# Obama's Oath/ So help me God **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 21, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261 "2009-01-21T03:55:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**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 22, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261/61 "2009-01-22T15:31:44Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > But what about the “executive” orders signed before then? And all the people “confirmed” by the “Senate”? Hush up now. Everything’s fine. Somebody will be along to collect your guns shortly. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261/62 "2009-01-22T17:12:11Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’m wondering now if BBC meant the third president to have to take it again because it was flubbed the first time, not because it had to be done in a rush informmally. Anyone know of two other flubbed ones? Nobody has ever redone it because of a flub before. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261/63 "2009-01-22T17:53:33Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Nobody has ever redone it because of a flub before. Depends on how you define “flub”. If you mean “messed up the wording”, you’re correct. But if it means any sort of disqualification, then the qualifications of Coolidge’s father count too. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261/64 "2009-01-22T18:03:13Z")
My own view is that anyone empowered to administer an oath (including a state or local official) may administer the presidential oath. The Constitution does not require that it be administered by a Federal official. George Washington was first sworn in by Robert Livingston, the chancellor (top judge, at the time) of New York State, in 1789, and no one then or since has suggested he wasn’t properly sworn in. I’ll add Ronald Reagan to the list of those privately sworn in when January 20 fell on a Sunday (in 1985), followed by a bigger public ceremony the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261/65 "2009-01-22T18:26:08Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > Depends on how you define “flub”. If you mean “messed up the wording”, you’re correct. But if it means any sort of disqualification, then the qualifications of Coolidge’s father count too. I know people say this, but I’ve never seen a good explanation why. Nothing in the Constitution prescribes or proscribes the oath giver. It doesn’t even state explicitly that the president can’t just recite the oath all by himself. So why doesn’t Coolidge’s father count as much as anybody else? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261/66 "2009-01-22T18:34:55Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > The Constitution does not require that it be administered by a Federal official. As far as I can tell, the Constitution doesn’t require that the oath be administered at all. > [@Article Two of the United States Constitution](#): > > Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” From what I see, it ought to suffice for someone to introduce the President(-Elect), and for him to turn towards the audience, and recite the words as prescribed, and that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261/67 "2009-01-22T18:38:55Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I know people say this, but I’ve never seen a good explanation why. Nothing in the Constitution prescribes or proscribes the oath giver. It doesn’t even state explicitly that the president can’t just recite the oath all by himself. So why doesn’t Coolidge’s father count as much as anybody else? Yes, as I just posted (which you beat me to it while I was looking up the exact text), it shouldn’t matter who administers it. My comment about Coolidge’s father was addressed to the overwhelmingly large number of people - including Coolidge himself, it seems - who feel that it does matter. But in Obama’s case, it wasn’t only Roberts who flubbed the wording. Obama too misplaced the word “faithfully”, so it definitely does count as a flub. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261/68 "2009-01-22T20:53:11Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > …George Washington was first sworn in by Robert Livingston, the chancellor (top judge, at the time) of New York State, in 1789, and no one then or since has suggested he wasn’t properly sworn in… True, although there weren’t yet any federal judges (or federal courts) in April of 1789 when Washington was sworn in. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261/69 "2009-01-22T21:43:26Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I would prefer it if the President-elect would simply recite the 35 words without any prompting at all. A president too stupid to memorize that length of language, given two and a half months prep time, is far too stupid to be sworn in at all. How about a president/chief justice too stupid to consider the solution of printing it out and reading it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamas-oath-so-help-me-god/482261.md?page=3)