Eyewitness Account of Obama's Inauguration
A First Hand Description of the Historic Event in Washington
Oct 2, 2009
The inauguration ceremony for President Barack Obama in Washington DC on Tuesday January 20, 2009 was a sight to behold.
People Gathered for Historic Day
Two million people (George Bush’s inauguration pulled in 500,000) from Ghana to Sweden descended on the National Mall expectant, excited and exhibiting a plethora of Obama merchandise including badges, scarves, watches, bags, thermos and flags.
Everyone from school groups wearing matching yellow hats, some holding signs like 'Taunton Middle School For Obama', old men leaning on their adult children, couples and church groups braved the below freezing temperatures to witness the most expensive swearing in ceremony ever (more than a billion dollars).
There were a couple of people on bicycles but nearly everyone spilled out of the packed metro stations to gather at the National Mall, America’s political quarter that houses Capitol Hill and the White House.
Most of the roads were cordoned off and manned by some of the 20,000 police officers and 16,000 national guards called in to provide security for the most popular president in recent times who also received the most death threats before officially taking office.
By 9am the air was full of anticipation and quiet thrill as everyone headed towards the area between Capitol Hill and the Monument (the area closest to the swearing-in ceremony was already filled with ticket holders) marching in a contented silence only broken now and again by a chant of “O-BA-MA” which carried for a minute then died away, or by the many street vendors loudly drawing attention to their Obama T-shirts, hats and heat-generating hand warmers for sale.
Gathering at the Washington Monument
Soon most had gathered on the grassy knoll in front of the monument - people of different shapes and sizes all looking thicker than usual because of the layers of clothing they were wearing.
They sat on blankets, took pictures, sipped hot drinks and danced to footage of Sunday’s star-studded concert at Lincoln Memorial that was playing on huge screens dotted around the Mall.
Thousands of ordinary people were stretched out as far as the eye can see, some doing the Mexican wave, others cheering randomly but all waiting to see Obama become the 44th president of America, the first senator from a major city in a northern state since JFK and only the third Democrat (after Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton) to be elected since Nixon began the Republican golden age in 1968.
Obama is also the only President with a surname ending in a vowel since 1929 and the only President whose name is not recognised by Microsoft’s Spell Check.
How Washington DC Promoted Obama's Inauguration
At around 10:45am the sun had come out but the wind chill remained as queues formed at Refreshment Tents.
Everyone tried to pass on the tolerance and optimism that punctuated the occasion: some invited others to cut in front of them in line, others greeted strangers nearby, everyone put their rubbish in the trash cans provided and all kept their exuberance contained out of respect for the occasion.
Most were in DC for the first time and DC welcomed them by putting Obama’s image on everything - almost every magazine, shop window, billboard and even the Metro tube tickets had his picture on it, Ben & Jerry’s made ‘Yes Pecan!’ Ice cream and Jones Soda offered “Orange You Glad for Change’ flavoured drinks.
Adverts on TV offered 10% off their products to customers if they mentioned the inauguration and every TV channel had hours dedicated to examining the minutae of the inauguration, from the official florists to the menu for the day.
Outside nobody complained about the roadblocks that led to traffic tailbacks stretching miles or about the freezing temperatures that put this inauguration in the top eight coldest of all time.
Obama Takes the Oath of Office
At around 11.00am, half an hour before the swearing in, there was hardly space to move as people took their place on their patch of grass to look up at the screens that now showed the dignitaries and celebrities taking their seats.
The crowd cheered whenever Obama, Michelle, their daughters or the Clintons came on and booed whenever any of the Bushes came on.
All listened as Aretha Franklin sang despite the feedback from the microphones causing her voice to echo, but became restless during the classical music interlude before finally, the moment came for Obama to take the oath of office.
Cameras and camcorders were held up as many recorded the screen and other people’s reactions. There was almost a collective sigh of relief when it was over, and the sense of enormity of the occasion was palpable.
The Crowds React to Obama's Speech
A few discontented whispers rose through the crowd as Pastor Rick Warren prayed for the new President because of his previous anti-gay sentiments, but silence descended like a cloud the moment Obama started his speech.
Apart from his voice ringing out from beyond us followed by an echo caused by feedback, nothing else was heard except the sound of numerous American flags on flagpoles that lined the bottom of the monument flapping in the wind.
Occasionally people cheered and the dull ‘thump thump thump’ of many gloved hands were heard in reaction to parts of his speech, like when he said “To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict…know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”
The Exodus Home at the End of Obama's Speech
Obama finished as he now finishes most of his speeches: “Thank you. God Bless you. And God bless the United States of America.”
After he finished talking the exodus from the Mall began. Some walked towards the Parade that would soon start whilst others headed home, contented after being a part of the most celebrated inauguration ceremony in history.
Obama not only started the most important job at a crucial time in American history that Tuesday afternoon, but the collective uplift in mood and general goodwill his appointment ushered in meant that he delivered on his motto of change.
See also: Is President Obama too Normal? and Black Pioneers in Politics
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