1.20.09
a few humble observations:
-George W. looks totally at ease, walking down the steps; the weight lifted from his shoulders, he looks younger and healthier than he has these past few years.
-By contrast, I can’t imagine a more somber and serious look than the one on Obama’s face as he proceeded through the Capitol hallway. He seems acutely aware of just how important this moment is, and just what he has gotten himself into.
-Best hat: Aretha Franklin
-Worst hat: George H.W. Bush
-Malia Obama, taking pictures with her own personal camera.
-the instrumental quartet is hauntingly beautiful yet sprightly at the same time. I hope there’s a good recording being made.
-what’s with the oddly-placed microphones? They don’t pick up the true roar of the crowd, yet you get distinct pieces of small talk.
-Craig Robinson, in Oregon State colors
-thousands upon thousands of waving flags making the mall come alive
-both Obama and the Chief justice fumbling the lines for the Oath of office!
-pretty good poem, awesome benediction. black will not have to give back, yellow will be mellow, red man can get ahead man, white will do what is right.
The speech:
I have to admit I was a little disappointed; wasn't this supposed to be in the tradition of Lincoln 1865, FDR 1933, JFK 1961?
Not a bad speech, and it covered all the major policies, domestic and foreign. But it seemed a little too formal, a bit stunted, a bit too self-aware. Obama's magic lies in his ability to give speeches that feel historic, yet that remain humble, which subtly wink at Obama's own awareness that he is just a man, despite all the hype and the O-ba-ma chants. I think that is the basis of his connection to the audience. This speech felt a bit too disengaged from the listeners. It lacked the blend of passion and lightness that characterized his victory speech on November 4th. And it lacked the pointed substance of his speech on race during the campaign.
A few things that caught my ear during the speech itself:
“humbled by the task before us”
starting out on a real down note. “indicators of crisis” with a “nagging fear” of decline. But we “have chosen hope over fear”
“On this day” “the time has come”
recasting declaration of independence in inclusive terms: “All are equal, all are free, all deserve a chance to pursue their happiness”
“settled the West” – American mystique. Continue the journey.
“our capacity remains undiminished”
begin again the work of remaking America
“work to be done”
assure the rule of law and the rights of man. those ideals still light the world and we will not give them up for expedient’s sake. to all the governments and peoples watching today – we are friends of all. “We are ready to lead once more” – big applause
-faced down fascism and communism not just w/power, but with “alliances and convictions” force of our example, tempering qualities
“keepers of this legacy” guided by principles
“forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan”
“our patchwork heritage is a strength not a weakness”
shout out to atheists!
America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace
a new era of responsibility. duties to ourselves our nation and the world. price and the promise of citizenship
A man whose father less than 60 years ago would not have been served at a local restaurant can stand before you and take the sacred oath
Quoting Washington, rather than Lincoln. this winter of our hardship. brave once more the icy currents and endure once more the storms that come.
-George W. looks totally at ease, walking down the steps; the weight lifted from his shoulders, he looks younger and healthier than he has these past few years.
-By contrast, I can’t imagine a more somber and serious look than the one on Obama’s face as he proceeded through the Capitol hallway. He seems acutely aware of just how important this moment is, and just what he has gotten himself into.
-Best hat: Aretha Franklin
-Worst hat: George H.W. Bush
-Malia Obama, taking pictures with her own personal camera.
-the instrumental quartet is hauntingly beautiful yet sprightly at the same time. I hope there’s a good recording being made.
-what’s with the oddly-placed microphones? They don’t pick up the true roar of the crowd, yet you get distinct pieces of small talk.
-Craig Robinson, in Oregon State colors
-thousands upon thousands of waving flags making the mall come alive
-both Obama and the Chief justice fumbling the lines for the Oath of office!
-pretty good poem, awesome benediction. black will not have to give back, yellow will be mellow, red man can get ahead man, white will do what is right.
The speech:
I have to admit I was a little disappointed; wasn't this supposed to be in the tradition of Lincoln 1865, FDR 1933, JFK 1961?
Not a bad speech, and it covered all the major policies, domestic and foreign. But it seemed a little too formal, a bit stunted, a bit too self-aware. Obama's magic lies in his ability to give speeches that feel historic, yet that remain humble, which subtly wink at Obama's own awareness that he is just a man, despite all the hype and the O-ba-ma chants. I think that is the basis of his connection to the audience. This speech felt a bit too disengaged from the listeners. It lacked the blend of passion and lightness that characterized his victory speech on November 4th. And it lacked the pointed substance of his speech on race during the campaign.
A few things that caught my ear during the speech itself:
“humbled by the task before us”
starting out on a real down note. “indicators of crisis” with a “nagging fear” of decline. But we “have chosen hope over fear”
“On this day” “the time has come”
recasting declaration of independence in inclusive terms: “All are equal, all are free, all deserve a chance to pursue their happiness”
“settled the West” – American mystique. Continue the journey.
“our capacity remains undiminished”
begin again the work of remaking America
“work to be done”
assure the rule of law and the rights of man. those ideals still light the world and we will not give them up for expedient’s sake. to all the governments and peoples watching today – we are friends of all. “We are ready to lead once more” – big applause
-faced down fascism and communism not just w/power, but with “alliances and convictions” force of our example, tempering qualities
“keepers of this legacy” guided by principles
“forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan”
“our patchwork heritage is a strength not a weakness”
shout out to atheists!
America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace
a new era of responsibility. duties to ourselves our nation and the world. price and the promise of citizenship
A man whose father less than 60 years ago would not have been served at a local restaurant can stand before you and take the sacred oath
Quoting Washington, rather than Lincoln. this winter of our hardship. brave once more the icy currents and endure once more the storms that come.
posted by bc at 9:28 AM
4 Comments:
I really liked the speech. Not only because it was capital-P progressive in tone and temperament, but also because it didn't flinch from the fact that the next few years are going to be rougher than all the "yes we can" stuff has heretofore suggested.
I should have made clearer that I didn't have a problem with the content; I just was expecting to be moved emotionally more than I was.
Did you think this speech was better than his previous ones?
I may revise my opinion later; I think that in hindsight most of the great inaugural speeches are considered great because of how 1 or 2 lines lives on in the public memory. We'll see what emerges from this one. (An early front-runner seems to be the 'not more or less government but smart government' line, which is a smart, pragmatic, and Progressive one if not particularly soaring)
Actually, I think he was quoting Washington quoting Tom Paine... so, another shout-out to the non-believers!
The thing is, I don't think any attempt at a "hot" speech could've really matched the intensity of the moment. So, going "medium-cool" with it instead, imho, was almost assuredly the right way to go.
It'd be interesting to know if the lines we remember from earlier inaugurals (Fear Itself, Ask Not, Malice Towards None) were frontlined as keepers at the time, or if they gradually took on that status as the historical interpretations of those eras coalesced.
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