OK, here’s one. Talk.
Fucking finally.
Personally I just want everyone to shut up about the ceremony and let him get to work. I hate ceremonies in general, but you just couldn’t escape from the inauguration yesterday.
I’m aware it means a lot to a lot of people, and I’m certainly glad I never have to refer to George W. Bush as a President ever again, but still, enough is enough. Let the man get to work.
I love that the first three posters on this thread are Canadians.
Actually, I’d have to agree with Spoony to a large degree. I hate all the pomp and circumstance associated with inaugurations. It seems to me like an expensive high school graduation, only the people intimitely involved get seafood stew and duck afterwards. It’s an unnecessary extravagence in a time when we need to cut back spending.
But I am quite glad that GW is out of office. Despite my cynicism with Obama, I think that he will bring out some positive change- just not nearly as much as people are hoping for. I think that some people will be disappointed when we learn he does not fart faery dust, and that he will not wave a wand and make all our problems disappear.
Did you know he’s black?
HALF black.
I think many of us are a bit overwhelmed by all the Obamania. I certainly am.
That said, I DID enjoy the inauguration (though it costed HOW many millions?? :eek:) and I AM glad Obama won, I really think he will bring much needed changes. But, you know, we should wait until he actually does something as President to cheer for him. (But let’s face it, the whole event was mostly people taking the opportunity to celebrate SOMETHING after all the negative events of the past few years.) He’s charming now, but so was Clinton at the start…
On a related matter: you folks heard how they made even a Spider-Man comic book featuring Obama? Well, that ended up causing a few problems of its own:
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Erik Larsen, creator of the Savage Dragon, has been engaged on an online flame war with Marvel Comics over how they stole his Obama comic book idea. (Not just using the President, but several details of the story itself!) Also note how Larsen used Obama BEFORE the election- Marvel was actual sponsoring Stephen Colbert for President! (obviously as a gag.)
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Many comics retailers are furious because Marvel changed the contents on a comic to include Obama, rather than offer it separatedly. This resulted in many of them not ordering enough issues in time to meet the demand. (Which has been crazy.)
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Many fans (such as me
) have pointed out that featuring Obama in the Marvel Universe right now isn’t exactly a good idea, as, currently, there is an ongoing storyline where Norman Osborn (the freakin’ GREEN GOBLIN) has taken over much of the US government and has the heroes being hunted down. Kinda makes Obie look bad, you know? (Besides, given the way time moves in Marvel Comics- about a year every four years of real time- is it a good idea to focus so much on the identity of ONE President, when, possibly as soon as in four years, that story will be out of continuity?)
The inaugural address was lukewarm. It was a list of policy decisions dressed in generic metaphors. Obama read it forcefully and never stumbled. This garnered applause and comments from newspapers that “it struck exactly the tone our times needed.” True enough – it was accurate to Obama’s chosen policies and not overly exuberant. But it made no persuasive argument, as did Obama’s genius race speech. It provided no insight to the times. The inaugural address was a list of conclusions to arguments made during the campaign itself, when Obama was forced to debate policy with Clinton and McCain. Obama has already won the popular and Congressional support he’ll need. His primary concern now is not persuasion, but ensuring that his policies work.
So I imagine that’s why Obama let a speechwriter write a safe acceptance speech and inaugural address. His race speech last year was the best by a President or candidate that I’ve encountered, except perhaps some of Lincoln’s, and Washington’s farewell speech. I guess that in his efforts to get carefully drafted laws passed rapidly, he has less time to be persuasive. It showed.
Originally Posted by Genericangstyposter
Actually, I’d have to agree with Spoony to a large degree. I hate all the pomp and circumstance associated with inaugurations. It seems to me like an expensive high school graduation, only the people intimitely involved get seafood stew and duck afterwards. It’s an unnecessary extravagence in a time when we need to cut back spending.
It did seem like the speech writers’ cut some corners by recycling one of the speeches used by Bush.
Edit: Aw Damnit! Too slow again! >.<
I feel a great contempt at Cid for not having named this “Nobama Thread.”
Nobama’s Ambition?
You watched The Daily Show last night, didn’t you?
I still wonder what his change was. During the campaign, I got the idea that the change was in part a change from “politics as usual,” a departure from the divisive atmosphere that’s existed for the most part since 1994. However, when I see names like Daschle, Hillary Clinton, the now withdrawn Bill Richardson (as much as I like the man), and some other names I can’t recall (Rahm?), I just get images of the political air from the late-90s on.
It seems to me, at least from these first impressions during the transition, that the change was not from “politics as usual,” which I believe transcends any one political party, and more of a change from Bush. Not speaking of the merits of change merely being away from Bush (although Obama’s stance on Iran didn’t strike me that different), I just always got the impression from the way he spoke that the change was going to be something greater than that.
I’m willing to give it a shot (or as willing as I would be for either major party), but some of the early nominees announced during the transition just struck me as being more of the same. The only difference I really perceive so far is that there’s a (D) instead of an ® at the end of the name.
I agree there’s too much hype. Today when I checked my local new channel’s website, all but two of the top stories were regarding Obama and his inaugaration.
I think what he can and can’t do is going to be extremely constrained by world events and the economic/social nature of America and its place in the world. He will probably implement the policies Bush was finally beginning to as his term ended, but, hopefullly, more competently.
Oh yeah, and I doubt we’re leaving Iraq anytime soon.
Represent!
In all seriousness though, officially half black is recognized as black (I know all about it since I’m half black too). The whole half black thing really doesn’t matter. I’d say that in some areas, being half is a bit harder than all.
he’s getting rid of gitmo
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090121/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_day_one
So far I’m impressed, some highlights:
Aides circulated a draft of an executive order that would close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year and halt all war crimes trials in the meantime.
The new commander in chief held his first meeting in the Situation Room, where he, Vice President Joe Biden and senior military and foreign policy officials discussed war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama campaigned on a pledge to withdraw U.S. combat forces from Iraq within 16 months, and to beef up the commitment in Afghanistan.
“As of today, lobbyists will be subject to stricter limits than under any … other administration in history,” Obama told reporters as he signed the new rules. The restrictions included a ban on gifts by lobbyists to anyone serving in the administration.
He also imposed a pay freeze for about 100 White House aides who earn $100,000 or more. Its implementation was unclear, since none of them was on the payroll before Tuesday’s noontime inauguration.
On Tuesday, within hours of Obama’s inauguration, his administration froze last-minute Bush administration regulations before they could take effect.
Among them was an Interior Department proposal to remove gray wolves from Endangered Species protections in much of the northern Rocky Mountains, and a Labor Department recommendation that would allow companies that manage employee retirement plans to market investment products to plan participants.
On top of that I was listening to NPR and he put a restriction on himself that would disallow the withholding of information to the public under his order unless a separate committee voted that his reasonings to do so were sound. Also not mentioned in the article about lobbyists is that if they fail to lobby something, they would have to wait at least 2 years before attempting to try again.
I agree with Rinn, I like it.
Was pretty much engulfed in the inauguration yesterday. Then again, it allowed my only class to last 2-3 minutes, and I had something to do for a few hours. I thought that Obama’s speech was ok. But I don’t really comment on stuff like that too much. Most everyone at my university was watching it though.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see what unfolds now. Should be interesting to watch…
But I really didn’t care to see every little detail. Too much. I don’t care to see people eating lunch or whatever else.
Also, Fox News can’t let go of Bush. (Watching The Daily Show)
I think Obama was the best choice from the contenders. Being better than Bush is a low bar and a change in America’s international policies (the first arena where “fair play” will be battered) greater than Clinton’s co-op mode or dramatic economic changes are unlikely. However, he could do things like disentangle science from the culture wars, stop the muslim scare (the nod towards people of different -or no- religions was nice), roll back a big part (unlikely all) of W.'s human rights infringements, spend more on renewable energy and grapple with the healthcare or educational system. I wouldn’t hold my breath for the healthcare or any gay equality issues though.
As for what he’ll actually do, we’ll be here to witness. He’ll be judged by his actions, not his speeches.
Well, you are an important trading partner of theirs That’s globalisation for you: when America’s home market can impact the rest of the world, it’s no wonder the rest of the world is interested.