# Obama not really the President because he didn't really take the Oath **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 20, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167 "2009-01-20T18:26:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/21 "2009-01-20T20:14:38Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Favourite part of the speech. “We will extend our hand in friendship, if you will unclench your fist.” That was a **great** line, as was the line about how (paraphrased) “your people will judge you by what you build, not by what you destroy.” The speech had many strong lines in it, but not especially soundbitish lines. Not sure I can explain the difference. I also liked the line about (paraphrased) “we reject the idea that we must choose between our safety and our ideals.” Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/22 "2009-01-20T20:14:44Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Yes, Obama was chuckling because this dude had one thing to do all day, and he fucked up. I thought he was just chuckling because they were both showing their nervousness. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/23 "2009-01-20T20:17:02Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Really? Sounds like Obama’s a bit of a dick then. Presidential prerogative? 😛 Nah, actually, I don’t think that fits. Obama’s a constitutional scholar, so I think the chuckle was just his way of affirming the fumble. Either to put Roberts at rest or to let the watchers know he “got it.” I’d have done the same, if it was in my area of expertize - just the same way I cluck when I see a boom shadow in a film or catch a badly organized computer at work. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/24 "2009-01-20T20:17:13Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > And all Obama had to do was deliver a halfway decent speech and, wow, did he ever fuck _that_ up. Please elaborate. In the **-99** household, that was a fantastic speech. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/25 "2009-01-20T20:18:23Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Please elaborate. In the **-99** household, that was a fantastic speech. Well, exactly. WAY more than halfway decent. Clearly, Obama overshot. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/26 "2009-01-20T20:20:55Z")
[QUOTE=Freeper 1] Though its Roberts that miffed it. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Freeper 2] Er, to be fair here, it was the Chief Justice that flubbed it, which threw Obambi off. I don’t want to be in the business of sticking up for the new cretin-in-chief here, but I’d prefer to keep criticism of him grounded in reality. This is just silly, and inaccurate. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Freeper 3] Roberts made the mistake. If anything, Obama was overprepared and knew what the proper wording was. Jumping on Obama for this makes us look like fools. Choose your battles prudently. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Freeper 4] Barack didn’t trip.He waited on Roberts to correct his mistake,before continuing. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Freeper 5] Yes. Must agree. Justice Roberts flubbed and Obama was thrown off. Let’s call it as it was and not be small. [/QUOTE] What the hell is this? I go to the Free Republic to get my RDA of crazy. These people sound entirely reasonable. [QUOTE=Freeper 6] Hussein was intimidated by a real man, a real leader [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Freeper 7] Give the guy a break — that Bible had to have been burning his hand. Hurt like Hell, I bet. [/QUOTE] Ah, that’s better. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/27 "2009-01-20T20:28:46Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > …Favourite part of the speech. “We will extend our hand in friendship, if you will unclench your fist.”… It’s nice to finally have someone in charge who brings an ability to speak, a desire to make friends of enemies and the balls to also say (effectively) “Knock this shit off or we will _seriously_ fuck you up!” A perfect leader would be nice, but Obama will definitely do. Dude had me all misty because I actually believed in the vision he was laying out. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/28 "2009-01-20T20:30:26Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > What the hell is this? I go to the Free Republic to get my RDA of crazy. These people sound entirely reasonable. See, Obama’s already increasing the IQ of the nation! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/29 "2009-01-20T20:33:08Z")
> [@beanpod](#): > > Sweet. I bet my husband $100 that would go up on Free Republic. I win! > > The best part is that someone on _Free Republic_ is even admitting: “Come on, let this one go. It makes us look like idiots.” > > _snerk_ Mayhap they belatedly remembered how they’ve spent the past 8 years defending a man just barely capable of human speech. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/30 "2009-01-20T20:43:24Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Why didn’t the crowd join in for the Star Spangled Banner? Even some of our most pig-ignorant football fans will join in when “God Save The Queen” is played. They did, in large numbers (not everyone, but it’s a hard anthem to sing). But the broadcast you heard probably suffered from the Howard Dean mic effect: to get right the choir’s sound, the fellow riding the mixing board potted down the ambient-sound mics. You don’t sing as loud as you cheer, so you don’t hear background. And it was a fine speech. No immortal line a-la FDR or JFK, but fine nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/31 "2009-01-20T20:52:46Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > They did, in large numbers (not everyone, but it’s a hard anthem to sing)\*\*\*\*\*. But the broadcast you heard probably suffered from the Howard Dean mic effect: to get right the choir’s sound, the fellow riding the mixing board potted down the ambient-sound mics. You don’t sing as loud as you cheer. I concede this \*\*\*\*\* bit. Even our footy fans start mumbling after the “God save our gracious queen” bit. They should have had the sound guy from Woodstock on the mixing board…“Come on. There’s about 2 million of you fuckers out there. You can do better than that!” Country Joe or Bono would have had the place bouncing! 😃 > [@JRDelirious](#): > > And it was a fine speech. No immortal line a-la FDR or JFK, but fine nonetheless. Can’t fault that. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/32 "2009-01-20T21:02:17Z")
Remember, our new President taught Constitutional Law. I knew that the Chief Justice flubbed it as soon as he said it. Obama wasn’t expecting it, but IMHO gave the CJ a break, and continued on…then the web site crashed, and I missed the rest of the oath. Boo-hoo :mad: :smack: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/33 "2009-01-20T21:08:55Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > > [@Stephe96](#): > > > > And all Obama had to do was deliver a halfway decent speech and, wow, did he ever fuck that up. > > Please elaborate. If you don’t want to wait for **Stephe96** to respond, you can go instead to the zoo and watch the monkeys rubbing poo on their heads. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/34 "2009-01-20T21:10:03Z")
At least Obama said “so help me god” instead of “so god help me”. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/35 "2009-01-20T21:11:05Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > Shouldn’t have looked, but I did. What the hell is wrong with those people? You guys. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/36 "2009-01-20T21:36:28Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > At least Obama said “so help me god” instead of “so god help me”. Okay, that would have been awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/37 "2009-01-20T22:04:16Z")
WTH is Free Republic? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/38 "2009-01-20T22:23:16Z")
I have not had the courage to visit, but I think it’s a right-wing board, with lots of screaming invective. There’s a link to it in the second post. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/39 "2009-01-20T22:29:50Z")
[Fox News](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/01/fox-news-chris.html). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167/40 "2009-01-20T22:33:29Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > [Fox News](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/01/fox-news-chris.html). I saw that live, and it seemed like Chris Wallace started to realize how stupid that whole angle sounded even as he was saying it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-not-really-the-president-because-he-didnt-really-take-the-oath/482167.md?page=3)