Six in ten Americans watched the inauguration live. Only 20% didn't pay any attention at all. I recorded the speech, ran off to a commitment and when I returned my husband had printed out the text and provided his comments in the margin. 46% of Americans rated Obama's Inaguration speech excellent.
My favorite snippet: let's dust ourselves off and get to work. (Such a reference to kids, such a call to business.)
So - links: The speech transcript, the live video and text; and my favorite review of the rhetoric was from presidential speechwriting pros, Experts Critique the speech, with opinions from: William Safire and William Gavin, speechwriters to Nixon; Jeff Shesol, a speechwriter to President Bill Clinton and others.
Numerous dailies increased their single-copy press runs, some by as many as 800% for inauguration day coverage which is a new trend to print-as-commemorative editions I noticed with our local paper in Santa Fe. The Wall Street Journal pushed into new unprecedented big headlines, too, for their commemoration paper.
Hanging onto the words... important to note this since this is a president who rose to office on words. (update: My own opinion: a soaring day, sunny with strong rhetoric. He was short on logos, strong on ethos and pathos. Logos is what is needed now).
update II: Letterman's Greatest Moments in Presidential Speeches.
He really gave a speech that called upon us to help in the restoration of this country's honor -- especially our young people which is important because I think the 8 years of Bush left them feeling disenfranchised and somewhat lackadaisical and bitter toward the future. I see hope and feel an energy that's been missing since Kennedy charged us, "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."
Yes we can.
Posted by: Kay Dennison | January 22, 2009 at 11:22 AM