R.I.P. Scout26
Masses share in Obama's rewardWASHINGTON - President Obama's election broke a color barrier. But with his stirring inaugural address, he achieved something else that his heroes Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. had always insisted was true: He showed that advancing equality can give new force and spirit to America's core values.The new president made clear that his inauguration - an unprecedented pageant that unfurled across the nation's capital - is the reward for decades of struggle by people of many races, the moment of unity born out of a bitter past.And it is a reward he intends to share with others: His inaugural address touched many familiar bases in its tributes to America's history of liberty and justice and freedom, but the power of the spokesman made it memorable, and important.Obama vowed to carry America's promise across the world, and to use it against the threats of the moment: war, terrorism, and economic decline. Given his status as the son of an African immigrant, Obama's vow had a distinctly different character from the one taken by his predecessor."This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can stand before you to take a most sacred oath," he declared.As Obama gazed out at the crowd, his head cocked upward in a gesture of confidence and wisdom - just like John F. Kennedy did 48 years ago - he saw his largest group of supporters yet.More than any recent president, Obama ascended to power on the outstretched arms of crowds. Their sheer size was what first identified him as a serious presidential contender. Their enthusiasm was what separated him from Democratic primary rival Hillary Clinton. And they quickly became a metaphor for the Obama phenomenon.People filled a football stadium to hear his nomination acceptance speech in Denver last summer, and their serious faces - so different from the usual convention assemblage, more like a church group than political ralliers - staked his claim to the hearts of grass-roots America.The million-plus who came to Washington today sought to consecrate his administration, delivering a mandate to bring stability to a nation mired in war, conflict, and distress.The crowd drew its energy from three strands of emotion, any one of which would have been enough to make this an inaugural for the ages.First were those in tangible fear for their economic future - those with big payments due in a few months, with layoffs scheduled at the office, with demand letters in the mailbox.Second were the African-Americans and millions of other people of all races who were emotionally engaged in the civil rights struggle, ready, finally, to celebrate an event that encompasses all the small victories along the way.Third were the millions more who had chafed at George W. Bush's war policies, treatment of detainees, emphasis on faith over expertise, and other aspects of his divisive administration.The big crowd's happiness was such that, truth be told, almost any inaugural address would have been greeted warmly.But Obama chose to give them a patriotic pep talk, hoping to validate their enthusiasm by tying it ever more deeply to American history.From a man who campaigned on change, Obama's declaration that his own historic rise is as one with America's past is an act of generosity - one that will give his country a new burst of strength.
More than any recent president, Obama ascended to power on the outstretched arms of crowds.
Really? Must they perpetuate the " chosen one /messiah" stuff?
Masses. That is not a term I ever wanted to see in an American newspaper.
Was this put out by a newspaper, or by a PR agency representing Obama? Or is there really a difference anymore?
.But still. Masses. That is not a term I ever wanted to see in an American newspaper.
Masses share in Obama's reward
