Inauguration thoughts we should all be able to agree on

[Appa23]

All he had to do was set the tone and he could have avoided the look of hypocrisy that accompanies him spending 150 million taxpayer dollars on a bunch of big show.

I don't believe that most of the money was taxpayer dollars. I think most, if not all, of the money was privately raised. I certainly received my share of e-mails from the Presidential Inaugural Committee asking for money. --Bob

As of January 18, 2009, $27 million had been raised from private donors.

Leaving about $140 million being taxpayer funds.

Of course, maybe vendors are donating a percentage of the revenues from the sale of Obama nail clippers, Obama coins, and other silly items to Obamaniacs.

[Jeemie]

Oh...I see. They were owed a big party.

What would you have proposed to keep joyous people who wanted to celebrate this day from going to DC of their own accord? Martial law?

Simple.

Not had a big party.

Look- I'm not really THAT wound up about it.

But Sprots said "It couldn't be helped", when, yes, it COULD have been helped.

[Bob Juch]

I'm saying that the reason there haven't been any further attacks is because no one's tried despite well-publicised weaknesses. If tons of drugs can be brought into the country, why not tons of explosives?

This is getting ridiculous. Why would any terrorist or terrorist group risk smuggling in tons of explosives, when everything they need is readily available here already? Did the bastards smuggle in their own commercial airliners on 9/11? They didn't use explosives at all.

Riiight! So it's even easier.

[Appa23]

Another media source has the private donations around $40 million today, which is approximately the same as the private donations that paid for the inauguration in 2004.

State and local governments have asked for $75 million to cover the costs of additonal police, fire, and other services.

Other than those facts, the only thing that I will note is that there were Democratic legislators who took President Bush (43) to task for having "lavish" inauguration parties during "war time". They haven't said "boo" this time.

[peacock2121]

Oh...I see. They were owed a big party.

What would you have proposed to keep joyous people who wanted to celebrate this day from going to DC of their own accord? Martial law?

Simple.

Not had a big party.

Look- I'm not really THAT wound up about it.

But Sprots said "It couldn't be helped", when, yes, it COULD have been helped.

I don't think she said that.

She said it would not have worked (the speech tocque suggested), not that it couldn't be helped.

[silverscreenselect]

I'm saying that the reason there haven't been any further attacks is because no one's tried despite well-publicised weaknesses. If tons of drugs can be brought into the country, why not tons of explosives?

Our law enforcement people collectively knew enough to have taken action to stop the 9/11 hijackers. The problem was that there were bits and pieces all over the place and no one able to put it all together. Supposedly, everything we've done since then has been geared towards preventing this from happening by pooling our intelligence resources and by giving the government certain "necessary" powers to conduct a lot more surveillance than they could do before.

During the last few years, we've seen other countries make major arrests and seizures of explosives and other dangerous materials. All you've seen here are a handful of highly publicized arrests of low level losers with half baked plans. I'm not sympathizing with these people, but the chances of them pulling off anything remotely resembling another 9/11 were virtually non-existent.

I don't believe we have scared off our enemies. I just think they are operating under their own timetable and they may or may not be actively plotting something major in this country.

[Jeemie]

I don't think she said that.

She said it would not have worked (the speech tocque suggested), not that it couldn't be helped.

It can't be helped. When you round up an extra two million people into a space that was designed for a few hundred thousand, you must spend what it takes to avert foreseeable problems -- or disasters.

[silverscreenselect]

132 (and counting) mostly disagreeing posts on things we should all be able to agree on.

Is this some sort of record?

[Jeemie]

132 (and counting) mostly disagreeing posts on things we should all be able to agree on.

Is this some sort of record?

This thread has been completely hijacked- we're not talking about the original post anymore...and have long since stopped doing so.

[tlynn78]

This thread has been completely hijacked

Not completely hijacked. No merrymen (yet).


t.

[peacock2121]

I don't think she said that.

She said it would not have worked (the speech tocque suggested), not that it couldn't be helped.

It can't be helped. When you round up an extra two million people into a space that was designed for a few hundred thousand, you must spend what it takes to avert foreseeable problems -- or disasters.

I get it.

She said spending the money could not be helped because security was needed.

You are saying security would not have been needed if Obama had made sure that not so many people came.

She said that no matter what Obama did or said, people would have come.

[Estonut]

This thread has been completely hijacked

Not completely hijacked. No merrymen (yet).


t.

You've already forgotten about posts #3 & #8. That's as far as I reviewed from the top. There may be others, too.

[The Lord Jehovah]

This thread has been completely hijacked

Not completely hijacked. No merrymen (yet).


t.

I'm not interested in hijacking anything, but some of the unpleasantness in here sure puts me in the mood to do a little smiting.

[tlynn78]

posts #3 & #8.

What!? Are you saying those aren't real bb's?? WhatEVER. Next you'll be telling me Evil Squirrel isn't really a squirrel. As if.


t.

[Sir_Galahad]

1. Regardless of whether or not you think this particular man should have won this particular election ... the fact that the United States is now a country in which an African American can be elected President is a good thing. If you think this country was better in the days when a citizen could get beaten or killed for trying to exercise their right to vote -- which was within the lifetime of many of us here -- shame on you.

2. Having said that ... this President must now be judged on his performance. If you are willing to excuse anything he does because he is African American -- or because you voted for him -- shame on you.

3. At the same time, we must also give him a fair trial. And if he fails, we fail. If you are actually looking forward to the inevitable first misstep -- if you would rather see the country go down the tubes than admit you were wrong -- shame on you.

4. Of course, there will be no agreement on whether or not he is a success. Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were both inspiring leaders who achieved many of their stated goals -- and both initiated policies that had some unintended long-term negative effects -- but few people who think that one was the greatest President would agree that the other was also a great President.

5. Good luck to the new President. Good luck to us all.

First off, I don't know why anyone would think Obama should not have won. He ran a much superior campaign over a one-trick pony candidate who didn't have a clue. I have heard from more than one source that McCain was set up as a fall guy by the RNC figuring Obama would self-implode and they would be set to recapture Capitol Hill in 2012. I believe and don't believe virtually everything that comes out of D.C. or the media. Personally, after watching him for the past several months, I see him as a practical sort of guy and do not believe he will deviate all that much from many of the things Bush has started.

I agree that I will take a wait and see attitude before I make any determination as to what type of leader he is. But, I am rooting for him to lead this country in the direction it needs to go. And, you are right, if he fails, we fail. If he takes this country on a path to socialism, I will not root for him to succeed.

[silverscreenselect]

First off, I don't know why anyone would think Obama should not have won. He ran a much superior campaign over a one-trick pony candidate who didn't have a clue.

Although McCain certainly made his share of mistakes (mishandling Palin being the worst of them), he was the only Republican who gave them a chance of winning this year. Keep in mind that he led in the polls in early September and was tied up until six weeks before the election, whereupon the tanking economy did him in. From that point on, My Pet Goat could have won the election as a Democrat.

The electorate had tuned out Republicans in general and conservative themes in particular. Romney, Huckabee, Rudy G, Thompson or the others would never have come within double digits of Obama (or any Democrat). Look what happened again in the Senate and House races this year if you want some further examples. McCain was able to distance himself enough from the Republican/conservative brand to give himself a chance... if the financial crisis hadn't blown up in his face. And let's face it, we have never had a potentially catastrophic event of that magnitude occur that close to a presidential election in our nation's history.

If Republicans think that the way back to the White House is by "returning to their roots," they are in for another electoral shellacking to come, unless Obama completely implodes.

[Ritterskoop]

Clem, I liked your post very, very much.

It made some of the rest of the thread go away in my head.

Thank you.

[a1mamacat]

My outside 2 cents

The pomp and ceremony were not only to celebrate the passing of the proverbial torch, but seemed to me to be a message to the rest of the world, that no matter what else was happening, whether war, finances, or internal strife, Americans stand together proudly to honour the office of President.

This was not about the man, this was about the Office.



edited because there is no such word as wtand

[Ritterskoop]

edited because there is no such word as wtand

but there should be

[Sir_Galahad]

First off, I don't know why anyone would think Obama should not have won. He ran a much superior campaign over a one-trick pony candidate who didn't have a clue.

Although McCain certainly made his share of mistakes (mishandling Palin being the worst of them), he was the only Republican who gave them a chance of winning this year. Keep in mind that he led in the polls in early September and was tied up until six weeks before the election, whereupon the tanking economy did him in. From that point on, My Pet Goat could have won the election as a Democrat.

The electorate had tuned out Republicans in general and conservative themes in particular. Romney, Huckabee, Rudy G, Thompson or the others would never have come within double digits of Obama (or any Democrat). Look what happened again in the Senate and House races this year if you want some further examples. McCain was able to distance himself enough from the Republican/conservative brand to give himself a chance... if the financial crisis hadn't blown up in his face. And let's face it, we have never had a potentially catastrophic event of that magnitude occur that close to a presidential election in our nation's history.

If Republicans think that the way back to the White House is by "returning to their roots," they are in for another electoral shellacking to come, unless Obama completely implodes.

Actually, Skoop, from what I remember, McCain was in deep trouble until he brought Palin on board. And, he was just starting to pull slightly ahead in the polls until the economy tanked. Then, he made than bonehead move of going to Washington making all sorts of wild statements, flailing in the pool only to later vote for the bailout. I believe that sealed his fate.

[Ritterskoop]

First off, I don't know why anyone would think Obama should not have won. He ran a much superior campaign over a one-trick pony candidate who didn't have a clue.

Although McCain certainly made his share of mistakes (mishandling Palin being the worst of them), he was the only Republican who gave them a chance of winning this year. Keep in mind that he led in the polls in early September and was tied up until six weeks before the election, whereupon the tanking economy did him in. From that point on, My Pet Goat could have won the election as a Democrat.

The electorate had tuned out Republicans in general and conservative themes in particular. Romney, Huckabee, Rudy G, Thompson or the others would never have come within double digits of Obama (or any Democrat). Look what happened again in the Senate and House races this year if you want some further examples. McCain was able to distance himself enough from the Republican/conservative brand to give himself a chance... if the financial crisis hadn't blown up in his face. And let's face it, we have never had a potentially catastrophic event of that magnitude occur that close to a presidential election in our nation's history.

If Republicans think that the way back to the White House is by "returning to their roots," they are in for another electoral shellacking to come, unless Obama completely implodes.

Actually, Skoop, from what I remember, McCain was in deep trouble until he brought Palin on board. And, he was just starting to pull slightly ahead in the polls until the economy tanked. Then, he made than bonehead move of going to Washington making all sorts of wild statements, flailing in the pool only to later vote for the bailout. I believe that sealed his fate.

Wasn't me. A different poster with an S name. My only post in this thread was to salute Clem's.

Thanks.

[clem21]

Clem, I liked your post very, very much.

It made some of the rest of the thread go away in my head.

Thank you.

No, Thank you.

I'm glad someone took notice.

[mellytu74]

Clem, I liked your post very, very much.

It made some of the rest of the thread go away in my head.

Thank you.

No, Thank you.

I'm glad someone took notice.

Getting back to the thread after making TLAF dinner.

Thank you, clem. You expressed the sense of community better than I could. People wanted to BE somewhere. BE a part of something.

Thank you, skoop.

Just know that TLAF, who is 91 YO and does not have many inaugurations left in her, cried a lot this afternoon.

She commits to service by crocheting blankets for low-income birth mothers at a local hospital. And making meals for Meals on Wheels with her seniors group. A fine Baked Ziti.

She knows about sacrficing for the greater good. I've heard the stories my whole life.

Know that today TLAF, the daughter of two Italian immigrants, joked that America finally elected someone to national office whose named ends in a vowel. He's still not Italian.

[ne1410s]

melly:

...joked that America finally elected someone to national office whose named ends in a vowel.

Hey!! James Monroe. OK, I got her point and it was funny.

BHO is my twelfth president. Goodness gracious how many has TLAF lived through?

[mellytu74]

melly:

...joked that America finally elected someone to national office whose named ends in a vowel.

Hey!! James Monroe. OK, I got her point and it was funny.

BHO is my twelfth president. Goodness gracious how many has TLAF lived through?

TLAF was born in 1917 -- so Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, FDR (TLAF"S first vote was 1940), Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, Obama.

It's less than it would seem because FDR took up so much time.