Posted on 01/21/2013 7:17:36 AM PST by SeekAndFind
WASHINGTON -- Four years after making history by becoming the first African-American president, Barack Obama will kick off his second term on Monday with a scaled-back inauguration that reflects the tempered expectations for his next four years in office.
Lingering high unemployment, bitter political battles and a divisive re-election campaign have punctured the mood of optimism and hope that infused Obama's 2009 inauguration after a sweeping election win.
This time, Obama's inauguration will feature smaller crowds and a reduced slate of inaugural balls and parties to match the more subdued tenor of the times.
When Obama raises his right hand to be sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts outside the U.S. Capitol at 10:55 a.m. Chicago time, it will be his second time taking the oath in 24 hours.
He had a private swearing-in on Sunday at the White House because of a constitutional requirement that the president be sworn in on Jan. 20. Rather than stage the full inauguration on a Sunday, the main public events were put off until Monday.
Obama begins the day worshiping at St. John's Episcopal Church across from the White House. He will then take the oath again and deliver his inaugural address from the Capitol's west front overlooking the National Mall, where a crowd of up to 700,000 is expected to watch.
That is down significantly from the record 1.8 million people who jammed Washington in 2009 for Obama's first inauguration.
As Inauguration Day dawned and people streamed through the wintry cold toward the Capitol grounds, Washington was in security lockdown, with thousands of police and National Guard troops deployed, barricades up and Humvee military vehicles blocking major intersections.
Outside the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, an elaborate presidential viewing stand, encased in bullet-proof glass, awaited Obama and other VIPs
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
If I heard correctly (Short visit to FOX this morning, then turned off the TV), they had to slash the price of tickets in half.
My guess is they had to pass them out for free in the end to get this many, but that's just my gut instict.
It's cold in DC. Democrats don't like discomfort (like having to get up in the morning and difficult stuff like that), so only the hard core paracites would come out in this kind of weather.
This is an absolutely horrific day for me, my family, my country and my fellow Freepers. I honestly appreciate this web site more every day. It’s one of the few things in life that’s sane and keeps my spirits up.
I believe that he is due for another Nobel Peace Prize as well.
Noticed that on the schedule and considered that but then the Food Network had some interesting possibilities so I’m watching Alex Guarnaschelli make a potato cake.
LOL
Sorry, I won’t be able to watch. I have to wash my hair — all day, and all evening.
Our home is an inauguration-free zone today. We don’t want any part of this.
I've got the weather channel on (background noise). I'll probably just keep it on until RUSH.
There's a cold front passing through that's going to keep things pretty cold for the rest of the week. Just watching it gives me shivers. Brrrr. I think the liberals "coming ice age" is finally here.
Rush said on Friday that he won’t be on today. I’m not sure who is substituting for him. He’ll be back tomorrow.
Mark Steyn is supposed to be in for Rush.
You don’t think Rush went to DC for the Immaculation II, do you?
The properly edited, more truthful version:
Four years after making history by becoming the first African-American (he’s really more of a Kenyan/Indonesian/Hawaiian but that doesn’t fit our narrative) president, Barack Obama will drag a beleaguered nation into four dismal more years with a scaled-back inauguration that reflects the fact that this ‘wildly popular’ president can’t draw flies and is in fact strongly opposed by nearly half the country.
High unemployment exacerbated by a mindless statist agenda and intentional crippling of any recovery factors, bitter political battles instigated by him, his party brethren and his advisers like Valerie Jarrett, a shadowy Iranian-born Rasputin figure and a divisive reelection campaign marked by shameless say-anything hacks like David Axelrod, Stephanie Cutter and Deborah Wasserman-Schultz have punctured the false media narratives of optimism and hope that infused Obama’s 2009 inauguration after an election in which 44% (22 of 50) states voted for someone else.
This time, Obama’s inauguration will be marked by smaller crowds due to his dwindling personal and political popularity and a reduced slate of inaugural balls and parties because, well, the entire First Family have been traipsing around the globe on the taxpayer’s nickel for four solid years so a party in dreary DC is a busman’s holiday for them. That won’t stop his supporters from attending, many of whom won’t miss work with or without the King holiday since they don’t have proper jobs.
When Obama raises his right hand to be sworn in by Supreme Coward John Roberts outside the US Capitol at 10:55 AM Chicago time, it will be his second time taking the oath in 24 hours, topped only by the oaths spoken by Michelle Obama as she berates the staff for using the wrong napkin rings and for the lint on the carpets.
He had a private swearing-in on Sunday at the White House because of a constitutional requirement that….oh who are we kidding? This man hasn’t adhered to the Constitution since he set foot in the place.
Obama begins the day with another shameless, blasphemous photo op at St. John’s Episcopal Church (the same Episcopal Church that endorsed gay marriage and has seen its churches and members flee) across from the White House. He will then take the oath again strictly for showbiz purposes and subject the poor souls gathered to another two-hour stream of banality from the Capitol’s west front overlooking the National Mall, where his bought-and-pair-for sycophants will cheer his every cliché.
That is down significantly from the record 1.8 million people who jammed Washington in 2009 for Obama’s first inauguration. Maybe it has something to do with gasoline still in excess of $3.25/gallon, lingering unemployment, economic pessimism, capitulation to and downplaying of an ongoing Islamic threat, and widespread exhaustion from listening to this overgrown student council geek bang on about how wonderful he is and how lucky we are to have him.
As Inauguration Day dawned and people streamed through the wintry cold (as opposed to summery cold) toward the Capitol ground, Washington was in security lockdown (as opposed to most normal days when doors and windows are left unlocked on government buildings), with thousands of police and National Guard troops deployed lest they be assigned to hurricane cleanup, barricades up and Humvee military vehicles blocking major intersections – the same way Obama’s motorcade callously blocks rush-hour traffic in major cities every time he visits.
Outside the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, an elaborate presidential viewing stand (the Obamas don’t do less-than-elaborate), encased in bullet-proof (but, sadly, not sound-proof) glass, awaited Obama and other VIBs (Very Important Bundlers).
Good choices, but they were on yesterday, too. We need more marathons. I would have liked a "The Walking Dead" marathon, it would have been so symbolic.
OK, What’s so funny?
Darn it. It's just not the same without him.
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