So what did you think?

[aggiefamily]

Input on the Inauguration.


I did not like the performers.

And the speech was good but not his best. Ya know?

Overall it was wonderful. I might not have voted for him but I am proud of our country right now.

[SamaraGugler]

I'm so inspired, sooooooooooooooo inspired!!!

Loved the speech, LOVED the speech!!!

[lauren grier]

<-- me. It was amazing to watch with ce.. he was so into this election, and so excited to watch the inauguration. very moving.. very beautiful.. awesome. Good day :]

[kscwgirl]

They aired the speech here on the radio and I am SO SO SO proud to be an American right now. I thought it was an amazing speech. I'm going to actually watch the inaguration as soon as I get home.

[Priscilla]

didn't vote for him but also very impressed with how far our country has come

Originally Posted by aggiefamily

Overall it was wonderful. I might not have voted for him but I am proud of our country right now.

[Sari]

I found the whole thing inspiring. Just seeing the huge crowds waving their flags got to me. lol

[EveRecinella]

It was wonderful, the speech was awesome. I had tears and I am not even American. LOL

[chloe]

I was really moved! I hope I won't shock you, but many people here didn't understand why I always loved the US... now they do! I'm so proud of you!

[pbumbaca]

I thought it was fantastic.

[Leila]

Originally Posted by SamaraGugler

I'm so inspired, sooooooooooooooo inspired!!!

Loved the speech, LOVED the speech!!!

Absolutely!! I was crying happy tears the entire time! His speech as wonderful, the whole event, wonderful!

[BrattyMeg]

I loved the speech!! Sooo uplifting and inspiring..and he just hits your heart where you need to be hit. I'm excited for this country and hope even as diverse as we are, that we can stand united and have the faith in Obama to lead us!

[Brooke W]

I am so proud to have been able to watch this, to've been able to be a part of it. The speech was quite moving. Whether or not you voted for him ( I did) this is an historic election and inauguration.

It truly was inspiring. I, too, am very proud to be American.

[mrsmbm]

I found the "prayer" at the end a bit disturbing. Not exactly reverant, since it encouraged people to laugh. No matter what your religion, why would you laugh when you are communicating with your Deity?

[melmos75]

Wish I could give my 2 cents, however, I'm at work and missed the whole thing.

[aggiefamily]

Originally Posted by mrsmbm

I found the "prayer" at the end a bit disturbing. Not exactly reverant, since it encouraged people to laugh. No matter what your religion, why would you laugh when you are communicating with your Deity?

I have to agree with that. But that is how I was raised so I am sure that to others it was just fine. To each his own.

And that prayer was long! My lean cuisine was finished cooking before he was done.

[NettieB]

Likely the first time I have watched the presidential inauguration . Was pretty impressed with Obama's opening statements, and the main message.

Now, if he and Congress can accomplish even half of what he wants to do, WOW.

[Mandy]

I didn't vote for him either and I wasn't happy that he won, but today is a great day in America, IMO.
I think this country has come so far in the past 40 some odd years that we all should be proud to live in such a fantastic place.
I really am proud to be American today, was extremely moved at the Inauguration and I really hope that he is everything the people of this country want him to be.

[SamaraGugler]

THis is my soundtrack for today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBN2LgkBhyg

[Penny Springmann]

I thought Obama's speech was fabulous! I was also quite moved by Aretha Franklin's performance - Imagine all she's witnessed in her life -She was born in TN in 1942, suffered under segregation, witnessed/participated in the civil rights movement, and then sang at this inaugural. - amazing. Simple Gifts is also one of my favorites, so I was delighted by William's arrangement.

[tlcaudle]

I loved the speech, very motivating! I am very proud to be an American!

[Sari]

Originally Posted by Penny Springmann

I thought Obama's speech was fabulous! I was also quite moved by Aretha Franklin's performance - Imagine all she's witnessed in her life -She was born in TN in 1942, suffered under segregation, witnessed/participated in the civil rights movement, and then san at this inaugural. - amazing. Simple Gifts is also one of my favorites, so I was delighted by William's arrangement.

Aretha was great! And I had the same thoughts about how amazing it must be for her to be performing on this day.

[AnnieBananie]

Yeah Aretha was awesome... but... wth was attacking her head!? LOL I loves me some big hats!

Yo-Yo Ma 'n' friends were amazing.

Obama was eloquent as always.

It struck me today how completely gorgeous his daughters are! Wowzers! The eldest girl was just BEAMING!

[lizzyfizzy]

most of you know that i did not vote for obama.

however...

the man knows how to speak. no doubt about it. gorgeous speech.

[iJenny]

I'm at work and the health office has been busy this morning so I only got to see him actually being sworn in. Regardless of who I voted for and who I wanted in office, I have to admit that I got goosebumps watching this historical moment. And I will stand behind my president and pray for his time in office. I hope he can live up to all of the expectations that everyone has for him. He's got a BIG job ahead of him.

[scrapmonkey]

I heard a good portion of his speech, but our bandwidth at work was slow and it cut out at times. I really liked the prayer by Rev Rick Warren, but not the other one. What I heard of Obama's speech was good - a nice recognition of the historical impact, tribute to what has been achieved but hope for the future. I think that's what this country needs right now most - hope, and he has continually touched on that theme. Now he's got the hard work in front of him...

[CA Dreamer]

WOW! I cried. I am impressed. And, hopeful.

...and this is coming from me... someone, who incidently, voted for the other guy.....

[lizzyfizzy]

i also LOVED rev warren's prayer.

[lizzyfizzy]

Originally Posted by CA Dreamer

WOW! I cried. I am impressed. And, hopeful.

...and this is coming from me... someone, who incidently, voted for the other guy.....

well you are CA Dreamer...ahahahaha!! totally kidding. well kind of.

[Laura_A]

Originally Posted by aggiefamily

I might not have voted for him but I am proud of our country right now.

Ditto!

I did not like the poem... maybe it was the person reading it. The string quartet was good... but I love Itzhak Perlman and Yo Yo Ma.

As for the speech, I was very touched by the part where he said, "...a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath." I was very proud of America at that moment. I also whole heartedly agreed with him when he said the economic crisis was a consequence of "greed and irresponsibility". I very much appreciated what he said about our public servants, troops, fire fighters, etc.

And, as for this... "On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics..." I hope he really means that!

As a whole, I didn't think the speech was terribly memorable, but it was good.

[InLoveWithDOTS]

I wasnt impressed..... nothing different than the pomp and circumstance of 43 fine men before him.

[Emmy]

Didn't vote for him but my thoughts -

Aretha's hat stole the show, hands down. wow. What a woman.

Michelle looked like she was going to giggle when Obama flubbered his swearing in thing TWICE. I was like - dude - did you not practice?

The speech was good, probably not his best ever, but good.

If I were the Bushes I'd be spending the next 2 weeks in my pj's ordering in pizza and eating frosting straight from the can...they have got to be drained.

I'm very sad that no one told Michelle that brocade is not cool for daytime wear. I hope she can get those what not to wear people to help her.

I thought it was a really cool day overall and I had all the kids watch and took their picture too. I want them to remember what a historic moment it is.

[AnnieBananie]

Originally Posted by Emmy

If I were the Bushes I'd be spending the next 2 weeks in my pj's ordering in pizza and eating frosting straight from the can...they have got to be drained.

No. Kiddin'.

[kscwgirl]

Originally Posted by Emmy

Michelle looked like she was going to giggle when Obama flubbered his swearing in thing TWICE. I was like - dude - did you not practice?

If you watch it again, John Roberts messed it up, not Obama... Roberts got the words wrong the first time and then left part out the 2nd time. LOL

[mommabear0408]

Originally Posted by kscwgirl

If you watch it again, John Edwards messed it up, not Obama... Edwards got the words wrong the first time and then left part out the 2nd time. LOL

ROBERTS not EDWARDS!!! OMG what trouble we'd be in right now if John Edwards were CJ!

[Laura_A]

HAHA! Yeah, I felt bad for him when Roberts messed up. It looked like Obama knew what to say but was trying to decide if he should follow Roberts or say the right thing. lol

[kscwgirl]

Originally Posted by mommabear0408

ROBERTS not EDWARDS!!! OMG what trouble we'd be in right now if John Edwards were CJ!

LOL omg. I fixed it. I blame the cold medication.

[Traci Reed]

I was moved, crying, goose bumpy and in

I thought the poem was good but the halting way in which she read it was stupid.

The closing prayer was interesting, I don't think there's anything wrong with humor, God DID create us with a funny bone I thought the last line about "Whites learning what's right" was ridiculous, this is 2009 not 1959

[Laura_A]

Originally Posted by Traci Reed

I thought the last line about "Whites learning what's right" was ridiculous, this is 2009 not 1959

I thought the same thing... lol. America DID just elect an African American president after all. lol I didn't find anything wrong with the humor in the prayer, I think God enjoys a relationship with us no matter how we approach him.

[Stacey42]

I enjoyed watching it. The speech was good. I agree not his best or that memorable but still good. I didn't much care for the poem, but the prayers were nice.

Aretha's hat was wonderful and I was shocked at the number of bare headed women up there. It's freezing! Put a hat on!

If I were the Bushes I'd go to some exclusive resort and kick back for a couple of weeks and enjoy having absolutely nothing to worry about & perhaps occasionally turn on the TV and enjoy the experience of watching someone else worry about those things.

[Megan Turnidge]

I am still at school, so I haven't been able to watch it yet!! I did not vote for him, but I'm not going to hold anything against him until I see him in action. I can certainly appreciate what a historic day this is. I am so happy that we've finally reached a point where COLOR doesn't matter.

What I'm hearing about the prayer and the "whites" comment sounds a little iffy... but whatev.

[Darcy Baldwin]

While I didn't vote for him, I certainly get the history involved in the day, the promise fulfilled for so many - and a dream that many can actually embrace now.

And this is what really got me..listening to Juan Williams of NPR and FoxNews talking about what it meant to him and breaking down during it - that is what I'm proud for. Now, the trickle down can start.

[~Julie~]

I think the speech was awesome.. I feel so proud to be an American today.

[MelissaL88]

I did not vote for him. However, I appreciate the historical significance of his election. I am also an American and will stand behind my President and defend him to all outsiders. To all Americans, I respectfully retain my right to criticize

I heard a big chunk of his speech and did not think it was one of his better speeches, but perhaps that was the intention. I was a little dismayed at the reference that "America is your friend" (I'll have to look up the exact wording later), but quite impressed when he said "You cannot outlast us. We will defeat you!" (again, paraphrasing here). I also liked his reference to ending the bickering, partisan fighting (paraphrasing yet again ). I hope he can live up to half of what people expect of him.

[MelissaL88]

Originally Posted by Emmy

If I were the Bushes I'd be spending the next 2 weeks in my pj's ordering in pizza and eating frosting straight from the can...they have got to be drained.

DUDE!!!! I about spit my Diet Coke out when I read this LMAO!!!!!

I'm very sad that no one told Michelle that brocade is not cool for daytime wear. I hope she can get those what not to wear people to help her.

{SNORT!

[Paula]

Although I didn't vote for him, I liked his speech and the little digs he took at Bush! That was awesome.

[Ainwena]

I enjoyed the show. Although, I found Aretha terribly disappointing compared to her other work. I actually had higher hopes for Aretha and her performance then I did for Obama. I also thought the poem reading was terrible. The words were good, the reading was not.

I covered my eyes when the CJ messed up the oath. How embarrassing!

I always wondered what the outgoing president and the family does in the few days after inauguration. They must have the best night's sleep.

[Darcy Baldwin]

HA!

Well, I know Bush is attending a big party this afternoon/evening when he gets into Midland, then going to the ranch tonight -and spending a few days there with friends as they wind down. Then they are moving into their house here in Dallas late in the week/weekend and settling in. I would hope they would get some down time, time away and a chance to get back into a normal life - but does any former President ever get a normal life again - ever?

[cheltzey]

I'm with you guys...I didn't vote for him, but I sure am hoping for good things. I really really want him to do well. It was so sweet hearing my 3-year-old pray for President Obama. It's been a wonderful day.

[Traci Reed]

Here's a full transcript of the speech:

"My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a fareaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.
They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."
"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - 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. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.
We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

[Nettio]

Originally Posted by Sari

I found the whole thing inspiring. Just seeing the huge crowds waving their flags got to me. lol

Me too! I loved the shots of the crowd. It was just amazing to see so many people inspired and excited about what was going on. I really liked his speech. I thought he was honest and it made me feel like he really gets what our nation is facing at this moment and what it's going to take to turn things around. It definitely gave me a lot of pride and hope for the future of our country.

When I was looking for a transcript of his speech, I came across this:

Word Cloud Analysis of Obama's Inaugural Speech Compared to Bush, Clinton, Reagan, Lincoln's

Thought it was interesting to see how the key words have differed over the years - you can really see what was going on at the time just through what they were emphasizing.