[Steve Blair]

He's got good speech writers. Gotta give them props for that. But I retain a healthy level of skepticism of all politicians, no matter how well they speak. One thing I will say, though, is that the expectations for this president have been raised to a level that will be hard to meet.

[Cavguy]

He's got good speech writers. Gotta give them props for that. But I retain a healthy level of skepticism of all politicians, no matter how well they speak. One thing I will say, though, is that the expectations for this president have been raised to a level that will be hard to meet.

That said, when taking over from someone who was widely panned, pretty much any improvement he makes will be considered brilliant.

My first few jobs in the army were like that - when you take over an org with major problems almost anything you do is considered great in comparison.

Much harder to take over a well running organization, because you are judged versus your predecessor. That said, if you're also squared away, it's a lot of fun.

[Steve Blair]

That said, when taking over from someone who was widely panned, pretty much any improvement he makes will be considered brilliant.

My first few jobs in the army were like that - when you take over an org with major problems almost anything you do is considered great in comparison.

Much harder to take over a well running organization, because you are judged versus your predecessor. That said, if you're also squared away, it's a lot of fun.

Concur to a degree, but what I'm sensing is that the expectations have been jacked well beyond the level of a few simple improvements. I think Obama senses this, as he seems to have been making a major effort to downplay or reduce some of the more wild expectations...although with what seems to be little success. What I'm waiting for is backlash, both within his own party and the electorate at large. It may not happen, but often when people chain their hopes to a leader they tend to react badly when those hopes aren't met quickly. And there are some subtexts as well (read international attention) that could come into play. It's one thing if he disappoints those who elected him, but what about the horde of fellow-travelers who seem to feel some sort of investment in the process?

Sorry if I sound cynical, but I tend to be suspicious of cults of personality.

[120mm]

I was especially impressed by his "enemy advancing on Valley Forge" comment. Very historic. Very accurate.

Ya think he could afford a historian to actually vet the speech for facts. But the speech was reflective of his experience/campaign.

[Schmedlap]

In watching the gushing media coverage that the President has received and the "hope" and "healing of wounds" that is apparently sweeping the country (according to reports), it is easy to forget that he lost 20 states, even though he was not running against an incumbent. Judging from the media coverage, you'd think this was a repeat of 1980, with a challenger beating an incumbent in a 44 to 6 landslide. I think that President Obama is going to have a lengthy honeymoon with the media. They just seem way too happy that he won to turn on him anytime soon.

In the long run, his fall from grace seems inevitable. First off, Presidents generally see their favorable rating decline during their term. See here. Second, he was elected for three reasons that do not bode well for his long-term political strength:

1. He was the first black candidate with the political skill to make a serious run (saying that during the campaign earned scoffs and dirty looks, but now there is no end in sight to the "first black President" hoopla). Who won American Idol in 2006? Not sure? Likewise, the novelty of the first black President will wear off quickly - particularly once he has to actually start making decisions; especiallyonce he has to make some tough decisions.

2. There was too much anti-Bush fervor for anyone to overcome, if even remotely related to President Bush. But the anti-Bush fervor is a two-way street. Once the spotlight completely fades and former President Bush retires to his Presidential library and ranch, the anti-Bush fervor will not generate much energy. It will completely dissipate. There goes your villain and your swing vote.

3. The left-wing base was energized by Obama's anti-war appeal. Now that he is actually in office and no longer just a speech-giver and campaigner, his options are going to be narrowed by reality. The most energetic activists of the left-wing base simply have unrealistic expectations. There are a significant number of them who will not be satisfied if our troops stay in Iraq for one day longer or if former President Bush is not perp-walked and imprisoned for war crimes. Some are upset that Robert Gates is still SECDEF simply because he is a "Cold Warrior." (I guess he should have had the foresight to have been born in another era so that his service to his country would not have coincided with the Cold War). Some are even upset with Clinton being nominated for Secretary of State - and not because of her questionable qualifications, but rather because she's not anti-war enough for them.

I really want the next 4 years go well. There is a lot at stake. But I don't feel good about it. And it's not cynicism. It's just a recognition that the political campaign had more in common with American Idol than with a job interview.

[SWJED]

... the expectations for this president have been raised to a level that will be hard to meet.

Yep.