New tough times but we will survive....

That seemed to me to be the theme of Obama's speech. I don't know if that was the actual theme or not because I have learned that I have horrible reading comprehension and I am sort of assuming that if I don't always interpret the reading so well, then speeches will be no different. So, here is what I heard. I thought that it was sort of funny/ironic that he messed up not once, but twice during the oath. For someone who is such a great speaker, it was just a little funny to me. I also liked the fact that it showed that for all the coolness and calmness that he always seems to have (and is often criticized for) that even he realizes how important the office of President of the United States is and respects that. I think that him getting nervous shows that he takes it seriously and it is not just another title. I like that.

I also liked how he compared the times we are facing now with times of the Americans who have come before us. It sort of made me think about it a little bit and how the past tough times in America really did have to do with people who believed in the greater good of the country and not just how much they could get ahead. (The civil war, civil rights, and women voting were all fights that were fought by people who wouldn't necessarily benefit from the outcome but did it because it was the right thing to do) Since that is an ideal that I believe in very much, I was excited to realize that I can relate to some of the great people who have come before us who thought the same way. I do think that the situation we are in now is not going to get any better if people can't look beyond their own interests at least a little bit to help make things better for everyone. I also felt like he was supportive of the troops and the fact that America will not tolerate terrorism. I think that is one place where he didn't really take a stand before and I know it worried a lot of people. I really feel like he will try to get both parties involved in the rough road ahead and since I am a more "middle of the road" person, I really like that fact. I don't agree with him on everything and I don't think that he is strongest in every aspect of the government but I do think that he is humble enough to work with people who he might not agree with if he think that the outcome will have positive results. I really hope that he proves me right.

I thought it was exciting to see all the people who were there to watch it. I can't remember Bush's inauguration and I am positive that, even though I voted for him the first time, I didn't care about watching him get sworn in. I think that the fact that all of those people there really believe in our new President will go farther than anyone can estimate. I think that the more people who pay attention, the more challenged a President is to make the right decisions. With so many people watching, it is harder to hide shady deals (not saying it can't be done or accusing any previous Presidents, just saying..this applies to all aspects of business/government) and I hope that will keep him honest.

He earned my vote the first time he ran, but he hasn't necessarily earned it in 4 years. The first 100 days in a President's office are what everyone uses to measure his success and I can't wait to see what he does in his first 100 days. Even though I liked the speech, and thought it was good, we all know the saying "Actions speak louder than words" and it is the actions that I will be waiting for. I am sure I will not be disappointed.

*disclaimer...this was written without reading any analysis of the speech by anyone, so even if I am way off base here, this is what I and, I alone, got from the speech :-)