Welcome, Mr. President. Your country awaits.

[temporus]

I was lucky today.  The session I was in ended early, and I was able to watch on the TVs the conference had setup, our Vice President, and then our President get sworn in to office.

Once again, we have the marvelous miracle, the peaceful transfer of power from one leader to the next.  No last minute coup attempt.  No military overthrow necessary.   Mr. Bush stepped down, Mr. Obama stepped up.   There's a new administration.   Simple.  If I might opine, elegant.

We have a new leadership in government.   Note:  we do not have a new government.  The system is the same, the vast majority of the day to day workers remain the same.  What we have is new leadership, with new agendas, ideas, plans.

I watched, and chuckled with the nation, as we saw this most eloquent of speakers fumble a bit during his oath of office.  Frankly even he laughed about it.  Then he delivered his inaugural speech.  Wow.  I stood rapt, hanging on every word.  In a room full of other conference participants standing and staring to hear what he had to say to us.  My eyes filled with tears to hear it.  (I'll be honest about it.)  

I no longer need Mr. Bartlett of The West Wing, to believe that there can be elegant, eloquent, driven leaders who can make people believe in more than themselves.   I have the real thing now.

Thank you Mr. President.

Comments

the oath foible

[akaalysia.livejournal.com]

The reason that President Obama fumbled with the oath is that the person administering the oath said it in the WRONG order. He transposed some of the words, which took the president by surprise. CNN was ALL over that later. It was humorous, though.

Re: the oath foible

[temporus.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised. Somehow, the Chief Justice also seemed to be a little off when he was speaking.

I'm just thrilled to have someone who inspires me to work harder, live better, and to think that we can be more than the supposed "me" generation.

Re: the oath foible

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

From a cynical foreigner's point of view, I wonder if the media would have been so understanding if George W. Bush had made the same mistake when he was first sworn in.

Re: the oath foible

[(Anonymous)]

I'm sure they would have picked on Bush about it more.

In truth, it was the chief justice who worded the oath incorrectly. Being 35 words, he should have been able to get that right.

I am not sure what would have been the best way for the president to handle it. It was an awkward situation. If he corrects or ignores the Chief Justice then people will see him as being arrogant, or may think that he is actually rewording the oath. If he takes the incorrect oath, people might criticize him for not knowing that the oath he was taking was incorrect in some way.

Whatever one does as a politician, someone can spin it to be wrong, if they so desire. This is why I will never be a politician.

Re: the oath foible

[akaalysia.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they would have picked on Bush about it more.

In truth, it was the chief justice who worded the oath incorrectly. Being 35 words, he should have been able to get that right.

I am not sure what would have been the best way for the president to handle it. It was an awkward situation. If he corrects or ignores the Chief Justice then people will see him as being arrogant, or may think that he is actually rewording the oath. If he takes the incorrect oath, people might criticize him for not knowing that the oath he was taking was incorrect in some way.

Whatever one does as a politician, someone can spin it to be wrong, if they so desire. This is why I will never be a politician.