Inaugural Thoughts and Photos

Bride and I were lucky enough to be in Washington, D.C. for the inauguration of Barack Obama. There's lots to discuss, but in the spirit of DLP I'll start with the celebrities Bride and I either talked to or got within 5 feet of: Christopher Guest, Jeff Zucker, Jon Bon Jovi, Jesse Jackson, Don King, Magic Johnson, Avery Johnson, Chris Tucker, Dan Rather, Oprah, Samuel L. Jackson, Bradley Whitford, LARRY DAVID, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Denzel Washington, Usher, Ving Rhames and several others. Photos of most of these after the jump, followed by a few thoughts, feelings and observations on the historic day.

Barack's Limo - walking around the capitol after the ceremony.
My view of the mall from my seat.
Ving Rhames (right side, fur)
Larry David in the line with his book.
Denzel.
Me at Black Tie & Boots Ball.
Jesse Jackson.
My view of Barack's speech.
Stumbled oath.
Don King.
Jeff Zucker and wife.
Oprah (bottom left)
Spielberg and Cusack (on the top of the risers)
Mall view.
Samuel L. Jackson
Dan Rather.

Some Comments:


I am a conservative person, socially and otherwise, and therefore I voted for John McCain. That said, Barack Obama appeals to me because of his age, eloquence, and approach to issues. Being a part of the ceremony yesterday was a great privilege and a truly moving experience. Older black people around me were crying and genuinely in awe of the realization of something they had not even dreamed of. I was stirred when Michelle Obama's mother came on the stage more than any other person - mostly because of her age and where her life has taken her. I was also moved by "My Country Tis of Thee" during the ceremony as the nation realized all of the cliches about anyone growing up to be president really were true. Rick Warren's showy, "new christian" prayer was horrible - I nearly vomited as he overpronounced words and enunciated on Obama's children's names. I found Obama's speech to be good, but not great as he struggled to take the right tone and set realistic expectations for himself. I thought his nimble handling of the racial issue was perfectly done. I took our video camera just to capture the raw sound of his speech as it echoed behind me down the mall - a spine tingling experience shared with 2 million others.

The collective nation achieved something with the inauguration of a black man that makes everyone proud to be a part of the first Western democracy to elect a "person of color" to its executive office. For me it just reinforces how great our country is, but for some liberals (like the insufferable Frank Rich) it was the "first time" they have been proud of the country.

I genuinely believe that Obama will govern from the middle. Why wouldn't he? There is no way he will be challenged on the Left in the 2012 primary, so he should go as far to the right as he can stomach. I also believe that his ambition will moderate his policies. He is most loyal to his own "legacy" and surely knows that only governing in the middle will allow him to be a "great" president.

George W. Bush has been wrongly maligned and blamed for every ailment facing the United States, while Obama gets glowing press on everything (think of how the Geithner tax errors would've played out in the NY Times if he had been a Bush appointee). The bottom line is that he ran the clock out on his term after 9/11 with no more terrorist attacks. Period. Torture or not torture and wiretapping are interesting to argue, but no one knows how many (if any) attacks have been prevented as a result of such actions - that is the burden the good men and women of his administration have carried in the name of keeping the nation safe. Bush's downfall in my eyes was his lack of direct contact with the American people and an unwillingness to dialogue about certain parts of his decisions.

Sorry for the super long post about serious stuff - to make up for it, I'll post a review of Rock of Love Bus in the next couple of days.