The Standard-Examiner carries a fine editorial this morning, articulately expressing, we believe, the mood of the vast bulk of citizens across the entire American political spectrum, as Barack Obama is now sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. Coming from Doug Gibson, a capable editorialist with genuine "conservative" political credentials, this editorial illustrates that the hope and optimism felt in America this morning is shared by so-called "liberals," "moderates" and "conservatives" alike. We incorporate below a couple of paragraphs which we thought to be particularly apt:
Americans greet President Barack Obama with optimism and hope. We share that optimism and hope. Since his historic Election Day win, Obama has demonstrated intellect, an open mind and maturity. He is no ideologue. We believe he will not tie himself to any close-minded orthodoxy. All rational views will be considered. President Obama is fair minded. He understands that the vast majority of liberals, conservatives and moderates desire what is best for America and that the best ideas don’t always come in right- or left-wing boxes.Read this morning's full editorial here.
As Americans, we have missed that pragmatic idealism. We hope these positive transition signals are legitimate, that President Obama will resist the partisanship that has damaged previous administrations and still contaminates Congress today.
Along with the hope and optimism, Obama carries with him the added burden of high expectations, as he takes the oath of office this morning. In the latter connection, we join with the Standard-Examiner in wishing our new President the best of fortune.... and maybe a little non-ideological cooperation from the "other (GOP) side" of the Congressional political aisle. Our Newly-sworn President is definitely going to need it, as he begins to grapple with the politico-economic mess that Geedubya created over the past eight years.
As an added bonus, we provide this YouTube audio/video combo which, at least for us, captures our own mood, as our nation embarks upon what we hope will be new era in American politics.
Calvin Grondahl's morning cartoon doesn't do a half-bad job of expessing our curent sympathies either.
The floor is now open for your comments. We believe it would be interesting to hear the takes and tales of the readers in our own community, as former President Bush flies off to political exile in Crawford, and the now President of the United States -- Barack Obama -- picks up the reins of governance.
Well...?
Update 1/20/09 7:30 p.m. MT: For those who missed President Obama's most elequent and inspirational inauguration speech, we handily provide the following video version, via msnbc.com, right here:
• 2009 Barack Obama Inauguration AddressDanged great speech, in our never humble opinion. Obama could have given the legendary Daniel Webster a serious run for his money as an orator, we think.
More comments, please.
24 comments:
Obama can get off to a good jumpstart by ordering the closing of the Guantanamo Bay Gulag this very afternoon.
"so often the balance between liberty and security is wrong"
-Barak Obama
Al, I wouldn't be surprised if he did something like that soon.
I glanced over Obama's speech and it was great. The last few lines brought tears.
There is so much hope for him, perhaps mainly because he is not the abysmal GW Bush.
I suspect he will disappoint however. He is inspiring, but looks to government as a solution. You can't find curing waters in the same poisoned well that made you sick in the first place.
My own optimism springs from the fact that he appears to be not only smart and independent thinking, but humble as well. Only time will tell.
I get it. This man has a mandate from the people and seems to have a realistic vision of what is required to turn our country around.
We should all put away our political bias and support his efforts.
"choose hope over fear" ...
DOW down an unprecidented $200 plus on an inauguration day.
The hated George W. spent 30 Million on his inauguration, Clinton spent 40 Million, and Obama...$150,000,000 on "His".
Senator Barney Frank, Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Al Frankin (appropriately a comedian) in a Democratic majority Congress and President Barac Obama...We are f___ed. And the "joke" (and shame) is on us.
But the left will get what they always have wanted. A Country torn down and totally broken.
We are still paying the price for a limp dick L.B. Johnson, Carter and Clinton administrations. Obama is a neurotic mess of messianic and misogamist who will likely "stick it to whitey" every chance he gets. So much for the great gray "Hope". His legacy will be "retribution".
Now that is what most folks in this Country have on their minds and are afraid to say out loud.
The rest is polyanna bullshit from children, with childish ideals, utopian values and no grasp of worldly reality.
Oh, but only if, President Obama would turn all our fears into just so much garbage. And oh, but if, a newly elected Democratic Congress majority would clean up the graft and corruption on a National scale and restore our Country to its proper place in the World. With justice for all peoples and malice toward none.
Obama mentioned God many times is his inaugural address. We all should pray that God is on our side, and more importantly, WE are on God's side, as we try to dig out from under the immoral and "progressive liberal agendas" which have led us to this low point in our history.
Put God back in our classrooms and civics, and American history and government (not LDS seminary). Remake America into America not some screwed up theoracy with mystic roots and practices.
Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right!
Dirt:
You wrote: "The hated George W. spent 30 Million on his inauguration, Clinton spent 40 Million, and Obama...$150,000,000 on "His".
Be nice if you took the time composing your sour grapes venom to get the facts straight. The cost of previous inaugurations, including Bush's and Clinton's, were routinely given by the press excluding security costs. This time only, some news sources included security costs for the Obama inauguration and then and compared them to Bush's and Clinton's inaugural costs excluding security expenses. When you look at what Bush's cost, for example, including security... i.e. when you compile the number for Bush's first inauguration the same way you compile them for Obama's, it turns out Obama's cost two million dollars more. Not much of an increase, considering inflation over that time.
As for this --- Put God back in our classrooms --- Gee, Dirt, I don't know who your particular god is, but he can't be a very powerful one if a few judges can exclude him from all the schools in the land. Who'd want to follow [to use your own expression] a "limp dick" god like that? Supposedly he created the entire universe, but a few judges send him packing from public schools across the land and he's helpless to do anything about it?
Not much of a god you've got yourself there, Dirt, seems to me.
That's awesome. God is just hanging loose waiting to see what we can do first. Remember, he (she, it) works in mysterious ways. Evidently logically is not one of them.
Dirt Bag;
Your big gay republican pussy!
Good to see ya's back, Rosco. It's been quite a long time. Where ya been?
Unlike "Dirt Bag M", I think it is a great day for America and the world.
While I agree with some of what he/she wrote, I think the negative and desperate tone is contrary to an economic and social recovery. The part of DB's rant that I agree most to is the take on an all Democrat congress and administration, especially one with Pelosi, Reid and Frank in power. As we have seen in Utah, when one party controls all the strings all kinds of mischief most likely will result.
Other than greed and corruption, the thing that impacts the economy the most is the mood and attitude of the population. If the people do not have faith in the government and financial institutions then we end up with the mess we have now. I think Obama will have a big impact on eliminating, or at least cutting down significantly, on the greed in corporate America and go a long way in restoring the people's faith in the federal government. I also think he will instill a renewal in the mood and attitude of Americans and world citizens. He is very smart, very charismatic and way cool!
The best thing about Obama is that he has put an end to many years of Neo-Con dominance at the National level. My hope is that this will set the stage for the final death of this insidious movement that has penetrated every level of government and fostered an unprecedented level of greed and corruption every where it has gained power. I am especially hopeful that this will be the beginning of the end for these arrogant Neo-Con bastards that control Utah, all the counties in Utah except SL, and most of all the Lil Lord and his evil and hubris laden gang that has wreaked so much havoc in our town.
So DB, cool it and give the guy a chance, I think he is going to surprise us all in the long haul. Hey, if he couldn't screw it up any worse than King George just did, and if he does we still have Prince Jeb in the wings.
For a good take on this check out the column at CNN by the GOP king maker Ed Rollins. He is the guy that was mainly responsible for bringing us the eight year reign of King Reagan the Gipper:
Commentary: Obama's just the kind of hero we need now
Dirt bag,
Did you get some dirt on yourself?
I hope not. The one thing that every one has told me is that republicans HATE the democratic presidents, I guess you proved them right. I wish it were not the case. I wish you would read his speach and learn from it.
.."polyanna bullshit from children, with childish ideals, utopian values and no grasp of worldly reality."
Curm is a classic athiest with his "weak god" blather. Before this last post I had begun to appreciate and respect him. No more. What is left of his leftist brain must rattle 'round in there like a BB in a boxcar. Do yourself a favor an read C.S. Lewis Curm. Weak "god", you sound like a Muslim.
If Rosco, and "tha gal's" brains were grease, I bet there wouldn't be enough there to grease a skeeter's ass.
What "Eejits"!
Don:
Well, I'm far from a classic atheist, but putting that aside, happy to discuss Dirt's post or mine, so long as we're clear about what I said. You seem confused about that.
1. It was Dirt, not me, who said god had been driven from the public schools. My own view is, that's nonsense. The quip about there being prayer in schools so long as there are math tests in schools has some significant truth behind it. Believers don't cease being believers when they walk into the school house door, even today. Teachers, students, administrators, if they come to school in the morning Christians or Hindus or Moslems or Jews or atheists, they go home the same way when the school day is over in the public schools today. Which is as it should be. Children and teachers still say grace over their lunches if they are so inclined to do so. No law or court will intervene or ever has. So Dirt's claim that god is no longer is the schools is patent nonsense. I don't know his beliefs, but if he truly does think god has been driven from the schools by a few judges, then it's him that's posited a weak and ineffective deity, not me. [And by the way, I have read C.S. Lewis.] If you want to take up a discussion with some who is convinced the deity is weak, look up Dirt, not me.
2. It was Dirt who suggested the term "limp dick" as a way to describe weakness, not me. I merely took his synonym for weakness and applied it to the god he described as helpless against a few judges.
So, you're wrong about me being a "classic atheist" [like, say, Dawkins], wrong about my having argued for a weak deity, and wrong about my not having read C.S. Lewis. Oh for three, Don, so far.
With respect to what has happened in the schools vis a vis religion, it's pretty simple [though it seems to be beyond Dirt's grasp]. All that has happened is the courts have said that in government schools, government staff cannot proselytize, cannot advocate for any particular religion, or for religion in general. Nor can they attack any particular religion, or faith in general. They must take no stand, while government employees working in a government school, on the matter of faith, either way. The courts have, properly, insisted on complete neutrality by school employees, when working as school employess, on matters of faith. Which was the right thing for the courts to have said. That's all that's happened. Somehow, Dirt thinks that means god is no longer in the schools. How he concludes that escapes me, but I have to confess the logic behind most of what he had to say escapes me.
So, Don, happy to discuss anything I argued. But I won't defend Dirt's claim that god, or at least the god he believes in, whichever one that might be, is weak. Take that claim up with him.
Ozboy
I'm with you on wishing for the demise of the criminal Godfrey. It was rather disgusting when he was quoted as saying the following upon the conviction of his swindler friend Southwick last summer:
"The danger is if we put him (Southwick) in the state system, we are out of space, and so somebody is going to have to be let go in order to create room for him," said Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey. He was the only one who felt that jail time would not be appropriate.
This is off the topic, but KSL had a piece on the news tonight (also on their web site) about a huge reduction of crime in the down town area.
Quoting from the article:
"Now Mayor Godfrey hopes the new numbers will dispel Ogden's high crime reputation. "It's just not reality. The numbers don't prove it out. We're so much lower than everyone else around us," he said."
I would like to hear what Monotreme and others on this blog have to say about this. Is it true? Is there more to the story than what the mayor is representing?
Louis:
Off to work, so can't search right now, but the SE had a story on the impact of Ogden's "Crime Reduction Squad" yesterday or the day before, I think, that included a chart showing crime reduction numbers and percentages of reduction for about ten categories of crime, from the inception of the squad [early Nov. 07] to the same date 08. Can't speak to the accuracy of the numbers, but it was an interesting article.
Louis:
We've consolidated our most recent articles on this topic in this collection, (which is also available in the right sidebar):
Godfrey the Crime Fighter
Hope this helps.
The greater public has been very effective in staving the big crimes in Ogden recently.
They saved the golf course and adjacent public land from being given away so far, stopped the idiotic urban gondola to exactly nowhere, stopped the most ridiculous indoor/outdoor artificial icicle, stopped the give away of millions of bucks for the gondola hotel/ waterpark to the bankrupt developer that was soliciting money to bail his ass out in Orem. They stopped the elimination of critical rules regarding the preservation of Historic 25th st, to name a few.
What they have failed to stop has been costly. Funnelling so much revenue and effort to gadi leashem,the bogus urban campground in cavendish's cruising grounds and the handing over of 21st pond to a single entity thus eliminating the public from a very nearby recreational opportunity.
The worst crime, I'm affraid they got awat with. Bonding and building the jackass center for the exclusive use of a buddy of lying little matty's that will cost millions for the next 20 years.
Curm,
You atheistic or agnostic creep, there is only one God (note the capital "G").
Your type are what is wrong with America. A pseudo intellect, but truly a morally and intellectually deficient insecure liberal progressive posing as an arrogant and scholarly superior.
True to your NE New Jersey steriotype, you can only nuance, muddle, confuse and obfuscate in your weak attempts to bewilder and defend the "far left". You present less than truthful facts, using only about 10% of the truth, to give some credence to your always predictable and pathetic arguments.
And there are eager self styled enablers which cheer wildly from the sidelines on this blog.
Independent thinkers and those who consider your apparent political left leanings for what they are, have long since done what I now do. Disappear from the scene - saving the time and effort. As centrists, we simply choose to "not try to teach a pig to sing...as it annoys the pig and wastes our time."
Discussing anything with you is a total waste of time. And worse, you are still apparently poisoning the minds of our youth as a typical Godless latently radical raving liberal.
You do not deserve to sleep well at night, however; I am certain you do, with your apparent psychopathologically neurotic lack of a soul (conscience). Lousiana's gain has become apparently Utah's loss. And this blog's loss, now we know where you come from, ideology wise.
May you somehow find the courage and intelligence to overcome your stilted and obtuse perspectives and lack of faith in God. (note the capital "G")
AMF
Wow, AMF! Here you are, a genuine Kristian Nutjob, attacking other posters, and blowing off steam about your bearded thunderer God, right here on Weber County Forum.
We don't see very many of your type around here, that's for sure.
Which is good.
As Rudy sez... this place is for grownups.
AMF:
Peace be with you. Truly.
Now wait just a damn minute. This is conservative Utah, the prevailing believe being as I'm told; If you work hard enough and adhere to the strickest obedience to those in authority, you too can become a God, even Val Southwick and lying little matty gondola godfrey.
Therefore Curm was right to ask which God, could be anyone.
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