Cassi Creek: The
Constitutional requirements have been fulfilled. Barak Hussein Obama has been sworn in as
POTUS according to the laws of these United States.
Today, there
are various lesser celebratory events and functions taking place in the
District of Columbia. Tomorrow, there
will be the parade, the public administration of the oath of office, the inaugural
balls, and all the other hoopla associated with the peaceful transition of power
from one administration to another.
Truman is the
first President that I was aware of.
Eisenhower is the first President whose inaugural I recall. Kennedy’s inaugural is the first that really
meant anything to me. Lyndon Johnson’s
was an occasion of shock and pain. Nixon’s
to me, came with the likelihood of my demise in an ever-expanding war. Ford’s signaled an attempt at
unification. Carter left me wishing Ford
had beaten him at the polls.
The Reagan inaugurals
were signals that greed, malfeasance, and corruption were loose in the land,
Bush the elder seemed to be an attempt to clean up and cover up the mess left
by the senile Reagan.
Clinton, the
first of my generation allowed himself to become mired in a sex scandal and
ushered in the GOP practice of trying to reverse the election results of anyone
who defeated the GOP candidate by obstruction, endless investigations, and
impeachment battles. Bush the younger
marked a return to the Reagan policies and practices that nearly destroyed the
global economy.
The 2008
election of Obama was evidence of recognition that new coalitions of voters
were needed, and that the racism, xenophobia, and religious intolerance initially
crystallized in the Nixon southern strategy and the Reagan welfare queen
strategy could be revived and amplified by the likes of Palin; and that
education and intellect were unimportant to voters who listened only to Fox
News and bible thumpers.
I voted for
Obama in 2008 and in 2012. I would have
preferred Hillary Clinton in 2008. Obama
seems, to me, to have been more concerned about being liked by the populace and
the Congress. That popularity will never
become evident at the level he would like.
He needs to begin playing hardball.
He is the POTSUS, not a friend to each and every elected official or voter. Fully 50% of the nation will never like
him.
He has a
major economic fight before him, a war in Afghanistan to discontinue, and the
looming contest over gun control. None
of these will lead to much popularity for him.
I think he
has the potential to win these battles.
I hope he does. We need him to
toughen up and make it evident to the GOP/teavangelists that they will not be
allowed to dictate U.S. policies currently and in the future.
Tomorrow is
the inauguration. I should be more excited
about it. But I can’t muster the energy. The historical impact of the Obama presidency
was made manifest in 2008. The four
years that were his first term became an exercise in working around the hatred
and racism that has been directed at him by citizens who exemplify the worst of
America, and by politicians who are prepared to change the U.S. into a nation
of theocrats who are at war with education and intellect.
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