IN THE COMMENTS: amba said:
I really wish they had had the balls to choose a rapper to deliver the inaugural poem. It took me a long time to get used to it, but now I think rap is where the living poetry's gone. (Only 2 decades late, me. LOL.) Of course a lot of it's bad or gross, but some of it is really, really good, forceful and inventive. I don't know rappers well enough to say who it should have been, but imagine -- it could've been memorable.I agree. The real vigor of poetry is rap. It has a powerful hold on people. That means something. How cool it would have been if Obama had dared to go there. But, no, we had to have a decorous, "diverse" woman. Too predictable.
AND: Simon — charming but grudging — said:
You're President enough, Barack.
Posts
173 comments:
Nice job Barack.
In the election we chose hope over "fear" — rather harsh toward John McCain. And now it's time to "put aside childish things."
For crying out loud. Dare I hope that one of the childish things he puts aside is the tendency to call everyone who doesn't agree with him a fear-monger? Nah, I didn't think so.
He spent too much time looking back.
Fell short on oratory too.
It's a cook book.
Well-written. A few awkward places (the implied attacks, a few unfortunate and grandiose phrases), but polished.
Laying a lot of rhetorical groundwork for his agenda, so now the onus is on him to *act* upon it.
I liked all the triple parallels. Very effective. He's also improved his delivery--lots of practice.
Pretty pessimistic speech overall. I don't like all the talk to other nations. He should speak more to us than to the world.
Good speech. I just hope he shows as much fortitude with our current enemies as Washington did at the Delaware River.
I was only half-paying attention (or less), but it seemed long.
Not one of his greatest speeches. The soaring bits did not gel with the hard bits on policy. Maybe it was the occasion. But now that the time for speeches has ended and the time for deeds has come, it might have been a wise move on Obama's part to lower the fever. Now it's for reality.
A poem:\\
Bad start. Trite. Not very poetic.
A lot of poets (not very good poets) could write this.
Poetry has to get beyond self-consciousness and thoughts of the reader's reaction--the paradox of poetry. Impossible to do with an inaugural poem.
Bad idea generally.
Let's not have any more of these. Please.
It's still going on . . . .
Couldn't we have had a nice sonnet instead of that pile of flop?
See here this part of his speech-
some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Notice what's missing?
Who he excluded?
Would it have killed him to mention the men and women who have died in Afghanistan or Iraq?
Probably amongst those of his party he was too afraid....or who knows why but they were excluded.
Would have been nice though.
I thought it was odd that he talked about saving the planet from global warming while also using so much "winter" imagery.
He should take a look at graphs like these:
Non-alarming graphs
If Trooper is here, I'd like his to hear his comments on Michelle's dress (I liked it -- esp. with the gloves!) -- is it something that LeeLee's would carry, or is it too pricey?
Sonnet? I would have preferred a limerick.
Khe Sahn qualifies but those that died in Afghanistan and Iraq don't make the list.
Why?
ALE: A sonnerick, mayhap?
madawaskan: A good point. I'm still waiting for a mention, and we haven't gotten one yet.
not a home run - somewhat hawkish! - sorta a lecture
why do we always need bad poetry?
love Joe Lowry - age has it benefits
Not a great speech--but I've read all the inaugural speeches in the past week or so and it's better than most. (Garfield's, surprisingly, was one of the few good ones other than Lincoln's.)
What I did like was his air of confidence.
We could do overall with shorter prayers and no poems. Feinstein did a good job.
"When brown can stick around . . ." Now we are cooking.
Good luck Obama.
"When white can do right". Indeed?
"someone is inflicting poetry on us"
Ha ha! A collective affliction of poetitis. Prognosis: ugh.
Jim Lehrer sounds tired.
Back to CBN which is really national Fox. Maybe the Rev will come back on.
I think Biden also had trouble repeating his oath accurately. I don't have a tape to recheck it. I believe he said "and" once when he was supposed to have said "that." Watching this whole choreographed charade, I couldn't help thinking, "clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right, here I am." And when I think "Joker" I also have visions of Heath Ledger. God bless and help America. If Obama's inaugural address is any kind of indicator, it's going to be a very rough road ahead. I'd like to be charitable, but I must say that Obama's inaugural speech showed no class at all. It was also chalk full of platitudes and abstractions. I think it was about half over when I had to stop watching.
Gil Scott Heron got it wrong after all. The revolution was televised, and it was live-blogged.
Meade said...
Ha ha! A collective affliction of poetitis. Prognosis: ugh.
----
Agreed!
Tom - That graph on Aug 11, 2008 was a real eye opener. It takes balls to extrapolate data like that.
Well on the radio they're interviewing a bunch of folks at the Mall and are gushing with pride with America.
Glad to see patriotism is no longer the refuge of scoundrels.
They could have skipped the poet at the end. I don't like stream-of-consciousness masquerading as poetry. Poetry is supposed to have rhyme and meter. It's like abstract art where somebody sloshes paint on a canvas. Anyone can do that. Well, I'll say it: The emperor has no clothes, and the poet has no poetry.
Matt:
That was my thought too but I think you meant:
IT'S A COOKBOOOOOOOK!
Matt:
That was my thought too but I think you meant:
IT'S A COO000KBOOOOOOOK!
Greg Marquez
goyomarquez@earthlink.net
Fox agrees with Althouse that the storm imagery was trite and sucked.
@chickenlittle: I beg to disagree. That's just it: Power shifted without revolution. That, in the history of civilization, is about as close to miraculous as anything can be. I thank our Founders... and the brave men and women who have defended our Constitution 200+ years.
I thought the VP gives a speech, too.
Is anyone missing the Rev. Wright?
Yeah, they definitely could have skipped that poet. If he wanted an African-American poet, I don't know why he didn't choose Rita Dove. Not only is she better known, she's much more talented in my estimation.
44 Americans have taken this oath.
43, no?
Overall, it sounded more like regurgitated bits and pieces of his campaign speeches, awkwardly welded together with some storm imagery (rather than "yes we can"). For those of us with decoder rings, there were many off-putting backhanded swipes at the Bush Administration. (Though to everyone else who just wanted to see the celebrity President take his oath, it will have seemed non-partisan.)
I was hoping for an inauguration address rather than a campaign speech. Most striking for me was the lack of reaction from the immense crowd. I was expecting the President to provide sweeping, inspiring rhetoric that would be interrupted every 20 seconds by cheers and applause. Instead, the campaign-like speech hit the crowd with a dull "thud"; kind of like, "Oh yeah, this... We've heard this before...Nothing new here."
I was also struck by how many people started leaving right after his speech....As though it was a Paris Hilton sighting that was now over.
Bush getting on the helicopter--looks very relaxed.
Cheney must have really messed up his back.
44 Americans have taken this oath.
43, no?
Correct. Because Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms as president (POTUS 22 and 24).
looks very relaxed.
I bet! I can't imagine he'll miss the job much.
I watched most of it and was underwhelmed. I don't think I have ever watched one of these things before.
Poet-awful, what did she just say? I liked Maya Angelou's poem.
Aretha Franklin-awful.
Michelle's dress-fabulous.
Poor Cheney having to go there in a wheelchair. Where was the dyke daughter-dykes are good at moving.
Diane Feinstein was good.
Malya and Sasha-adorable. Could their dresses be any cuter? Love the colors. Lots of color in the families outfits today.
Warren-absolutely awful. How can this man have such a large following? Totally uninspiring.
George H Bush-he looked pretty frail.
I like Simple Gifts.
Obama's speech-kind of partisan. Hawkish. Meandering. I lost interest.
Josephy Lowry-the best part of the entire thing.
Cheney must have really messed up his back
Scooter came over and beat him up.
Mr. Favreau will quietly leave the white house in about 6 months.
That's just it: Power shifted without revolution.
@Meade: Right and wrong on so many levels. If it wasn't a revolution, even a velvety one, then it must be more of the same. I can't square it.
Glen:
I spent the rest of speech thinking of rhetorical ways around that 44 v 43, without confusing the entire audience.
"44 Presidents have taken this oath." is the shortest way around it.
When is the parade? I want to see the bands.
Juan Williams--a great journalist--is in tears over the presence of Joe Lowery and his prayer. Lowrey" "the real deal" according to Juan.
American Liberal Elite said...
"Sonnet? I would have preferred a limerick."
Our latest president, number forty four,
And he just warned us about what he had in store
I think he's full of hot air,
But, people! Don't despair
No matter how bad, still better him than Gore
Wolf Blitzer just mentioned that Barack's penmanship is exceptional.
"He has a nice flourish". Good to know.
I don't like all the talk to other nations. He should speak more to us than to the world.
You must not have liked Bush's 2nd inaugural address either.
My thought was that Pres. Obama knew he was talking to both our enemies and our envious friends overseas. They must be his next targeted audience. there's So, let's celebrate today and be patient as this new Age for America spreads its wings and learns to fly right. A house divided against itself cannot stand, someone once pointed out. There is now a real hope that we can stand together, which is something you don't see anywhere else today among the world's great ethnically diverse nation states.
So we had a blah speech, a bad poem, and a racist (bonus! class warfare too) benediction. Awesome. Gobama.
Glen said...
"Correct. Because Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms as president (POTUS 22 and 24)."
LOL. So, let's take stock: he goofed the oath, delivered a dismal unselfaware speech, and made a factual goof to cap it off. I'm so glad that our new President is less stoopid.
Ha! Obama signing those documents says "I'm a leftie, get used to it."
You know who I feel sorry for? The poor White House servants.
I know that the Bushes made it easier, by moving out their tschokes way way ahead of schedule (mid-summer), but given that they are at the epicentre of the drama in DC, they are the last people who will watch the Inauguration. Too busy arranging Mrs. Robinson's chamberpot.
Hey, does this mean we can start calling Obama a fascist Nazi dictator criminal?
I heard that was all patriotic and stuff.
Parade starts at 2:30pm according to CSPAN.
John Althouse Cohen said...
"[Steve said he didn't like all the talk to other nations. He should speak more to us than to the world.] You must not have liked Bush's 2nd inaugural address either."
Come to think of it, that one was pretty awful, too. I'm trying to think of an inaugural speech since Reagan's second that was any good.
So we had a blah speech, a bad poem, and a racist (bonus! class warfare too) benediction. Awesome. Gobama.
Never thought I'd say this, but the Clinton Inauguration was much better than this. I even miss the dinosaurs in Maya Angelou's poem.
Just a couple of observations.
First, Bill Clinton seemed to be imagining something with Michelle. He lacks the equipment and the IQ. She's quite something, however
The speech was good and delivered wonderfully. But, he's a Republican. He sounded like JFK, who, in today's world, would be a Republican.
One more comment:
Obama started with thanking President Bush for his service.
I watched JFK's inaugural address with my father. I was 18 years old and quite taken with Kennedy's speech. My father, a Republican but flexible enough that he supported McGovern in 1968, was infuriated that Kennedy did not acknowledge or thank Eisenhower.
I did not understand my father's displeasure at the time. Now I do.
When is the parade? I want to see the bands.
What's with floats and the gays?
The inaugural address sounded like it had been written by a 27 year old.
It's an impossible thing to be the inaugural poet. Robert Frost wrote a little known poem for the event titled "Dedication" but in the glare of sun on snow he couldn't read it. So, instead, he recited one of his great poems from memory.
That should have been the end of that. The inaugural speech is the place for poetry and the president is the one to deliver it. The professional poet's strange coda will always be anticlimatic.
A lot of pretty meaningless rethoric. I still have no idea what his agenda is beyond keeping Bush's national security policies and borrowing money on a scale never seen in history.
Oh nooooooooo. Cue Crooks and Liars. Chris Wallace of FNC is making a joke about Barack Obama not really being the President, because he mangled the Oath -- and being the stupid literalists that liberals turn into with anything right-wing, they will say he meant this seriously.
I didn't take the bits about hope over fear, or putting away childish things, as necessarily referring to the campaign or the previous administration, though I suppose one could.
What I did notice is that, as in his election night speech, Obama was very careful to say that we support foreigners who want "peace" and "dignity." We do not support foreigners who want "democracy" or "freedom." I guess we will try that policy for a while, until it blows up in our faces, and then go back to the policy of trying to export democracy and freedom, which won't work either.
I wish that we would make these policy changes with a little less self-righteousness, but I don't think I will get my wish.
what his agenda is beyond keeping Bush's national security policies and borrowing money on a scale never seen in history.
You have more insight about him than do Charlie Rose and Tom Brokaw, then, John.
I said bands Victoria not floats. I like marching bands. You know flags and rifles spinning in synch. I don't know any gays that love floats-I must of missed that meeting.
Fox News ask a woman in the crowd what themes in Obama's speech stood out for her. She responds with:
There were three. Hope, Change and ... hope, change and, um ... there were three ... hope, change and ... now I can't remember ... oh! Confusion!"
Priceless.
Obama aimed slightly low with his rhetoric--that is, the inflated expectations of matchless lyricism promoted by his fan base among the mainstream media were, he realized, a sort of trap. This tactic of not straining for effect was more evidence, in my view, of the guy's smarts.
One predictable note: I see Chris Matthews highlighted the speech's line about America not compromising its values in its self-defense. Clearly Obama threw out the reference as a sop to the MSNBC-Andrew Sullivan ninnies who see Bush's America as an obsessive gulag of torture and state-sanctioned private surveillance--and lo, Matthews took the bait, swallowed it, and then triumphantly regurgitated it whole to his rapt viewers that they might all share a taste. So to speak . .
I must of missed that meeting.
I went to it, and they served the most delicious ceviche canapés.
Kennedy did not acknowledge or thank Eisenhower
I think Carter started that semi-tradition. First and last gracious thing he did.
God Bless America!
The inaugural address sounded like it had been written by a 27 year old.
Who was once Student Body President, and never got over it.
If someone tells me that no one ghosted this Inaugural Address, I for one, would believe it. "44 men" indeed.
"AlphaLiberal said...
God Bless America!
12:16 PM"
"As long as my guy wins, otherwise it is a facist gulag." There fixed it.
Obama is taking his Lincoln hero-worship a bit too far. Even Abe's favourite dessert (apple pie, hey me too!) is on the Inaugural luncheon menu.
"You know who I feel sorry for? The poor White House servants.
I know that the Bushes made it easier, by moving out their tschokes way way ahead of schedule (mid-summer), but given that they are at the epicentre of the drama in DC, they are the last people who will watch the Inauguration. Too busy arranging Mrs. Robinson's chamberpot. "
*Gagging on Victoria's noblesse oblige*
AlphaLiberal said:
God Bless America!
And any country that doesn't try to fist us!
When does he start paying for my gas and groceries? Do I send the bills directly to the White House?
Anybody have a link to Lowery's benediction?
I was riding in a noisy jeep while trying to listen and couldn't hear it that well.
At least once it sounded like "either you're with Obama or you're against all that's good."
Am I wrong?
*Gagging on Victoria's noblesse oblige*
Hehe. Hey Meade. Spare a care for the most humble amongst us! For they will inherit the Bush bathrobes.
Even Abe's favourite dessert (apple pie, hey me too!) is on the Inaugural luncheon menu.
Apple Pie. The kernel of our new national consensus.
In all honesty, my favorite pie.
Well, second favorite pie. . .
EDH, I tried to find the Lowery transcript, without success so far. :(
But I did see on USA Today, that those of us who are not aware, might've missed this fact.
After Obama's inspirational speech, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a civil rights icon and a pastor known to speak his mind to power, opened his benediction with the first words of the Negro National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears...
Terrific. Not only a racist, strange benediction, but one which continues to be gasp-making in its divisiveness.
You're President enough, Barack.
When does he start paying for my gas and groceries? Do I send the bills directly to the White House?
That only happens if you had the foresight to own a bank.
I believe that our now former President once described a reporter in a manner that would befit Lowery today. Something about being in the major leagues...
That only happens if you had the foresight to own a bank.
I could buy one. I hear they're cheap. I'll need a loan, though.
I wish the address itself had shown similar respect to Mr. Bush.
Obama's address seemed as respectful to W. as Reagan's first inaugural address was to Carter.
http://www.reaganlibrary.com/reagan/speeches/first.asp
"God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears... "
Those words sound fine to me Vick. It is a monumentally historic day for black Americans and no harm in them adding some of their own cultural stuff to it.
When we have our first Italian American prez, expect to see Trooper mandating that only his special recipe sausage & peppers be served.
Fess up Alpha! Tell us your favorite pie.
Senator Feinstein continues her hostessing duties (executed beautifully so far) and opens the Inaugural Luncheon with some funny remarks.
I would've preferred her to Biden for VP...
Dr. Barry Black is giving the prayer to open the luncheon, and I have to say, his James Earl Jones pitch is absolutely spot on. If only the other parts of the Inauguration had been this dignified.
Ah well, I promised not to rain on anyone's parade today, so I think I'll take five.
It's been a rare pleasure being on Althouse again, amongst the best commentariat (still) in blogs. Catch you all later. :)
Cheers,
Victoria
Lowery was fabulous today. Loved him.
Whatever it was, it was a fine moment and Obama, in actors' lingo, delivered the moment. I don't know if he made it to the Presidency riding a bubble of luck or a wave of destiny, but he rode it gracefully. Even the botched oath and that frozen look on his face when came out into the sunlight enhanced the moment. It emphasized the strain and clumsiness involved in making that last step of ascent.....Tomorrow it will be sermons and soda water and Rush Limbaugh, but today was splendid and hopeful.
Original Mike:
To get your bills paid you have to register and there is a one-time fee of $50.
I won the contract to coordinate the registrations. It is a simple process.
Send a copy of every bill you would like the guvmint to pay and your $50 in cash or money order made out to cash to my PO Box 9444, Philadelphia, PA 19101.
This is not a scam! Don't forget to send the $50.
I believe that our now former President once described a reporter in a manner that would befit Lowery today. Something about being in the major leagues...
Yes, and not in regards to 'touching all the bases' as I recall.
Fess up Alpha! Tell us your favorite pie.
Alpha's favorite pie is a piece of everyone elses.
Hi Victoria!
Obama aimed slightly low with his rhetoric--that is, the inflated expectations of matchless lyricism promoted by his fan base among the mainstream media were, he realized, a sort of trap. This tactic of not straining for effect was more evidence, in my view, of the guy's smarts.
Agreed.
His main message--because he put it early in the speech--was get to work, stop bickering and playing one up, face the tough issues rather than avoiding them.
Hard to have rhetoric soar around that message.
To sum up the conservative opinion:
Obama is no better than Bush.
So he can count on your vote in 2012?
PS: It was good to see a post from VB, and I hope she continues to post here. There are not enough jaunty women in the world.
...and when white will embrace what is right.
--Rev. Joseph Lowery
And a mighty fuck you to you too, Rev.
AJ, will you take American Express?
Obama's speech was just another partisan campaign speech. It really showed a lack of class. I guess he's been spewing this stuff for so long he doesn't know how to turn it off. Color me unimpressed.
Why should I support President Obama when folks like Michael and AlphaLiberal would not support President Bush in 2000 or 2004?
If he can flub his swearing in (which is detailed in the Constitution), it'll be easy for him to flub foreign policy. After all, he has the support of Hamas.
Absotively!
I agree VB Spurs can jaunt with the best of the hot chicks!
Lowery's benediction was great. Humorous and loving.
Obviously, the right wing is girding for 8 years of partisan warfare. Well, hint: that's how you got into the deep minorities you are in now.
You can find the benediction quoted (partial?)drudgereport.com
Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen. Say Amen'...
He made it clear he was against communism, and he did say that there were soldiers right now who were in Iraq and Afghanistan, who are on patrol, and deserve our thoughtful thanks. Obama will be ok, and we don't need to be like the psychotic liberal cicada chorus. Those people are mentally ill. We don't need to mimic them. It's ok to love Barack.
Not liking the president is like not liking your mom and dad. It's strictly an adolescent phenom. Most of the left is stuck in that phase, and they will start to do that to Barack, too, as soon as it's clear to them that he's really in charge.
Grown-ups don't have to mimic adolescents.
Victoria is very hot. Nice tits too. Very patriotic. Love her.
Why should I support President Obama when folks like Michael and AlphaLiberal would not support President Bush in 2000 or 2004?
Because if you don't, you'll become them. That's reason enough for me.
I really wish they had had the balls to choose a rapper to deliver the inaugural poem. It took me a long time to get used to it, but now I think rap is where the living poetry's gone. (Only 2 decades late, me. LOL.) Of course a lot of it's bad or gross, but some of it is really, really good, forceful and inventive. I don't know rappers well enough to say who it should have been, but imagine -- it could've been memorable.
Why should I support President Obama when folks like Michael and AlphaLiberal would not support President Bush in 2000 or 2004?
I got behind Bush after 9-11. It pained me greatly to do so. And, I kept my differences to his policies and exercise of Presidential powers. Wasn't one for calling him a "chimp."
And I'm not asking you to support Obama's policies blindly. Obama isn't either.
Obama is asking us all to put the recriminations and petty partisan warfare of the past behind us. To disagree civilly (you know, don't leap to insult people you disagree with? will you people here ever learn that?), but to listen to each other.
I'm working on it, but I don't expect the right wing to put country before party. I expect they will try to drive Obama from office, as they tried with Clinton.
Alpha and Michael taught the rest of us an important lesson that begins on inauguration day (as the Dems acted on 1/20/00):
Dissent is Patriotic.
If comedians cannot joke about Obama, then we are truly walking down the path to Caeser.
Holy Nancy Faust!
From the NY Times Caucus blog:
The Bushes Depart | 12:56 p.m.
The helicopter is swinging out over the Mall first instead of heading directly to Andrews. Surely the Bushes can’t hear the crowd below, but the chant is one that sports fans jeer to the opposing team: “Na Na Na Na/Na Na Na Na/Hey Hey Hey/Good-bye.”
Kirby Olson, you are talking like an adolescent, hurling insults at people for disagreeing with Bush.
All the while accusing people of behaving like adolescents.
You have no sense of irony.
I thought it was a good speech...it was his first one as president after all!
we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right.
Good grief. Fortunately, it's too lame ("when brown can stick around"???) to be offensive.
I think Carter started that semi-tradition. First and last gracious thing he did.
Other than wiping out Guinea worm disease.
I'm no Carter fan, but that has to be acknowledged.
"...don't leap to insult people you disagree with....I don't expect the right wing to put country before party."
Right. Because it's an objective statement of fact, not remotely an insult, that the right wing puts party before country.
If comedians cannot joke about Obama, then we are truly walking down the path to Caeser.
Wow does that ever sound like paranoid delusion. Guess what? The left is already criticizing Obama when we disagree with him. Difference with con's is, we do it civilly.
Of course dissent is patriotic. but how about you try to a) be honest with arguments and b) keep it to public issues?
That would be a huge change for the right wing. I give this advice knowing it would also help you, but that you'll never change.
Watch the insults flow...
Kirby-
Did he mention Iraq and Afghanistan dead?
I really did get distracted because there was a point of his speech where I got lost.
I was more attentive at the beginning and he was talking about those that have died in war.
I know it might have been a historical perspective but if you have a loved one that has died over in Iraq or Afghanistan-they have made this country possible today-and they deserve their place in history.
It would have been nice for them to have made the list upfront-a priority.
Again if he mentioned Afghanistan or Iraqi war dead-I missed it-honestly.
I really did fall asleep almost the guy bores me.
...and when blacks will abjure street attacks.
--Rev. Lowery (after being mugged by reality.)
You're President enough, Barack.
**Oh, Simon!** Comment of the occasion!! Shut down this thread, folks, the rest is anticlimax.
...and when white will embrace what is right.
--Rev. Joseph Lowery
And a mighty fuck you to you too, Rev.
ricpic didn't recognize the Rev.'s allusion to Big Bill Broonzy's Jim Crow:
Me and a man was workin' side by side
This is what it meant
They was paying him a dollar an hour
And they was paying me fifty cent
They said if you was white, 't should be all right
If you was brown, could stick around
But as you black, m-mm boy, git back git back git back
I hope when sweet victory
With my plough and hoe
Now I want you to tell me brother
What you gonna do about the old Jim Crow?
Now if you was white, should be all right
If you was brown, could stick around
But if you black, whoa brother, git back git back git back
Shoot speaking of not boring-
Titus-
Man I did love Michelle and the girls.
I love a matching coat with a matching dress-the bomb.
And-did you catch the evergreen pumps and gloves with the gold combo?
Somehow daring and dignified all at the same time.
Who ever put that together-aces!
Madawaskan, he didn't mention those who had died in Iraq or in Afghanistan, but he did mention the soldiers there who are on patrol. I can't remember the precise terms he used, but it was respectful.
He didn't just diss them at least.
He couldn't name every little conflict: and for those who died in Grenada, and for those who died in the Panama Canal zone, and for those who died in the drug battles in the jungles of Venezuela, etc., would have probably gotten too long.
But the main thing is that he seems to be on our side.
Allusion ashmoozan. Jim Crow was dying in the 1950's and was effectively dead by the mid-60's. You wanna experience Jim Crow? Be a heterosexual white male passed over by minorities of every color and sexual persuasion at the federal or state or local gummint hiring office. Hey, you liberals wanna play your neverending insane guilt games, go right ahead. But you're doing it on my dime and soon your whole house of cards is going to collapse into the first diversity depression. Then your giant social engineering schemes will come to a halt because there won't be any more of my dimes left to steal.
Alpha,
It seems the investigative press missed out on two stories on Gov. Blogo and Gov. Spitzer. They were all surprised how these men can be so corrupt.
I doubt CNN will break any news stories on corruption in the cabinet or the Legistlative branch when it happens. It is always easier to kick a Republican then to "speak Truth to Power" when a democrat is in office.
I doubt you will cheer any whistleblowers the next 4 or 8 years.
@Victoria: There were dinosaurs in this poem. The 'smooth and spiny' were right out of Sandra Boynton's book (which rhymes!) 'Oh my, oh my, oh Dinosaurs!'
Kirby-
OK cool I think I get it.
But, I'll say this he is a man of this day-he could be easily excused for forgetting all the squirmishes but he did talk about the storms we face today...
And there's this little weird thing about the military.
They'd prefer that you honor their fallen comrades rather than them.
There's this saying it is repeated by the survivors-
The truly brave ones-they died.
So it's that.
I guess we can look at his actions.
He knows that a transition right now is going to be tough and he left Gates in place.
I have to be thankful for that-although Gates was putting off big and I mean BIG decisions and leaving it for the "new guy".
If Gates stays in as some static place holder and not moving forward-like putting off procurements- then it's not going to be that helpful. We'll see.
Amba wrote:
Other than wiping out Guinea worm disease.
I'm no Carter fan, but that has to be acknowledged.
LOL!
P.S.: Thanks for all the kind words about my tits guys!
My God, Harry Reid is breaking down on national television. It's too much, I tell you.
Ripic, I am a heterosexual white male, but if you think the status of hetro white males is even remotely parallel to that of blacks under Jim Crow--well, there is just no hope for you.
This might not be a bad day to print a summary of some of the Jim Crow laws, just to remember:
EDUCATION
Florida: The schools for white children and the schools for negro children shall be conducted separately.
Kentucky: The children of white and colored races committed to reform schools shall be kept entirely separate from each other.
Mississippi: Separate schools shall be maintained for the children of the white and colored races.
Mississippi: Separate free schools shall be established for the education of children of African descent; and it shall be unlawful for any colored child to attend any white school, or any white child to attend a colored school.
New Mexico: Separate rooms shall be provided for the teaching of pupils of African descent, and such pupils may not be admitted to the school rooms occupied and used by pupils of Caucasian or other descent.
North Carolina: School textbooks shall not be interchangeable between the white and colored schools, but shall continue to be used by the race first using them.
ENTERTAINMENT
Alabama: It shall be unlawful to conduct a restaurant or other place for the serving of food in the city, at which white and colored people are served in the same room, unless such white and colored persons are effectually separated by a solid partition extending from the floor upward to a distance of seven feet or higher, and unless a separate entrance from the street is provided.
Alabama: It shall be unlawful for a negro and white person to play together or in company with each other at any game of pool or billiards.
Alabama: Every employer of white or negro males shall provide for such white or negro males reasonably accessible and separate toilet facilities.
Georgia: All persons licensed to conduct a restaurant, shall serve either white people exclusively or colored people exclusively and shall not sell to the two races within the same room or under the same license.
Georgia: It shall be unlawful for any amateur white baseball team to play on any vacant lot or baseball diamond within two blocks of a playground devoted to the Negro race, and it shall be unlawful for any amateur colored baseball team to play baseball within two blocks of any playground devoted to the white race.
Georgia: All persons licensed to conduct the business of selling beer or wine...shall serve either white people exclusively or colored people exclusively and shall not sell to the two races within the same room at any time.
Louisiana: All circuses, shows, and tent exhibitions, to which the attendance of more than one race is invited shall provide not less than two ticket offices and not less than two entrances.
Virginia: Any public hall, theatre, opera house, motion picture show or place of public entertainment which is attended by both white and colored persons shall separate the white race and the colored race.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Mississippi: Any person guilty of printing, publishing or circulating matter urging or presenting arguments in favor of social equality or of intermarriage between whites and negroes, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
HEALTH CARE
Alabama: No person or corporation shall require any white female nurse to nurse in wards or rooms in hospitals, either public or private, in which negro men are placed.
Louisiana: The board of trustees shall maintain a separate building, on separate grounds, for the admission, care, instruction, and support of all blind persons of the colored or black race.
Mississippi: There shall be maintained by the governing authorities of every hospital maintained by the state for treatment of white and colored patients separate entrances for white and colored patients and visitors, and such entrances shall be used by the race only for which they are prepared.
HOUSING
Louisiana: Any person...who shall rent any part of any such building to a negro person or a negro family when such building is already in whole or in part in occupancy by a white person or white family shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Mississippi: The prison warden shall see that the white convicts shall have separate apartments for both eating and sleeping from the negro convicts.
LIBRARIES
Texas: Negroes are to be served through a separate branch or branches of the county free library, which shall be administered by a custodian of the negro race under the supervision of the county librarian.
North Carolina: The state librarian is directed to fit up and maintain a separate place for the use of the colored people who may come to the library for the purpose of reading books or periodicals.
MARRIAGE
Arizona: The marriage of a person of Caucasian blood with a Negro shall be null and void.
Florida: All marriages between a white person and a negro, or between a white person and a person of negro descent to the fourth generation inclusive, are hereby forever prohibited.
Florida: Any negro man and white woman, or any white man and negro woman, who are not married to each other, who habitually live in and occupy in the nighttime the same room, shall each be punished by imprisonment not exceeding 12 months, or by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.
Maryland: All marriages between a white person and a negro, or between a white person and a person of negro descent, to the third generation, inclusive…are forever prohibited, and shall be void.
Mississippi: The marriage of a white person with a negro or mulatto or person who shall have one-eighth or more of negro blood, shall be unlawful and void.
Wyoming: All marriages of white persons with Negroes, Mulattos, Mongolians, or Malaya hereafter contracted in the State of Wyoming are, and shall be, illegal and void.
SERVICES
Georgia: No colored barber shall serve as a barber to white women or girls.
Georgia: The officer in charge shall not bury, or allow to be buried, any colored persons upon ground set apart or used for the burial of white persons.
TRANSPORTATION
Alabama: All passenger stations in this state operated by any motor transportation company shall have separate waiting rooms or space and separate ticket windows for the white and colored races.
Alabama: The conductor of each passenger train is authorized and required to assign each passenger to the car or the division of the car, when it is divided by a partition, designated for the race to which such passenger belongs. Maryland: All railroad companies are hereby required to provide separate cars or coaches for the travel and transportation of the white and colored passengers.
WORK
Oklahoma: The baths and lockers for the negroes shall be separate from the white race, but may be in the same building. (Mining companies)
You wanna experience Jim Crow? Be a heterosexual white male passed over by minorities of every color and sexual persuasion at the federal or state or local gummint hiring office.
So your point is that blacks are inferior to whites, and don't deserve a white man's job?
Classy.
It's 2009, dude.
@Amba: what other guinea animals are there? I can name the guinea worm and guinea pig (not really a piggy-pig, either; more of a rodent-pig).
Cheney really did look like old man Potter, didn't he? /Jimmy Stewart voice/ Wh-wh-why you're nothing but a scurvy little spider. /end Jimmy Stewart voice.
@David: I would be interested in what the the Jim Crow laws were in states where I've lived and worked: WI, OH, CO, CA.
Thanks
My point is that you and David are soaked in guilt, and it isn't even based on anything you've done, it's some kind of blanket group guilt for all whites which, since you FEEL it more than other whites, makes you superior to other whites, and that's the whole point.
It's one upsmanship, plain and simple.
Finally a blow for ecumenism: the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, Roman Catholic priest Daniel Coughlin, said a prayer after lunch. He was the first non-Protestant I've seen pray at this thing.
A diocesan priest from Chicago, Fr. Coughlin was apparently selected as chaplain by Denny Hastert.
Here's a Lowery transcript.
We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that, yes, we can work together to achieve a more perfect union. And while we have sown the seeds of greed -- the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.
Okay, not as "either you're with Barack or against God" as I thought. Jeeps are noisy vehicles.
However, what I didn't hear, the "work for that day when...white will embrace what is right" is pure racism. I can think of no other way to describe it. Can you?
CNN's Jeffrey Toobin (no conservative), about 25 to 30 minutes, speaking with Suzanne Malveaux more or less said that the speech sucked.
He said it will go down as just another boring inaugural speech because there wasn't one memorable phrase from it.
Very brave of Mr. Toobin. Have never like his progressive stances at CNN, but I totally respect him calling Obama out on his very first speech as President.
Well let me say this-
Forgetting the recent war dead-of Iraq and Afghanistan-I guess I am suuuuuppppeeer spoiled that's not something that President Bush would have forgotten-or really any Republican for that matter.
But, ya I guess they should be easy to overlook.
And I am directing this more to Ramesh Ponnuru at NRO.
what other guinea animals are there?
There are guinea fowl.
The parade is about to start! I hope Titus is watching.
Incidentally, I hadn't seen a full-length shot of the First Lady's dress until now, when both couples were on the steps.
I can't say I LIKE Michelle Obama's golden Maharani dress exactly, probably because gold is best left to gauzy materials, not the padded brocade-looking one she has on now.
But I do think she looks utterly stunning.
Whatever works for you.
Cheers,
Victoria
@chickenlittle: I suspect you'd know your fowl.
I can't help it, whenever I hear a band play this, I think:
Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be somebody's mother
Nice fife and drum corps btw.
Nice fife and drum corps btw.
Can't have an inspiring parade without some pipes.
The benediction prayer just called all white people racists. Welcome to Post-Racial America!
Will Althouse do her usual masterful dissection of the President's speech?
Not only were whites singled out as racist oppressors, but the singling out was done at the inauguration of, HELLO!, a black man.
Not only were whites singled out as racist oppressors, but the singling out was done at the inauguration of, HELLO!, a black man.
I keep waiting for the Obama I like to think is present inside him to speak out against this.
In my mind, he's that post-racial guy who disapproves of race-rhetoric of the Civil Rights era kind. You know, the Dick Gregory/Bobby Rush kind, where whites are the perpetual devils.
But I am faced with a guy who is married to a woman most people suspect does not like white people, a pastor of 20 years to whom he entrusted his daughter's religious mentoring, who sounds like the flip version of a Clansman, and who refuses to distance himself from race-baiters like Jackson and Lowery.
Maybe race is not his thing, though. Maybe he's traded race for politics, since his inaugural address reads like one glove slap after another to Bush and Republicans. The cynical thanks fronting it acts as a handy excuse to start in on them.
Cheers,
Victoria
ChickenLittle:
“One of the strangest things about the career of Jim Crow was that the system was born in the North and reached an advanced age before moving South in force.”
--C. Vann Woodward, The Strange Career of Jim Crow
Ohio adopted laws outlawing interracial marriage and permitting school segregation in 1877. To the state’s credit, these were repealed about 10 years later.
Illinois adopted laws outlawing school segregation and discrimination in public accommodations in the 1880’s and 1890’s. However, Illinois was a leader in adopting and enforcing restrictive private covenants in housing developments.
Wisconsin appears not to have adopted Jim Crow laws and had antidiscrimination laws on the books.
California had numerous Jim Crow laws relating to intermarriage, school segregation and voting. In 1870 school segregation was required. It was repealed in 1880 and reinstituted on a permissive basis in 1902. The majority of these laws were directed at Asians but the school segregation and intermarriage laws applied to Negroes also.
Those are the facts, but I still don’t get your point. Even if there had been no Jim Crow laws “where you worked” your comparison of the effect of Jim Crow with supposed discrimination against heterosexuals (!) is mind boggling. Jim Crow was a repressive legalized attempt to make entire groups into second class citizens. Although we have to endure some PC silliness and occasional (in my opinion) outright discrimination in the name of political correctness, there is no comparison to the oppression of Jim Crow.
Ripic:
Anyone who knows me would tell you that I am far from soaked in guilt. Mostly I hear "you have no shame."
I feel no guilt for the sins of the past, and damn little for my own. But facts are facts. Your entire sense of history is off kilter if you think the stuff you are complaining of is anything like Jim Crow.
Chickenlittle: Apologies. I mistakenly confused one of ripic's posts with yours.
There is some bad behavior of the PC left, but it isn't enshrined in law. Law is quite a different thing. If there was an actual law that said that white heterosexuals couldn't work with the multicultural elite, etc., that would be like a Jim Crow law. There's some teasing, even some meanness in extreme cases, but none of it is reinforced by law. Ricpic is just exaggerating for effect.
Or else Ricpic is extremely sensitive and really feels this way.
Some groups of PC intellectuals are really extremely mean in a few places, in a few cases.
But most of the left are really fairly polite unless you egg them on mercilessly, in which case they will ultimately turn into hornets.
But then they will mostly feel bad.
I got the sense that the lynch mobs of the deep south wouldn't even feel bad about what they had done, which wasn't just teasing, but actually killing.
Ricpic is just exaggerating.
Many leftists exaggerate when they said that Bush was a Nazi.
He was a good man.
President Obama even said it himself.
@David: No problem. Thanks much for the reply. I suspected as much. Still, I don't feel a thing for all those past things in those states of "my people" since they occurred so long ago.
We all need to work on the here and now. This is the new age of personal responsibility. Not collective retribution for sins of the recent or distant past. Get with the program, not the pogrom.
AlphaLiberal said...
"The left is already criticizing Obama when we disagree with him. Difference with con's is, we do it civilly."
That goes beyond self-parody. You may well disagree civilly with Obama, but you - both you generally and you particularly - are uncouth and uncivil at every turn about those with who you disagree on any but trivial points.
"Obama is asking us all to put the recriminations and petty partisan warfare of the past behind us."
Pure 100% hogwashed bullshit. He is demanding that the people on the other side surrender and march to the beat of his drum. Weren't you listening to the speech? Haven't you been paying attention to this guy? He's a straight down the line liberal telling everyone else to shut up and get in line behind his "shared cause."
The litmus test & political line of demarcation to me is whether Obama is instinctively and at heart a nanny-state liberal.
I fear he is. The truth will be known soon.
Just remember, the One has opened up the listening equiptment of the African americans. A stubborn unwillingness to listen to White Man's rules has robbed many generations of potentially good people by leaving them out of full particpation in the society. You could say Obama can rescue those people by removing the stumbling block that caused them to see White Mans Rules as their enemy instead of everyone's friend. The only losers will be Black Con-men who had been free to prey on other Blacks by asserting racial loyalty to blind their marks.
Having your high schools' marching bands in your inaugural parade is pretty cool. And the Jesse White tumblers!
"what other guinea animals are there?"
What happened? They didn't invite Andrew Cuomo?
Very disappointing speech, no phrase monumental or gorgeous enough to grab and hold to your heart. Too bad.
The stock market heard the same oversold, gassy scraps I did, and voted by selling off deeply. The market took care to be ready for greatness. Though it had a mild pullback early, indexes held right at the perfect "support" area through the noon speech, so they were poised to soar with the slightest excuse from the new President. The greatness didn't present himself, however, and the market systematically sold and sold and sold into the close.
Not the promising beginning I was ready and hoping for.
Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be somebody's mother
Be kind to your flat-footed friends
Every cop may be Dick Tracy's brother
@HelenParr & Trooper York.
LOL.
I agree about rap...would have been so much more meaningful and relevant than that hideous poem, so terribly delivered. And eveyone should have worn a hat as kick-ass as Aretha's.
I just looked up Michelle Obama's dress because others had mentioned it. I love it. More dresses like this and the red one she wore when she and Barack went to the White House to visit the Bush family.
Sorry but I thought Michele's Inaugural outfit was a miss. It looked more like something the Queen might wear; it was aging for such a vibrant woman and buttery kidskin gloves would have been a better choice than the shiny green leather.
However, the girls were darling and perfectly age appropriate and Michele's ivory Jason Wu evening gown was smashing.
Helen Parr: guinea fowl. And "You guinea brat" in The Godfather.
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