Yesterday was the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States and for the first time in my life, I spent the whole day in front of the TV watching the festivities. Daniel had wanted to actually go to Washington, DC to watch it in person, but since all the hotels booked up fast, we had to settle for a spot on the couch. I was fascinated by the whole proceedings and certainly do not remember being excited about an inauguration since Bill Clinton’s in 1992 – and that was because it was the first Presidential Election in which I was able to vote. I think the first election I remember well was the 1988 contest between Bush and Dukakis, and the only reason I remember that one was because of the famous SNL sketch of the debate between the two.
CNN was really pushing what they call “The Moment” which was when President Obama took the oath of office. Naturally, with all the hype, came a comedy of errors. Chief Justice Roberts flubbed the oath (probably made worse by Obama speeding through the first part of the oath) and then Obama smiled and prompted him to say it again, which he did, but still incorrect. Obama then repeats the first version Roberts said (still incorrect), but then they just motored through the rest of the oath and then it was over. It reminds me of all those wedding videos where the bride/groom or official messes up the vows. At least no one fainted. It’s nice to know that even the top officials flub things up.
The other excitement was during the luncheon in the Capitol when Senator Kennedy had a seizure and had to be taken to the hospital as a precaution. Thankfully he is OK, but it was a scary moment, and naturally having been watching 24, I was suspecting some conspiracy, especially when the story first broke as two senators collapsing in the room.
Other than that, it was a great day and it was fun to watch. I do admit getting a bit burnt out towards the end of the parade, and I turned it off before we had continuous team coverage of the Inaugural Balls. Coming on the heels of the live team coverage of the US Airways plane crash last Friday, I am glad to be away from the TV. Thankfully, I had my quick overnight trip to Mammoth to break things up!