Inauguration Moments

Three different takes on the events of the day were recorded on our DVR, giving a wide range of events to react to. 

There's the shot of Melania leaving the White House, looking genuinely happy, the most genuine and unposed I've seen her. OK, perhaps those moments of slapping Donald's hands away were genuine too, but they certainly weren't happy. It makes an interesting contrast with the moment at Andrews when Trump stops to say good-bye and takes a moment to compliment the First Lady. She looks ... oops, the CBS camera swings to Ivanka at the mention of "First Lady." Whose Freudian slip is that?

While Trump is at the podium at Andrews, after listening to his (unusual for a good-bye) 21 gun salute with cannons so he can still feel important, he never mentions in his speech the names Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Why notable? He's never said their names since the election. It's almost as if he thought they didn't count, never recognizing in some little part of his brain that it was actually real. He was leaving and it still didn't matter, hoping it wasn't for long, but nonetheless, leaving.

The crowd seeing him off was interesting. Reports have it at about 500 people. Invitations sent out welcomed 5 "plus ones", the act of somebody desperate for another big show of support even though he was leaving in disgrace. Supporters are still out there, though now they notably do not include Pence, Moscow Mitch, even Ted Cruz, all visibly at the inauguration as if knowing on which side their white bread is buttered. Perhaps just pretending?

One of the last people entering what is still Air Force One for a couple more hours is the person carrying the nuclear football. For this inauguration there are two of them, footballs and carriers both. At noon, the one in Florida by then no longer follows Trump around and returns to DC. One presumes it is inactivated at 12:00:01. The one in DC at noon now follows Biden. Trump's little ego show just has to cost the government that little bit extra expense of that last round trip of the presidential airplane toting all the family south, but at least they are leaving. The whole fam damnley. Buh-bye. See you in courts. They are not pardoned. Others are, giving them no option of taking the 5th amendment in order to protect the wrongdoers. They must testify when asked.

Back in DC, Amy Klobuchar introduces the principals in the celebration of what she lists as the 59th inauguration, occasioning a discussion in this living room of how that number works when this is the 46th President. Some Presidents had more than one, and some Presidents took over in an emergency with little fanfare, as ultimately the oath is what matters.

There was a unique request before the National Anthem, asking those who are able to to stand for it. It's the first time I have heard that particular acknowledgement of difficulty in standing through a ceremony taking in this case several minutes. It included a prayer, the Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance and swearing in of our new Vice President. These moments are so scripted out, words repeated so many times that they might have lost all meaning as they apparently did for the last four years. Yet this time, in the wake of the horrors of the culmination of the last presidency in the storming of the Capitol building, phrases putting country and constitution above personal loyalty stood out starkly, and with a great sigh of relief. Normalcy is back. 

A particular highlight was the woman, a Fire Department Captain, leading the pledge of allegiance while also signing simultaneously in stark white gloves. Unfortunately, this is where the MSNBC camera chose to pan out along the lawn rather than follow the signing, so those in the deaf audience lost out. For that matter, so did we all.

Biden's speech wasn't about him, so unlike his predecessor. It spoke of our challenges, of us as Americans and not as political party members and supporters, and what we all need to do to improve our path ahead. If there is to be a path, it must be that we all chose it. 

A clear breath of fresh air blew through the country this morning. Shoulders that we didn't all realize were  hunched protectively finally relaxed. We needed that. We also needed last night, where his last public act as an ordinary citizen was to acknowledge and mourn the more than 400,000 Americans who died from the coronavirus, another thing his predecessor couldn't even understand the need for, much less do.

As Biden said, we are going to show the world, not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. There is work ahead. It now has a real leader.