As many have noted, Obama’s campaign and pre-presidency seem to have sunk much deeper roots into the public culture than any recent political figure or political event. My two year old has an Obama t-shirt with that iconic Obama ‘hope’ picture on it. (And before you start giving me grief, I didn’t buy it for him.) And when he sees Obama on TV or on my computer, which is not an uncommon event, he says, ‘That’s o-Bahm-a’.
I’m working from home this morning. And in the other room coverage of the inauguration is running with my wife, our babysitter and my older son Sam watching. And I’m hearing my wife (‘Yes, that’s Obama. It’s Obama’s special day.’) trying to explain to Sam just what’s going on. Now, Sam is a very bright kid. But the constitution is a difficult thing for even many adults to understand, even a few presidents. So listening to her try to explain just what’s happening, eventually she had to refer back to his own more intimate reference points of authority and protection. “Well, today, Obama is becoming the country’s mommy.”
And I say this with the proviso that no one is allowed to infer anything from this about my own views of presidential or state authority.
Late Update: Don’t freak out the kids. Says TPM Reader DW …
I said almost the same thing to my 3 year old today. I said that Obama was going to be the country’s new daddy.
He looked up and had a tear in his eye and a pouted lip and said, “I don’t want a new daddy!”
I guess he’s a Republican…
Today’s events are a public celebration. That’s obvious on many levels. But what I mean in this case is that the real news — to the extent there is any today — will be taking place in documents Obama signs soon after the inauguration, the possibility (still remaining) of last minute pardons, and so forth. The inauguration is a public rite, which is one of the reasons we’re devoting so much of our space yesterday and today to our ‘Your Take’ series. So for today, in audience to your thoughts, we also want to see your pictures. Many of you are down on the Mall seeing the inauguration itself or in other parts of DC. And no doubt you’re taking pictures either with you mobile devices or full-fledged cameras. So send us your moments for us to share with our readers. And you don’t have to be in DC. This moment is happening in events all over the country.
So send us your pics and we’ll be sharing them with the rest of our audience through the day.
(ed.note: You can of course send us your photos as attachments in emails. But through the day, in this post, we’ll also be updating you with different ways you can send them in.)
As some of you have seen, Vice President Cheney is getting pushed around today in a wheelchair. Thankfully, it’s no serious medical issue. He hurt his back lugging books while moving out of the old digs. But it’s iconic. There’s no escaping the symbolism of the tired and enfeebled old guard hobbling off the stage. On so many fronts the stage setting, the unpredictable coincidences, perhaps just the fates seem to be conspiring to give us a dose of hyper-reality, not just the truth of the moment but a scaffolding of trappings and symbolic exclamation points to make sure we’re paying attention.
I think there are some moments for which the only fitting commentary is silence.
It is hard not to feel as though I’m under an assault from history, knocking down well-built walls of skepticism, perhaps cynicism, ingrained knowledge that no real and lasting moments of change are possible.
One TPM Reader comments …
Lowery was more lyrical than the poet, more sincerely pious than the celebrity pastor, and more moving than the President – and he even managed a touch of humor. Absolutely stole the show.