As I said below<\/a>, President Obama\u2019s Inaugural speech was very well presented, and there were a few stirring phrases in there, but it also had some weak points and cheap shots and \u2013 Shrum to the contrary<\/a> \u2013 I don\u2019t believe the thing will be \u201cengraved\u201d.<\/p>\n Or maybe it will, if the Triumphalism of the Church of Obama actually lasts. But we hope things will eventually settle down, and the man will be allowed to be a man, not a god.<\/p>\n There was some wonderful imagery in that speech, and some gorgeous prose, and I did like the speech well-enough, but not altogether. And I couldn\u2019t help noticing that a few times Obama seemed to pause as if awaiting applause after a line, and it didn\u2019t come. 3. What a great, great shame that Chief Justice Roberts screwed up the oath-administering. A great shame. This is a video clip for all time \u2014 an \u201ciconic moment.\u201d I\u2019m sure he feels terrible about it. Possibly, he was \u201cnervous as a whore in church,\u201d as an old southern friend of mine used to say. Obama wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n 4. I thought Obama did the minimum about Bush \u2014 the barest minimum: \u201cI thank him for his service,\u201d or something. He could have done a lot more: not with more words, but with better, truer, more gracious words. Bush has certainly done a lot. For one thing, he is passing on to his successor the means with which to fight the War on Terror.<\/p>\n 5. Obama said something like, \u201cIt\u2019s time to quit putting off the unpleasant decisions.\u201d Geez: Making unpleasant decisions, in both the domestic and foreign spheres, was Bush\u2019s specialty. In fact, he sacrificed a good deal of political popularity because of it.<\/p>\n 6. I liked Obama\u2019s nod to Dorothy Fields, the lyricist \u2014 who wrote, \u201cPick yourself up, take a deep breath, dust yourself off, and start all over again.\u201d And, by the way, my favorite recording of that song \u2014 a Kern song \u2014 is by McNair and Previn, on this album.<\/p>\n 7. Obama talked about \u201crestoring science to its rightful place.\u201d I thought that was a cheap, stupid shot. The opinion-makers will love it, of course.<\/p>\n 8. He suggested \u2014 more like said \u2014 that Bush had jettisoned American ideals in order to pursue security. That is a slander, pure and simple. Slandering your predecessor is not a good way to start a presidency.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Indeed.<\/em> One of the most egregious untruths told again and again (and now accepted as \u201ctrue\u201d by people with incurious minds) is the absolute LIE that President Bush was \u201cagainst science\u201d especially as pertains to Stem Cell Research. I\u2019ve written about the lies and distortions about Bush\u2019s excellent policy<\/a> often and often. The bottom line: President Bush SUPPORTED Stem Cell Research, and his strictures on EMBRYONIC scr related to beginning NEW embryonic lines. Gah, I\u2019m sick of saying it \u2013 but go check \u201cEmbryonic Stem Cells\u201d or \u201cStem Cell Research\u201d in my categories. It was, as Nordlinger says, a VERY cheap shot. And yes, #8 is slander. But \u201cthis is politics.\u201d And clearly Bush forgave him, as he\u2019s forgiven a ton of slander these past years.<\/p>\n Read all of Nordlinger\u2019s thoughts here<\/a>.<\/p>\n And yes, among a few shabby moments,<\/strong> this was one<\/a>. The other was Obama\u2019s declaration that America would \u201cfinally lead\u201d again. If you have been paying attention, you know that leading<\/em>, on the war on terror and on AIDS, especially, is pretty much all President Bush has been doing, and the rest of the world has been following. When he outsourced taking care of Iran to the UN and the EU \u2013 because he\u2019d been criticized for being \u201ctoo unilateral\u201d that failed, remember? And what WAS Obama talking about when he suggested that we have not been sympathetic to those in need beyond our borders?<\/p>\n Ramesh Ponnuru<\/strong> thought it was pedestrian<\/a> See all the NRO reactions here<\/a> Jules Crittenden is very underwhelmed<\/a>.<\/p>\n Terry Teachout<\/strong> on John Williams\u2019 so-so air<\/a>, and Elizabeth Alexander\u2019s inane \u201cpoem.\u201d<\/p>\n Joseph Lowery\u2019s Benediction:<\/strong> Ann Althouse liked it<\/a>. I thought it was a little hokey, but he\u2019s an older dude, so hokey is allowed. She notes that Rush Limbaugh riffed on it. I was in and out this afternoon and heard just a few minutes of Limbaugh. He sounded bitter and to me that made him sound weak. Bad move.<\/p>\n UPDATES:<\/strong><\/p>\n Sissy Willis:<\/strong> Ain\u2019t having any<\/a>:<\/p>\n A brilliant speech corrupted with subtle digs at President Bush throughout \u2026 He\u2019s setting himself up to take credit for the coming fruits of Bush\u2019s labors.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n She has more here<\/a> and pulls no punches.<\/p>\n Seems W was<\/strong> well-recieved in Texas<\/a>, according to the commenter at 5:40PM \u2013 some 30,000 people showed<\/a>. Not bad for an ex-president in a small, dusty town. Video here<\/a><\/p>\n Melanie Phillips<\/strong>: Refuses to swoon<\/a> Kenyans<\/strong> Hail \u201cSavior\u201d Barack<\/a>. Oh, geez. \u201cThis man is Jesus\u201d<\/a>. No.<\/p>\n Some advice:<\/strong> On how conservatives should think of this day<\/a>. There are some who are still too angry over how we and Bush have been treated these last 8 years, but I think overall, the conservatives are approaching the Obama presidency with caution but open-ness. Which, yes, it can\u2019t be said enough, just yet \u2013 the left never did for Bush.<\/em> And yes, I\u2019m aware of the fact that I probably make more of a fuss over this stuff than Bush ever would. Can\u2019t help it. When I see injustice it gets under my skin, and I\u2019m not as gracious as he is.<\/p>\n The Gentleman:<\/strong> That would be President Bush<\/a>. Obama may speak better, but he\u2019s not as gracious. And umm\u2026the members of his church have <\/a>no class<\/a>. No class at all<\/a>.<\/p>\n You small, petty, adolescent people,<\/strong> all of you ignorant fools who boo\u2019ed the outgoing president and jeered at him \u2013 remember all those jeers and boos<\/a> when you get into the subway cars that do not blow up or the planes that do not fly into buildings, on your way home. You just took part in a huge gathering \u2013 a terrorist\u2019s wet dream of an event \u2013 and you were completely safe<\/em>. Who do you thank for that?<\/p>\n You thank BUSH, you immature ingrates!<\/p>\n So much for magnanimity in victory<\/a>. But then, these are children\u2026<\/p>\n Rich Lowry:<\/strong> The temptation to feel like a man of destiny<\/a> must be overwhelming. I\u2019d bet that\u2019s true for every president on his inaugural day, though. But perhaps moreso with those crowds. Too bad they couldn\u2019t wait 24 hours to trash Bush on the WH Website<\/a><\/p>\n James Taranto:<\/strong> Obama\u2019s speech echo\u2019ed Bush\u2019s second Inaugural address<\/a>. Well, Peggy Noonan should hate it, then, because she hated Bush\u2019s second address. Which, btw, someone suggests is the speech Obama should have given<\/a>.<\/p>\n They don\u2019t know how to lose well,<\/strong> and they don\u2019t know how to win well, either<\/a>.<\/p>\n Volokh Conspiracy:<\/strong> Roberts and Obama BOTH screwed up the oath<\/a>.<\/p>\n Federalists Paupers pronounce:<\/strong> Petty!<\/a>:<\/p>\n How petty do you have to be to denigrate and take pot shots at your predecessor right after you\u2019ve being sworn in as president? You\u2019re going to have the next four years as president, and one day you\u2019re not going to be as popular as you are at this moment. I\u2019m sure, whenever your successor is being sworn in and you\u2019re sitting there powerless in front of millions, you\u2019ll appreciate not having someone who has no conception of how hard the job is, but who is suddenly the most powerful man in the world, talk about you like you\u2019re chopped liver. Campaign\u2019s over, dillweed; try to act presidential.<\/p>\n 6. That poet chick was terrible. Simply, utterly, terrible. To fit in with my overall theme, I\u2019d like to call her performance petty \u2013 and, truly, it was self-absorbed to an unseemly degree \u2013 but the most appropriate word for it is \u201cterrible.\u201d Perhaps if Obama had been more gracious in his speech, the crowd would have taken their cue and behaved themselves.<\/p>\n Sister Toldjah:<\/strong> Gettin\u2019 weary of the Lincoln overplay<\/a><\/p>\n Michelle Malkin:<\/strong> Wondering about post-racism<\/a><\/p>\n Jules Crittenden:<\/strong> Gaga wonder<\/a><\/p>\n Markets not happy:<\/strong> Dow dips below 8,000<\/a>, falls 200 points after speech.<\/p>\n Whaaa?<\/strong> Free Speech Guglags<\/a>? Well, Hollywood; what don\u2019t they know?<\/p>\n Jim Geraghty:<\/strong> I would like to believe you, Mr. President<\/a><\/p>\n Surber:<\/strong> He tried to be large, but he kept being petty<\/a><\/p>\n Rachel Lucas:<\/strong> Holding a wake<\/a><\/p>\n Completely off-topic:<\/strong> This looks exactly like my elder son!<\/a><\/p>\n Mission Accomplished:<\/strong> Heh<\/a><\/p>\n Hope & Hopes:<\/strong> Blackfive<\/a><\/p>\n Dayffd:<\/strong> The Virtue of Hypocrisy<\/a><\/p>\n BizzyBlog:<\/strong> Was it that<\/em> bad<\/a>?<\/p>\n Betsy hopes:<\/strong> Obama really meant this part<\/a>. So do I.<\/p>\n Subhuman and Superhuman:<\/strong> That would be Bush and Obama. Tracey wonders why they are not allowed to be simply human<\/a>?<\/p>\n Hmmm<\/strong>\u2026McGurn said Bush\u2019s biggest sin was winning<\/a> in Iraq. Sometimes I wonder if his biggest sin wasn\u2019t keeping us safe? Think about it.<\/p>\n Ambivablog<\/strong>: Finds a working metaphor in Kennedy and Byrd having some difficulties<\/a>. She has the \u201creal\u201d inaugural address<\/a> for the era.<\/p>\n New Wineskins:<\/strong> Goin\u2019 all Biblical<\/a><\/p>\n Slightly O\/T but someone sent it my way:<\/strong> Iraq will hold elections on January 31<\/a>. Blame Bush.<\/p>\n Ed Morrissey:<\/strong> The fairest guy in blogdom is also calling the speech \u201cpedestrian\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Great Comments:<\/strong> Always at Althouse\u2019s<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Picture:<\/strong> Worth a thousand words<\/a><\/p>\n Allahpundit:<\/strong> Finds Irony in the Inaugural speech<\/a><\/p>\n Inaugural on Blackberry:<\/strong> Tunku Varadarajan<\/a>, whose name I love to type!<\/p>\n Ace does not like<\/strong> Michelle\u2019s Dress<\/a> \u2013 or, in truth, Mrs. Obama. I don\u2019t think the dress is bad \u2013 maybe a little too, too \u2013 I would have liked it better without the bling at the neckline, and perhaps an empire waist instead of a sheath \u2013 but it\u2019s much better than, say, Hillary\u2019s Blue Coat and Mushroom Hat from 1992. I think the girls look utterly adorable and I love their bright colors and clearly different preferences. And I disagree with Ace, I think Michelle Obama is very pretty. (Also, offensive-content warning; You\u2019re warned.)<\/p>\n Ace also remembers how disgustingly ungenerous the left was to Bush on his second inaugural and notes that much of the right is bending over backwards<\/a> to be gracious, but the left can\u2019t manage it. It was ever thus?<\/p>\n AJ Strata<\/strong>: Wishing Obama well, but \u201cstill not connecting\u201d<\/a> and appalled that so many idiots think the best way to honor Barack\u2019s day is by behaving like childish buffoons.<\/p>\n Middle East Policy:<\/strong> Praising it<\/a>. Bush\u2019s.<\/p>\n Amused Cynic:<\/strong> Votes no more vapid \u201cinaugural poets\u201d and declares we need Inaugural Bluegrass<\/a>.<\/p>\n Doreen Truesdell:<\/strong> The teenagers have won<\/a>. I think she means the perpetual adolescents. Yes, they have the day, that\u2019s for sure. Grownups act like this<\/a>. Not the way they Keep checking back here, as I will continually update with reactions\u2026(Scroll Down for Updates) Gross. Sorry, he is not the Lamb of God. We already have one. As I said below, President Obama\u2019s Inaugural speech was very well presented, and there were a few stirring phrases in there, but it also had some weak points […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,39,188,189,251,253],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-barack-obama","category-bush-good","category-obama-bad","category-obama-good","category-the-fourth-estate","category-the-perpetual-adolescents"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nGross. Sorry, he is not the Lamb of God. We already have one.<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nIn fact, Jay Nordlinger<\/strong> sums up my take on the speech<\/a>, very neatly:<\/p>\n
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\nMore advice for conservatives<\/strong>; Good advice<\/a>, actually. Basically it boils down to: Don\u2019t act like the left has for the past 8 years!<\/p>\n
\n\u2026a bunch of very small people on a very big stage.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nbehaved<\/del> acted out yesterday and today. This is your brain on hate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"