# Obama will be sworn in a day late! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546 "2013-01-08T22:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/41 "2013-01-10T04:44:55Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Mitt Romney will be guest president for 24 hours. Sort of a consolation prize. Boy will he be pissed, he [never really wanted to be President](http://now.msn.com/mitt-romney-did-not-want-to-run-for-president). ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/42 "2013-01-10T06:01:03Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > This brings up a question: Obama has already taken the mandated oath, back in 2009. Does he _really_ have to take it again? That depends if we can see and physically hold his Official Swearing In Certificate. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/43 "2013-01-10T06:38:29Z")
And if his ‘swearing in’ was never done or defective in some way… who’s going to enforce keeping Obama or any elected president from doing presidenty things? Congress can only impeach for treason and high crimes… this ain’t that. If someone sues that he’s not president, the Supreme Court will decline to hear it. The military won’t rise up against him. The only thing that will happen is a bunch of wingnuts declaring his presidency is illegitimate, and we have that already for even more spurious reasons than “he weren’t sworn in proper like!”. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/44 "2013-01-10T13:24:17Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > And if his ‘swearing in’ was never done or defective in some way… who’s going to enforce keeping Obama or any elected president from doing presidenty things? Congress can only impeach for treason and high crimes… this ain’t that. Congress can impeach for any reason they want. “Failing to take the oath of office” is as good as anything else. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/45 "2013-01-10T20:38:34Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Congress can impeach for any reason they want. “Failing to take the oath of office” is as good as anything else. Well, it certainly won’t get past the Democratically controlled Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/46 "2013-01-11T07:31:09Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > I think he would. A president’s term last for four years. If he is elected for another four years, he has to start fresh. He is “entering on the execution of his office” again. The oath four years ago was good for that four year term he won last time. He won again, so he needs to reaffirm his vows, if you will. In contrast, in a Westminster parliamentary system the Prime Minister doesn’t need to re-swear, because his appointment as Prime Minister is separate from his election to the Commons; there is no fixed term of office, so he simply continues as PM without any need for a new oath. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/47 "2013-01-11T07:40:43Z")
I don’t think it’s established that the president needs to re-swear either. All the Constitution says is that the president has to do it “before” exercising his powers. Taking the oath four years in advance is arguably _more_ constitutionally correct as it’s way more before. Anyone who thinks they may become president should probably take the oath right now so that they’ll have taken it as far before as possible. (A little more seriously, this is why I was unimpressed with the claims that two House members weren’t sworn in when they cast their first votes in 2011. They’d both been re-elected, and had presumably been sworn in several times. Maybe the House has extra rules on that, though.) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/48 "2013-01-11T08:47:49Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > A president’s term last for four years. If he is elected for another four years, he has to start fresh. He is “entering on the execution of his office” again. The oath four years ago was good for that four year term he won last time. He won again, so he needs to reaffirm his vows, if you will. He’s not entering, he’s continuing. Why should he have to reaffirm? Did he not mean it before? Can he not trust him to stand by his word? If not, what’s the point in repeating the exercise? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/49 "2013-01-11T09:15:12Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > If not, what’s the point in repeating the exercise? Tradition and a big party. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/50 "2013-01-11T14:28:58Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > Well, it certainly won’t get past the Democratically controlled Senate. If the president refused to take the oath of office, you can bet the Senate would convict and remove him in about 30 seconds. The alternative is a situation where we have a president whose authority to act is legally dubious. ---
**Author:** ![powhatan\_bolling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@powhatan\_bolling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/powhatan_bolling)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/51 "2013-01-12T06:59:25Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > And if his ‘swearing in’ was never done or defective in some way… who’s going to enforce keeping Obama or any elected president from doing presidenty things? Congress can only impeach for treason and high crimes… this ain’t that. If someone sues that he’s not president, the Supreme Court will decline to hear it. The military won’t rise up against him. > > The only thing that will happen is a bunch of wingnuts declaring his presidency is illegitimate, and we have that already for even more spurious reasons than “he weren’t sworn in proper like!”. They will be drowned out by the wingnuts who voted for him. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/52 "2013-01-12T07:14:18Z")
I don’t get why the Americans don’t just fix inauguration day to “the second Monday in January” or something. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/53 "2013-01-12T09:00:47Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I don’t get why the Americans don’t just fix inauguration day to “the second Monday in January” or something. That would result in tems that were variable in length. Sure only by a few days, but still not fixed. And it’s not like having terms start on Jan 20 is a major problem that needs to be fixed. Or any kind of problem at all, really. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/54 "2013-01-12T09:35:51Z")
I did kind of want to see Mitt Romney win just to see how this would have worked. Obviously Romney would have become president on the 20th no matter what, but how would the ceremonies have worked on the 21st? All of the new presidents of the television era have had the whole thing on one day. Would Obama have remained as the fictional ceremonial president for a day longer so he could properly receive the new president and take him down to the Capitol, or would he have just been unceremoniously booted out of the White House, with Mitt Romney moving in at noon sharp on the 20th and traveling alone the next day? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/55 "2013-01-12T09:52:48Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > That would result in tems that were variable in length. Sure only by a few days, but still not fixed. So? Would a president who gets an extra few days get an asterisk beside his record, like Roger Maris? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/56 "2013-01-12T15:25:57Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > So? Would a president who gets an extra few days get an asterisk beside his record, like Roger Maris? First David Atchison, and now Roger Maris? I’ve got to study up on my presidents – seems like I’ve missed a few. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/57 "2013-01-12T17:13:50Z")
> [@powhatan\_bolling](#): > > They will be drowned out by the wingnuts who voted for him. **Moderator Note** **powhaten\_boiling** , political jabs are not permitted in General Questions. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/58 "2013-01-12T18:09:27Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > You joke, but I am seriously awaiting the flood of Facebook posts from idiots claiming that this means he won’t be president that day, and therefore also not president ever…or something. He’s not joking, really. The post is obnoxious and smug. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/59 "2013-01-12T18:37:57Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > OMG! Somebody notify some conservative group! Something must be done about this!! I’m going to use up all the exclamation points there are until someone steps up and deals with this emergency!!! > [@Clothahump](#): > > Sixteen trillion or so, actually. > [@moriah](#): > > The only thing that will happen is a bunch of wingnuts declaring his presidency is illegitimate, and we have that already for even more spurious reasons than “he weren’t sworn in proper like!”. > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > He’s not joking, really. The post is obnoxious and smug. **Moderator Note** While I’m at it, these posts also aren’t appropriate for GQ. If you want to indulge in political or personal commentary, take it to another forum. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546/60 "2013-01-13T10:12:10Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Which will no doubt lead to an interesting trivia question: “Besides FDR, what other president was sworn in four times?” Maybe there are more than we think. [This article in yesterday’s Washington Post](http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/inauguration-2013-ceremonies-parades-balls-and-par/2013/jan/12/inauguration-2013-president-obama-three-bibles-two/) says, with no other information, that “most presidents do take the oath privately early on the day of their inauguration before the official ceremony to ensure a smooth transition of power.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-will-be-sworn-in-a-day-late/646546.md?page=4)