I got back home late Wednesday night from my trip back East for the Inauguration. I am indebted to my friends Greg and Lorene Guernsey for hosting me at their home and providing helpful driving directions and a friendly welcome. I also want to thank Rep. Devin Nunes and his D.C. office staff. He graciously provided a viewing ticket to the event. His legislative aides, Caitlin Shannon and Rocci DiCicco, kept me up to date on the deadlines and procedures and rendered most cordial and accommodating service the day before the Inauguration when I went to his office to pick up my ticket and materials.
I spent the rest of Sunday walking DC. I reconnoitered the route from the Metro station I would need to use to follow to the viewing area so I wouldn't get lost. The Washington Metro subway system is excellent and easy to negotiate, by the way. I particularly wanted to see the new monuments that had gone up since my last visit to the nation's capital. That was back in 1996 when Joan and I took our daughters Jeanette and Marie before Jeanette's eighth grade year. The three new ones for me were World War II, Martin Luther King and Franklin D. Roosevelt. I also spent some time at the Lincoln Memorial. All were well worth seeing, tastefully and impressively done. At the Martin Luther King Memorial I got to see Jesse Jackson, who was there for the King Holiday. The FDR Memorial was expansive and evocative of the many challenges he faced during his presidency.
I came away with a number of impressions of the Inauguration itself. First among these are the numbers. There were an estimated 900,000 to 1,000,000 in attendance, the biggest second inauguration crowd ever, though about half the number who came to President Obama's First in 2009. Despite the enormity of the crowd, the mood was cooperative and patient. The military and police presence was large and many streets were blocked off. It took a long time to get through the lines and security searches, yet the folks took it with a positive attitude. Everyone was bundled up; the temperature was in the twenties when we arrived, going up to a high of about 40. As might be expected, the African-American proportion of the crowd was large, probably about one-third in my section. Most everyone there was happy about the President's re-election, but there was a special pride among African-Americans. Many came with their whole families to be part of the historic moment.
I wound up north of center about 200 yards out at the top of a set of steps at roughly two o'clock from the President's view from the lectern. There were leafless trees partially obscuring a clear view, not to mention tall people. But I could get a more direct view by shifting my feet and craning my neck. Once at the viewing section people were crammed together very tightly. That was helpful in resisting the cold and potentially could have led to frayed tempers, but did not from what I saw. The prevailing spirit made for everyone to show consideration. It was a celebration, after all. For someone in attendance, much more than watching on television, the entertainment was important. The Brooklyn choir, James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson, Beyonce, and poet Richard Blanco were all sensationally good, as of course was the U.S. Marine Band. When you are standing there for so long it's most helpful to break up the speeches and dead time with art that accentuates the theme. They all came across as representative of the incredible talent of a great and vibrant nation. See a collage of the day's activities here.
The crowd enjoyed greeting the various dignitaries as they filed in. There were jumbo trons set up to get better views and even previews as they approached from within the Capitol Building's corridors. Senator and Mrs. Kerry, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Joe and Jill Biden and Bill and Hillary Clinton evoked the greatest cheers from the crowd. The reception for Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama was greater yet, and that for the President himself, accompanied by "Hail to the Chief," was loudest of all. After the benediction things proceeded rapidly to the swearings in. We heard the familiar voice of Vice President Biden repeating the oath administered by Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The devout Catholic Veep especially emphasized the last four words, "so help me God!" I turned on my phone's video recorder as Chief Justice John Roberts stepped forward. He then swore in President Obama, and as he finished the crowd roared. The army punctuated the moment with a thunderous 21-gun salute from a battery of cannon set up just to our left on the northwest lawn of the Capitol.
The Inaugural Address itself is harder to follow live than on television. Caught up with the crowd in the excitement of the moment, I more got impressions of the speech than a lot of hard content. It struck me as a rather forthright presentation of the President'' progressive values, centered on the pragmatic pursuit of justice and human service. By mentioning topics like climate change and gay rights within the larger contexts of community, freedom and justice the President came across as someone who will be unafraid in his second term to pursue what he believes. He called for action and stressed our mutual obligations to each other through programs such as Medicare and public education. He used the word "together" several times. He called for action, saying though there will always be disagreements about how best to meet our challenges, we must act now on them and make adjustments as required by developments. I felt he showed he will be vigorous and less likely to vainly wait for his political opponents to voluntarily accept reasonable compromises. I got the sense there will be more hardball with Congress in the second term. The crowd heartily approved. See President Obama's Inaugural Address as recorded by ABC News here.
Following the fine humanity and evocative imagery of Richrd Blanco's poem and Beyonce's tremendous rendition of the National Anthem the dignitaries recessed out and the throng slowly broke up and moved toward the transportation nubs. Like many, I meandered about, eating some trail mix and soaking in the festivities. I took some people's pictures in front of the Capitol and a nice young man took mine. The sense of community remained strong. Later on I was able to attend a reception put on by the Claremont McKenna College Alumni Association, my alma mater. There I enjoyed some stimulating conversation with alums working in Washington, such as Steve Dagadakis, a staffer with the House Democratic Caucus. It was the cap of a magnificent day.
The next day I took a two-hour drive into central Virginia and visited Monticello, home of our third president, Thomas Jefferson, and Ash Lawn-Highland, home of his neighbor our fifth president, James Monroe. It was a most fitting and satisfying end to my trip to see the way of life of two of our most important founders. Enjoying our capital city, being present for a memorable Inauguration and getting in touch with some meaningful history was a wonderful experience. I felt proud to be a citizen.
Showing posts with label Presidential Inauguration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Presidential Inauguration. Show all posts
Friday, January 25, 2013
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Inauguration Party
I was part of an Inauguration Party on Tuesday Night. The local Democratic Party made arrangements with a local restaurant to host a big dinner and fest for the nught of January 20, since many people had to work and would miss the Inauguration live.
It was held at Crawdaddy's, a New Orleans style place. People were asked to RSVP in advance in order not to overbook. We wound up with 227 attendees at $15 each. The admission included a dinner. This did not quite cover the costs. The local Party (the Central Committee) also raised some funds with a 50-50 drawing, in which a woman won $318, and by the sale of merchandise. So all in all it probably about broke even. The mood was festive and jubilant, as you might expect it to be among politically interested people when their candidate has just assumed the presidency.
I was the MC for the evening. The event was held on two floors, so pretty much everything had to be announced on one floor and then duplicated on the other. We had a fine black gospel singer on the second floor. The four local Democratic Clubs had their presidents introduced themselves to the crowd and invited people to join. The four clubs were the Visalia Democratic Club, Tulare Democratic Club, Democratic Women of Tulare County and The College of the Squoias Young Democrats.
We had three speakers. Victor Moheno of Visalia is a local attorney and longtime Democratic activist talked mostly about issues. Dean Singh had been a delegate to the National Convention in Denver and spoke of his experience there. Finally, Jake Torrance spoke on the impact on society from the perspective of an African-American.
After that everyone was invited to crowd into the second floor to watch two video presentations. First, local Tulare resident Stan Carter had produced an 8-minute piece that included interviews with African-American senior citizens speaking about their reactions to this momentous election, considering everything they have been through. That was followed by a showing of the swearing in and President Obama's Inaugural Address.
Doors opened at 6:00 and we said good night shortly after 9:00. Many who participated were surprised to see so many celebrating Dems in this majority Republican county. There was also extensive coverage in the local press and even on television news. You can read the Visalia Times-Delta story here. It was a great day for Democrats and Obama supporters in Tulare County.
It was held at Crawdaddy's, a New Orleans style place. People were asked to RSVP in advance in order not to overbook. We wound up with 227 attendees at $15 each. The admission included a dinner. This did not quite cover the costs. The local Party (the Central Committee) also raised some funds with a 50-50 drawing, in which a woman won $318, and by the sale of merchandise. So all in all it probably about broke even. The mood was festive and jubilant, as you might expect it to be among politically interested people when their candidate has just assumed the presidency.
I was the MC for the evening. The event was held on two floors, so pretty much everything had to be announced on one floor and then duplicated on the other. We had a fine black gospel singer on the second floor. The four local Democratic Clubs had their presidents introduced themselves to the crowd and invited people to join. The four clubs were the Visalia Democratic Club, Tulare Democratic Club, Democratic Women of Tulare County and The College of the Squoias Young Democrats.
We had three speakers. Victor Moheno of Visalia is a local attorney and longtime Democratic activist talked mostly about issues. Dean Singh had been a delegate to the National Convention in Denver and spoke of his experience there. Finally, Jake Torrance spoke on the impact on society from the perspective of an African-American.
After that everyone was invited to crowd into the second floor to watch two video presentations. First, local Tulare resident Stan Carter had produced an 8-minute piece that included interviews with African-American senior citizens speaking about their reactions to this momentous election, considering everything they have been through. That was followed by a showing of the swearing in and President Obama's Inaugural Address.
Doors opened at 6:00 and we said good night shortly after 9:00. Many who participated were surprised to see so many celebrating Dems in this majority Republican county. There was also extensive coverage in the local press and even on television news. You can read the Visalia Times-Delta story here. It was a great day for Democrats and Obama supporters in Tulare County.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Obama and Roosevelt, Continued
The overriding challenges confronting Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 and Barack Obama this year are similar in that both concerned the economy. The major difference is one of degree. As serious as the financial and economic problems today are, those faced by FDR in 1933 were incomparably worse.
By the time Roosevelt took office the Great Depression had been underway for nearly three and a half years. Over that time the Gross National Product of the American economy had been cut nearly in half, falling from $104 billion in 1929 to $56 billion in 1933. Five thousand bank failures had erased nine million bank accounts. Unemployment stood at 25%. Underemployment, including both the unemployed and those with meager or part-time employment insufficient to maintain their financial obligations, may have reached 50%. No one knows for sure. The price of industrial stocks had plummeted by 80%. People were so desperate that when the Soviet trade office in New York announced a need for 6,000 skilled workers to go to Communist Russia, 100,000 Americans applied.
In agriculture, farm income had fallen from $12 billion in 1929 to $5 billion in 1932. Wheat sold for twenty-three cents a bushel. Overall, farm prices had dropped 50%, far below the cost of production. In response, farmers plowed corn under, poured milk into the ground and allowed cotton to rot in the fields. The governors of several states shut down their school systems, there being no money to pay for them. Other states mobilized their national guards to control fighting over farm foreclosures. Health researchers estimated 90% of the citizens of Kentucky and West Virginia suffered from malnutrition.
Today’s figures are of a far different magnitude. The recession has lasted 13 months to date. GDP appears to have fallen 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2007 and will perhaps come in at a four to five percent loss for the fourth quarter of 2008. Twenty-five American banks failed in 2008, the biggest of which, Washington Mutual, was taken over by JP Morgan Chase. The stock market index has fallen 40% since its peak at over 14,000 in October of 2007. Unemployment is currently at 7.2%, with fears it may reach 10. If you add in the underemployed as reported this week, that figure could be as high as 13%. States and municipalities are strapped; in California Governor Schwarzenegger is contemplating cutting school funding by 4%, cutting the school year by a week and furloughing state employees two days a month. In a current sore spot for the ag sector, milk prices are once again below the cost of production. The bottom line is that if the 2009 Inaugural will be held in difficult times, 1933 took place during unmitigated catastrophe.
Looking at the campaigns that brought them to office, there were several similarities. Roosevelt pledged serious change, what he called “a new deal for the American people.” He ran against the record of the incumbent, Herbert Hoover, whom he blamed for the state of the nation’s ills. Obama also hammered home the change message, in the form of “change we can believe in” and later, “the change we need.” Although the incumbent, George W. Bush was not running, Obama attempted to tie his opponent John McCain as closely to Bush as possible so that he too would have an advantage as though he were running against an unpopular incumbent.
Both Roosevelt and Obama were accused of dangerous radicalism by their opponents. Hoover called the Democrats “the party of the mob” and likened FDR’s ideas to those of Soviet Communism. McCain similarly attempted to paint Obama as out of the mainstream, calling him a “socialist” and accusing him of questionable associations. Neither charge appeared to resonate with the voters as both FDR and Obama were elected by comfortable margins.
Though both won solid election victories, Roosevelt surveyed the crowd at his inaugural secure in the knowledge that his election was an immense landslide and Congress stood ready to approve more or less anything he proposed. Of the two, Roosevelt’s victory was much the more decisive. Because conditions were so much worse in 1933, a larger majority were eager to make a change. Roosevelt captured 57.4% of the popular vote to Hoover’s 39.7%. FDR won 42 of the 48 states and captured the electoral vote 472-59. His party controlled the House of Representatives by almost three to one, 310-117, and the Senate 60 to 36.
When Obama turns from taking the oath to begin his Inaugural Address, he may face a sea of as many as 1,500,000 faces. But he will probably not have quite Roosevelt’s political muscle. Obama won a substantial victory, though not an overwhelming one. He took 52.9% of the popular vote to McCain’s 45.7% and won the electoral vote 365 to 173. His party will enjoy a margin of 258-177 in the House and probably 59-41 in the Senate.
The country had to wait longer for the Roosevelt inauguration, too. According to the original Constitutional wording it took place on March 4, seventeen weeks after the election. The Twentieth Amendment, passed in 1932, has meant that in every election since Roosevelt’s in 1933 the inaugural is held on January 20th, a full six weeks earlier.
And Obama has had a more cooperative relationship with the man he is succeeding than Roosevelt did. Hoover beseeched FDR to make public statements supporting his policies in order to bolster confidence in the economy. Roosevelt pointedly refused, both because he strongly disagreed with Hoover’s laissez-faire approach to combating the Depression and also because he wanted to make no commitments until he had the authority to act. Their ride together to the Capitol steps took place in icy silence.
In contrast, once the slings and arrows of the 2008 campaign were over, President Bush and President-elect Obama have been most gracious to each other. Bush has invited Obama to the White House twice and has seemingly sought to coordinate some of his anti-recession actions, such as the auto bailout and in moving to make more of the recovery funds available when Obama takes office. For his part, though Obama is deferring to President Bush on foreign matters he has been making frequent statements on economic affairs, almost as though he is already president. This is very different from Roosevelt’s pre-inaugural practice.
Of course, no comparison of the two inaugurals would be complete without mention of the groundbreaking nature of the two men themselves. Roosevelt broke precedent as the first disabled president. Afflicted with polio as a young man, FDR was usually confined to a wheel chair and could only stand with the aid of leg braces or walk laboriously supported by the arm of a strong man. At his public appearances this was often one of his sons. His 146-foot walk to the dais at his Inauguration earned the respect of many. Radio broadcaster Ed Hill remarked, “If this man had the courage to lift himself by sheer willpower from the bed of invalidism…then he must have within him the qualities to lead the nation to recovery.”
For his part, Obama’s election as the nation’s first president of African-American descent will be remembered as a great historic watershed as long as the nation’s history is told. His inauguration is a powerful signal of the nation’s progress toward its founding dream of universal human equality. And just as Roosevelt marshaled America’s hope and will by memorably declaring, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” so will Obama seek to unite his fellow citizens in the shared vision of the possible and the best we can become. A presidential inauguration has traditionally been a time when Americans of all parties come together in wishing the new president well, when optimism and hope reign supreme. As such, it remains one our most important and unifying civic rituals, as essential to the fabric of our democracy in 2009 as it was in 1933.
By the time Roosevelt took office the Great Depression had been underway for nearly three and a half years. Over that time the Gross National Product of the American economy had been cut nearly in half, falling from $104 billion in 1929 to $56 billion in 1933. Five thousand bank failures had erased nine million bank accounts. Unemployment stood at 25%. Underemployment, including both the unemployed and those with meager or part-time employment insufficient to maintain their financial obligations, may have reached 50%. No one knows for sure. The price of industrial stocks had plummeted by 80%. People were so desperate that when the Soviet trade office in New York announced a need for 6,000 skilled workers to go to Communist Russia, 100,000 Americans applied.
In agriculture, farm income had fallen from $12 billion in 1929 to $5 billion in 1932. Wheat sold for twenty-three cents a bushel. Overall, farm prices had dropped 50%, far below the cost of production. In response, farmers plowed corn under, poured milk into the ground and allowed cotton to rot in the fields. The governors of several states shut down their school systems, there being no money to pay for them. Other states mobilized their national guards to control fighting over farm foreclosures. Health researchers estimated 90% of the citizens of Kentucky and West Virginia suffered from malnutrition.
Today’s figures are of a far different magnitude. The recession has lasted 13 months to date. GDP appears to have fallen 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2007 and will perhaps come in at a four to five percent loss for the fourth quarter of 2008. Twenty-five American banks failed in 2008, the biggest of which, Washington Mutual, was taken over by JP Morgan Chase. The stock market index has fallen 40% since its peak at over 14,000 in October of 2007. Unemployment is currently at 7.2%, with fears it may reach 10. If you add in the underemployed as reported this week, that figure could be as high as 13%. States and municipalities are strapped; in California Governor Schwarzenegger is contemplating cutting school funding by 4%, cutting the school year by a week and furloughing state employees two days a month. In a current sore spot for the ag sector, milk prices are once again below the cost of production. The bottom line is that if the 2009 Inaugural will be held in difficult times, 1933 took place during unmitigated catastrophe.
Looking at the campaigns that brought them to office, there were several similarities. Roosevelt pledged serious change, what he called “a new deal for the American people.” He ran against the record of the incumbent, Herbert Hoover, whom he blamed for the state of the nation’s ills. Obama also hammered home the change message, in the form of “change we can believe in” and later, “the change we need.” Although the incumbent, George W. Bush was not running, Obama attempted to tie his opponent John McCain as closely to Bush as possible so that he too would have an advantage as though he were running against an unpopular incumbent.
Both Roosevelt and Obama were accused of dangerous radicalism by their opponents. Hoover called the Democrats “the party of the mob” and likened FDR’s ideas to those of Soviet Communism. McCain similarly attempted to paint Obama as out of the mainstream, calling him a “socialist” and accusing him of questionable associations. Neither charge appeared to resonate with the voters as both FDR and Obama were elected by comfortable margins.
Though both won solid election victories, Roosevelt surveyed the crowd at his inaugural secure in the knowledge that his election was an immense landslide and Congress stood ready to approve more or less anything he proposed. Of the two, Roosevelt’s victory was much the more decisive. Because conditions were so much worse in 1933, a larger majority were eager to make a change. Roosevelt captured 57.4% of the popular vote to Hoover’s 39.7%. FDR won 42 of the 48 states and captured the electoral vote 472-59. His party controlled the House of Representatives by almost three to one, 310-117, and the Senate 60 to 36.
When Obama turns from taking the oath to begin his Inaugural Address, he may face a sea of as many as 1,500,000 faces. But he will probably not have quite Roosevelt’s political muscle. Obama won a substantial victory, though not an overwhelming one. He took 52.9% of the popular vote to McCain’s 45.7% and won the electoral vote 365 to 173. His party will enjoy a margin of 258-177 in the House and probably 59-41 in the Senate.
The country had to wait longer for the Roosevelt inauguration, too. According to the original Constitutional wording it took place on March 4, seventeen weeks after the election. The Twentieth Amendment, passed in 1932, has meant that in every election since Roosevelt’s in 1933 the inaugural is held on January 20th, a full six weeks earlier.
And Obama has had a more cooperative relationship with the man he is succeeding than Roosevelt did. Hoover beseeched FDR to make public statements supporting his policies in order to bolster confidence in the economy. Roosevelt pointedly refused, both because he strongly disagreed with Hoover’s laissez-faire approach to combating the Depression and also because he wanted to make no commitments until he had the authority to act. Their ride together to the Capitol steps took place in icy silence.
In contrast, once the slings and arrows of the 2008 campaign were over, President Bush and President-elect Obama have been most gracious to each other. Bush has invited Obama to the White House twice and has seemingly sought to coordinate some of his anti-recession actions, such as the auto bailout and in moving to make more of the recovery funds available when Obama takes office. For his part, though Obama is deferring to President Bush on foreign matters he has been making frequent statements on economic affairs, almost as though he is already president. This is very different from Roosevelt’s pre-inaugural practice.
Of course, no comparison of the two inaugurals would be complete without mention of the groundbreaking nature of the two men themselves. Roosevelt broke precedent as the first disabled president. Afflicted with polio as a young man, FDR was usually confined to a wheel chair and could only stand with the aid of leg braces or walk laboriously supported by the arm of a strong man. At his public appearances this was often one of his sons. His 146-foot walk to the dais at his Inauguration earned the respect of many. Radio broadcaster Ed Hill remarked, “If this man had the courage to lift himself by sheer willpower from the bed of invalidism…then he must have within him the qualities to lead the nation to recovery.”
For his part, Obama’s election as the nation’s first president of African-American descent will be remembered as a great historic watershed as long as the nation’s history is told. His inauguration is a powerful signal of the nation’s progress toward its founding dream of universal human equality. And just as Roosevelt marshaled America’s hope and will by memorably declaring, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” so will Obama seek to unite his fellow citizens in the shared vision of the possible and the best we can become. A presidential inauguration has traditionally been a time when Americans of all parties come together in wishing the new president well, when optimism and hope reign supreme. As such, it remains one our most important and unifying civic rituals, as essential to the fabric of our democracy in 2009 as it was in 1933.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Obama and Roosevelt: How Similar?
On Tuesday the twentieth of January the American republic will observe one of its most profound quadrennial rites, the inauguration of a president. Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution establishes the requirement with these words:
January 20, 2009 will mark the fifty-sixth Inaugural Ceremony since the first for George Washington in 1789, and Barack Obama will embark upon the forty-fourth separate American presidency. With the acceptance of this oath a private citizen assumes the executive authority of the American government, is symbolically invested with the hopes of the American people and becomes the single most powerful person on Earth.
As we prepare to welcome the new chief executive and wish him and our country a successful next four years, it is difficult not to think back nineteen inaugurations and seventy-six years ago, to March 4, 1933. Consider the parallels between now and that distant time beyond the memories of most now living, when Franklin D. Roosevelt took the oath of office. As he looked out to an estimated crowd of 150,000 gathered at the steps of the Capitol, the former Governor of New York had much to contemplate.
A new president was set to be inaugurated, a new kind of candidate who personified can-do optimism and dramatic change. He was to replace an unpopular predecessor in the midst of economic turmoil and uncertainty. Huge financial institutions had closed their doors. Millions had lost their jobs, their savings and their homes. Millions more feared they would be next. Not only was the confidence of the people shaken from within, but purveyors of violent ideologies threatened aggression from without.
If you feel that sounds a lot like today, you are not alone. There are a number of interesting parallels between 1933 and 2009, but there are important differences as well. We'll take a closer look in the next edition.
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
January 20, 2009 will mark the fifty-sixth Inaugural Ceremony since the first for George Washington in 1789, and Barack Obama will embark upon the forty-fourth separate American presidency. With the acceptance of this oath a private citizen assumes the executive authority of the American government, is symbolically invested with the hopes of the American people and becomes the single most powerful person on Earth.
As we prepare to welcome the new chief executive and wish him and our country a successful next four years, it is difficult not to think back nineteen inaugurations and seventy-six years ago, to March 4, 1933. Consider the parallels between now and that distant time beyond the memories of most now living, when Franklin D. Roosevelt took the oath of office. As he looked out to an estimated crowd of 150,000 gathered at the steps of the Capitol, the former Governor of New York had much to contemplate.
A new president was set to be inaugurated, a new kind of candidate who personified can-do optimism and dramatic change. He was to replace an unpopular predecessor in the midst of economic turmoil and uncertainty. Huge financial institutions had closed their doors. Millions had lost their jobs, their savings and their homes. Millions more feared they would be next. Not only was the confidence of the people shaken from within, but purveyors of violent ideologies threatened aggression from without.
If you feel that sounds a lot like today, you are not alone. There are a number of interesting parallels between 1933 and 2009, but there are important differences as well. We'll take a closer look in the next edition.
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