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Those tissues will be added to the rent, fear not!
I think some of the giddiness surrounding all this is, as people are saying, the contrasts between the man who was president, and the one who is. Bush was such a failure in so many big ways that almost anyone looks better in comparison. By the time that ceremony was over, he must have been happy to circle the White House, and head for Texas. I almost felt sorry for him. To see the millions gathered, to hear the applause, to have to listen to a speech that basically repudiated most of what you did over the last 8 years, had to be painful.
All of those people were not there only because Obama is the first African American presidenat, and because that is historic. They were there because this country wants to believe that we are not circling the bowl, but toughening ourselves to go on to better things. The inauguration symbolizes that our transition of power occurs with someone’s hand on a book, not holding a gun.
What a change to have crowds cheering an American president instead of protesting him. In America. Tomorrow, the hard work begins. I think a little ceremony is in order today. Can we give the guy that, and at least wait a bit to see what he can start to do before complaining that he is overrated? It will take him a couple of days to not get lost in the White House, I’ll give him some time to find the answers to everything else.
Well, in a classic Dept of Education moment, the central administration proclaimed that all schools could watch the Inauguration on streaming video provided by the DOE website. Of course this was a great idea, but the DOE internet (all schools must use the same server) was overloaded and the system crashed at 11:57 a.m. Could they not have foreseen this? The stupidity of education bureaucrats NEVER ends! I hate – HATE – them and all they stand for.
benson,
I thought that today’s inauguration was a national milestone. I really do. I thought Bush II had his strengths but ultimately I think his rigid little he-man walk was reflective of his rigid little he-man brain. He really was not up to the task at hand. His father was a far better president and knew when to call it quits in Iraq. Of course the elder was smart enough to take Colin Powell’s advise.
I agree with Denton, I think he is wise not to increases taxes at this point, even though it was a previous point of his to do so. That would be a real blunder.
bxgrl, I was a good little trooper all morning, really! …until MM wrote her post, and that set me off, and then I was just crying off and on at every thing that happened. I think John Lewis said it best when he said – paraphrasing – “I’m not sure I can fully take in the enormity of this moment.”
I can’t quite described the feeling of watching Bush get on that helicopter. It’s a mixture of relief, and anger, and bitterness.
OMG, President Obama is walking along side the motorcade!
cobblehiller- when di you start really crying? I was weepy all morning but when Biden took the oath i really lost it. I finally realized Bush was well and truly gone. I used much of the LL’s tissue.
It’s so great that we have John Lewis here [on CNN] to tell us his experience and share his impressions and feelings.
That was a pretty neat [if generalized] little synopsis sam. “Obama sees things as they are, Bush sees things through a prism of ideology. ” – That’s one of the many reasons I really like President Obama* and sincerely disliked Bush.
[*How many times can I work that into a sentence today?! It feels so good to say it!]
benson- we saw the same thing for 8 years of Bush. If you dared say that you were against going into Iraq you were pilloried. Liberals, moderates took a beating in the press and until the Iraq war started to see more and more losses, the majority of the country was quite happy to bash us libs and moderates in pubic and private. We were also getting bashed for our “family values” or supposed lack thereof.
I didn’t hear the GOPers or MSM press complaining about that. they just went with the flow.
Those tissues will be added to the rent, fear not!
I think some of the giddiness surrounding all this is, as people are saying, the contrasts between the man who was president, and the one who is. Bush was such a failure in so many big ways that almost anyone looks better in comparison. By the time that ceremony was over, he must have been happy to circle the White House, and head for Texas. I almost felt sorry for him. To see the millions gathered, to hear the applause, to have to listen to a speech that basically repudiated most of what you did over the last 8 years, had to be painful.
All of those people were not there only because Obama is the first African American presidenat, and because that is historic. They were there because this country wants to believe that we are not circling the bowl, but toughening ourselves to go on to better things. The inauguration symbolizes that our transition of power occurs with someone’s hand on a book, not holding a gun.
What a change to have crowds cheering an American president instead of protesting him. In America. Tomorrow, the hard work begins. I think a little ceremony is in order today. Can we give the guy that, and at least wait a bit to see what he can start to do before complaining that he is overrated? It will take him a couple of days to not get lost in the White House, I’ll give him some time to find the answers to everything else.
Well, in a classic Dept of Education moment, the central administration proclaimed that all schools could watch the Inauguration on streaming video provided by the DOE website. Of course this was a great idea, but the DOE internet (all schools must use the same server) was overloaded and the system crashed at 11:57 a.m. Could they not have foreseen this? The stupidity of education bureaucrats NEVER ends! I hate – HATE – them and all they stand for.
benson,
I thought that today’s inauguration was a national milestone. I really do. I thought Bush II had his strengths but ultimately I think his rigid little he-man walk was reflective of his rigid little he-man brain. He really was not up to the task at hand. His father was a far better president and knew when to call it quits in Iraq. Of course the elder was smart enough to take Colin Powell’s advise.
I agree with Denton, I think he is wise not to increases taxes at this point, even though it was a previous point of his to do so. That would be a real blunder.
bxgrl, I was a good little trooper all morning, really! …until MM wrote her post, and that set me off, and then I was just crying off and on at every thing that happened. I think John Lewis said it best when he said – paraphrasing – “I’m not sure I can fully take in the enormity of this moment.”
I can’t quite described the feeling of watching Bush get on that helicopter. It’s a mixture of relief, and anger, and bitterness.
OMG, President Obama is walking along side the motorcade!
cobblehiller- when di you start really crying? I was weepy all morning but when Biden took the oath i really lost it. I finally realized Bush was well and truly gone. I used much of the LL’s tissue.
Sam;
You can do better than that.
It’s so great that we have John Lewis here [on CNN] to tell us his experience and share his impressions and feelings.
That was a pretty neat [if generalized] little synopsis sam. “Obama sees things as they are, Bush sees things through a prism of ideology. ” – That’s one of the many reasons I really like President Obama* and sincerely disliked Bush.
[*How many times can I work that into a sentence today?! It feels so good to say it!]
benson- we saw the same thing for 8 years of Bush. If you dared say that you were against going into Iraq you were pilloried. Liberals, moderates took a beating in the press and until the Iraq war started to see more and more losses, the majority of the country was quite happy to bash us libs and moderates in pubic and private. We were also getting bashed for our “family values” or supposed lack thereof.
I didn’t hear the GOPers or MSM press complaining about that. they just went with the flow.