The Inauguration

Here are some of my initial personal observations after watching the inauguration:

The Event: It is an awesome site . . the inauguration. A beautiful picture, and a great testimony of our American system of government. I hope the ceremony and the Constitutional basis for transition is not lost on all those who experienced it.

The Crowd: Impressive images from the air. I'm sure for those who are "followers" it will be a memorable time in their life.

The Speech: Mostly uninspiring. I kept waiting for that one line that would live on forever, and it never came. There was some good content: a united strength against terrorism . . what I interpreted as a subtle encouragement toward parents choosing life . . a recognition of the value of private enterprise; but I have to wonder just what all of this will look like in practice under the Obama administration.

The Poem: Whatever.

The Benediction: Generally fine, until he got into the "color" thing. Sounded to me like a lot of empathy toward black, red, brown and yellow . . if only white would get it right. It just seemed to me that after all the celebration of forgiveness and "we are one" and the first African-American president, the inauguration ends with a reminder that for some people color is everything.

The Invocation: I thought Rick Warren did fine. Hard to read what kind of reception he was getting from the crowd. On the side, why is Rick Warren always introduced by news people as "controversial"? Warren sided, not only with the majority of voters in California who wanted marriage to retain its historical meaning, but also with Barack Obama. Shouldn't "controversial" be used for the other side of this argument?

The Obamas: They are an attractive, composed family and couple. They will bring a very different feel to the White House. Not saying that is good or bad, but it should be very different than the Bushes or even the Clintons, mostly because of their two little girls. I guess I tend to think it will be a good thing.

The Bushes: Say what you want about George Bush, there may not have been a more gracious president in recent history. I get the sense that the Bushes see the bigger picture, realize the integrity of the office and the White House, and want the people around them to succeed. That includes Barack Obama. No funny business like in the Clinton transition . . no ill will. It's been reported that, when President Bush was introduced, at least parts of the crowd starting singing the "hey, hey, say goodbye" song. Anyone singing this, especially in light of the ceremony . . the gracious transition . . the fact that he kept us safe for the past seven years . . and the "we are one" Obama theme, are scum. Shame on them.