President Barack H. Obama!!!

[Furls Fire]

Hail! Our new Commander in Chief!!

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 --President Barack Obama, January 20, 2009

I have never been more proud to be an American citizen as I am at this moment in history.

God Bless our new President and God Bless our weary nation

[danlo]

I've just breathed a huge sigh of relief for the promise of my 3 year old daughter's future. Now the real work begins.

[Worm of Despite]

Good luck, Obama, but I'm thinking a change of the guard will not instantly change our problems, and sometimes those problems have to work themselves out at their own speed, regardless of who's in Office.

Only guarantee now is his package is different from Bush. Then again, they said Reagan had a worse economy in 1979, but we also had more industry then. And how much praise (or condemnation) of a country's retooling can we lay on just one person, even if it's the President? History, I think, often wants to give all the merit (or responsibility) to one figurehead...

[Furls Fire]

Russ and I watched the inauguration with our children, and they didn't make a peep during his speech, even 2 year-old Meggie was mesmerized. And as I listened to this man speak, I watched the faces of our adopted children, Imani, Naeem, Ayize and precious baby Meghan, who are African and I thought...the world just got alot better for them. Better for all our children, but for them, it is something just a bit more special.

[Menolly]

Only guarantee is that his package is different from Bush. Hope it works, but I doubt 4 or 8 years is going to change things. Then again, they said Reagan had a worse economy in 1979, but we also had more industry then. And how much praise (or condemnation) of a country's retooling can we lay on just one person, even if it's the President? History, I think, often wants to give all the merit (or responsibility) to one figurehead...

There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.
-- Orison Marden.

Let us enter this new era for the US with hope, for on hope dreams have a chance of becoming...

[wayfriend]

A dream may be nothing more than a dream, but o is it sweet to dream again!

[lucimay]

amen wayfriend and menolly. you echo my sentiments exactly.

[Worm of Despite]

Let us enter this new era for the US with hope, for on hope dreams have a chance of becoming...

Oh I'm mighty hopeful; good luck, etc., but I can't help but step back and asses the situation, and I've never cared much for quotes. I dreamt (or felt) this situation would pass long before Obama entered the political scene, as the main ingredient is the American people, and the political currents would have pushed someone similar to tout these current reforms. Again, I hope they work. Good luck.

I think it's an interesting observation that no other generation has been so coddled in a womb of technology and media, and I believe our loss of hope resides in the fact that our unspoken contract of staying in that womb is in danger when our economy takes a prat fall. Other generations have lost hope over much deadlier things, and I think what we have to deal with here, while it will have hardships, is going to be a minor hump in our history. I hope.

[JazFusion]

I hope everyone shaved.

[Worm of Despite]

Well, yes, when the apocalypse comes in 2012 you won't be able to shave much...

[matrixman]

Mr. Obama's first foreign visit as President will be to Canada, which is cool.

[Vader]

Rejoice. The rest of the free world has been touched by the new spirit of optimism as well. Now let's walk the talk.

[Seareach]

I stayed up...<yawn>...so I could watch the inauguration (it was 3.25am here). Glad I did. Lets hope his presidency does make a (positive) difference!

[Worm of Despite]

Rejoice. The rest of the free world has been touched by the new spirit of optimism as well. Now let's walk the talk.

I like this guy.

[matrixman]

More history-making for the new President, albeit on a less groundshaking scale. This is the first time that an official presidential portrait was taken with a digital camera, specifically the very awesome Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

(Yeah, only a photography nut like me cares about this sort of thing.)

change.gov/newsroom/entry/new_official_portrait_released/

[aliantha]

Hail to the Chief! I had the TV on all day (which weirded out the cat something fierce). Enjoyed toasting Obama's swearing-in and Bush's departure.

Anybody else think Chief Justice Roberts screwed up the oath of office as payback to Obama for not voting for his confirmation? Okay, I'll take that speculation to the Tank. Maybe.

I'm optimistic that things in the USA will get better now (and cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to get to work tomorrow without a bunch of tourists in my way...).

[Vain]

I'm not a fan and i'll only hope he doesn't screw things up too much

[Loredoctor]

I'm not a fan and i'll only hope he doesn't screw things up too much

My sentiments exactly.

[Avatar]

*shrug* I'm glad, but more for the change than anything else. As I said in the 'Tank, I'm tired of giving the reps grief. Now it's time for the dems. Politics is politics.

--A

[lucimay]

I'm not a fan and i'll only hope he doesn't screw things up too much

My sentiments exactly.

you imagine he (obama) could screw these nebulous "things" up more than they already are?

pft. whatevah!