foreignpolicy | Obama’s First Inaugural — Revised | What if America’s new president had told us what would really happen in his first four years?
As Washington gears up for President Barack Obama’s second inaugural address, public opinion polls show that Americans have much lower expectations for Obama’s second term than they did four years ago for his first term. The soaring rhetoric of the 2008 campaign and Obama’s first inaugural address might have contributed to those inflated expectations. So, as a public service before his second term begins, we here at Foreign Policy thought it would be a good idea to revisit an abridged version of Obama’s first inaugural address and, in light of his first term, revise the text just a wee bit to reflect a more realistic era. Enjoy!
My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors [the implacable opposition I am about to encounter.]
I thank President Bush for his service to our nation as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition [setting the bar super-low so that simple policy competence will make me look good.]
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be [barely] met [in piecemeal fashion as we lurch from self-imposed crisis to crisis.]
[…]
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. [We will replace them with much larger recriminations, grander conspiracy theories, and even more stale dogma.]
