The Los Angeles Times puts the event in historical perspective:
The inauguration has been forecast to draw anywhere from 1 million to 4 million. Whatever the actual number, for those who voted for him and even those who did not, there is little doubt that the Obama swearing-in will go down as a milestone in the nation's history, an American moment.Elizabeth Scalia notes how Obama backers literally can't wait, with some pushing for the resignation of President Bush:
In this interregnum season of political transition, the whole nation is in a state of suspense; it watches a right-leaning government prepare to head out to a political wilderness as a left-leaning one processes in from same.There's more at the link.
For fervent Democrats and the press — but I am redundant — it is a period of giddy impatience.
For the rest of the nation, this transition and its necessary waiting is a time of reflection. After the noise of an excruciating two-year campaign, those who voted for Obama in November — and especially those who did not — are taking advantage of the relative post-election calm to reflect on all of the fears and hopes that went with the hype. In a quintessentially American manner, they are — whether with joy or resignation — doing the introspective work needed to be opened to the man who will be their president on January 20, 2009. As they wait, they watch bright stars being plucked from the political constellations to serve the new administration and they wonder what is about to occur in their world.
Those who had counted on a President Obama moving herky-jerk away from capitalism and sovereignty are finding some surprisingly centrist cabinet selections at odds with their notion of “hope.” Others fear such selections constitute nothing more than plausible deniability in the face of an inexorable march toward Marxism, and “hope” feels — literally — like all they have.
8 comments:
I for one can't wait. America has seemed like a much nicer place since the election. People may be troubled by the economy, but remain hopeful with a new president. For the first time in about 7 years, the rest of the world can't wait either.
I would like to congratulate Donald on his insistence on using the black background on his masthead, as it symbolizes his support for our first black president. At least to me it does. I think blue would be even better, now that we are a center-left leaning country.
Black is for the darkness the election represents, Tim. Blue will be back up when it's morning in America again.
Ah, that's the American spirit Donald.
And let me guess, "morning" occurs when Sarah Palin is president?
Why don't you celebrate the victory and be positive for America? You are either for us, or against us. It looks to me like you might be against us.
And you know what that means...
Exactly, Tim.
Obama will be my president, and frankly, if you haven't noticed, he's repudiating the anti-religious nihilism and ideological radicalism of your allies.
Perhaps the "new day" all the lefties have been hoping for is a mirage, and thank God for that.
Myself, and others, always said that Obama would steer towards the middle. You said he would turn America Marxist.
But then again, and I hate to point out the obvious to the expert, you have been wrong every step of the way throughout the election. From the Bill Ayers "connection" (soundly smacked down by Ayers himself in the NYT) to Sarah Palin (woefully unprepared), to John McCain (a campaign of Dukakis-sian ineptitude) to the economy ("the market will bounce back"), to the continual meme of "a center-right nation" (who just elected the most liberal member of the senate) to "stealing" the election (outspending yes, but how does that account for every other major race in the country that a democrat won?).
At least the majority, a CLEAR majority, of Americans are not buying the B.S. that sites like this, Fox News and Hannity and Limbaugh and O'Really peddle. That is the true "depression" from which you and your narrowing sliver of support now suffer from. Sort of like our economy at the moment.
So, not a political soothsayer so much as a doomsayer. Your depression over the loss of the election is tempered by your gloating over the fact that you and a small majority in California do not consider homosexuals deserving of civil rights. Conservative thought is about looking backwards, progressive, liberal thought is forwards. And that is where our country is going.
Or at least attempting. Will it be successful? Let's give it 50 years, like Bush wants to for his so-called legacy.
To quote Rich quoting the Who: "We don't get fooled again."
To quote Bush: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...You can't fool me again."
I'm actually surprised by how much he's been cold to the left, Tim. That doesn't mean he's not taking the country to socialsim, and it certainly doesn't mean he's abandoning his long indoctrination in Marxism and postmodernist theory.
Obama's going to impose a massive leftist program while appearing "moderate." It's the appearance part that pisses off the progressive. They want just declare the election a victory for radicalism and be done with it.
You need nuance, dude.
Tim, as I said a few threads back ... the success, in objective terms, that President Obama will achieve will be in direct proportion to how much he deviates from your ideology and his own campaign rhetoric.
Mark my words.
Conservative thought is about looking backwards, progressive, liberal thought is forwards. And that is where our country is going.
Since when is a return to the 1970's notions of command economics/wealth redistribution/welfare "progressive"? Sounds more like "Change BACK" to me.
Just remember, only 52% of the American people put Mr. Obama in office ... and many of those oppose at least some aspects of your "re-", er, "progressive" agenda, as you have noted re: Prop 8.
Don't get cocky ... as the Professor said, get some nuance.
Rich: You have a short term memory problem? Bush, back in '04, said he had "political capital" based on his comparatively slim victory over Kerry. Fact: Bush's total margin of victory, in two elections combined, was about half of what Obama achieved in one.
Cocky? You bet.
As for my ideology, you would be hard pressed to tell me what that is based on the main fact that I (like a large majority of Americans, remember us? ) disagree with most of Bush's actions, and I support universal healthcare. After that, what have you got?
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