I’ve always enjoyed watching the ceremonies with the pageantry. They’ve usually had close-up shots of the senators, Supremes and family with entourage. They’ve usually a Marine Corps band, a vocalist and a poet come up in turn. I’ve enjoyed seeing the presidents take the oath and give their speech. I liked most of the presidents’ speeches since Reagan, some weaving quite eloquent metaphors and structuring in beautiful ways. What parts do the Dopers like?
The part where someone else is being inaugurated. That’s by far the best part.
Other than that, I’m personally not much for ceremonies nor for treating history as a real-time spectator sport.
Exactly my thoughts. Unless the incoming president says something amazing, or something that impacts me directly, meh.
I like the part where the new President loudly shits himself and then falls off the stage.
I mean, it hasn’t happened yet, but here’s hoping.
I sure hope that’s on the highlight reel. That I’d watch. Repeatedly.
I’m sorry that I’ve launched what’s quickly becoming a massive threadshit on the OP’s good OP. The USA is indeed going to be making history today and we are witnesses to it whether we’re there in person, watching remotely, or hiding in our metaphorical closets.
I thought of launching a thread titled “1/20/2025: TEOTWAWKI”, but we already have plenty of “trump fucked/fucks/will be fucking the USA; now the play-by-play version” threads.
I have never been interested in watching an inauguration. Never have and likely never will.
I’ve only endured pageantry irl if I am directly involved somehow and my presence is necessary.
Will Bernie be there with his gloves?
I expect everyone there will be wearing gloves. It’s cold in DC today.
Why do I suspect there will not be a poet this year. There may be readings of gibberish but no poet and no poem. If any of you are going to watch please let us know about this. My only source of most news is the Dope
A really good inaugural speech: forceful, concise, and with some killer lines. Unfortunately, there hasn’t really been once since 1961.
You’re right and in retrospect I regret my post. Not the thought, not at all. Just putting it here.
My serious answer is that I’ve never watched any inauguration activities for any president in the past, whether I liked and supported or disliked and opposed them. I believe governance should be boring and administrative and I intensely dislike the cruft of royal pageantry that has accumulated around the office.
i have taken the day off and watched the inauguration if the person i voted for won. i caught bits and pieces of inauguations of people for whom i did not vote.
today there are 6 people in the office (so far) i have turned the office tv to the comedy channel.
“The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century…”
I watched the Kennedy inauguration as a 12-year old in 1961. That phrase “born in this century” always stuck with me. Kennedy was born in 1917 and at 43 the youngest person ever elected President.
It was also bitterly cold in Washington that day. I remember Kennedy in his top hat, Jacqueline in her trademark pillbox. We didn’t know what color her outfit was because TV was in black and white.
Nor have I. The highlights on the evening news are quite enough for me. Besides, I have things to do - I can’t be planted in front of the TV. The ashes in the basement fireplace need to be scooped out.
It’s been moved indoors, unless I’ve missed something in the last couple of days.
I think, today, I would rather watch 6 hours of various animals relieving themselves than the orange thing’s coronation.
Unsure if mods will wish to bifurcate/limit this thread, between a discussion of what parts of inaugurations people like, and intentions/reactions regarding this particular inauguration. I had thought of starting a “will you watch” thread, and I expect a “watchalong” thread.
I enjoyed watching Obama’s and Biden’s, after horrible predecessors. To see who was there and hear the Presidents’ speeches. Not a big poetry fan, so I never appreciated that aspect. But I’m not even terribly interested in watching inaugurations - similar to my disinterest in State of the Union speeches. Moreover, I’m not interested in watching and listening to Presidents I dislike and don’t respect.
I’m not planning on watching this one. Just going to try to watch/hear as little of this asshole as I can over the next 4 years. Going to be a bit of a “strain” between my wife and me. She plans on watching. And this aftrnoon we are having some friends over for dinner. They detest trump and generally enjoy spirited political conversation. It will be a good first exercise in seeing how I can engage in/tolerate such conversation. I don’t want to be a grump, dissuading folk from exressing their views. But I am trying to limit the space inside of my head Trump and his minions occupy.
I think the last one I watched was Clinton. The part where the president and his family get out of the limo and walk on the way to the White House always seemed to be the highlight.
I’m NOT going to watch. I’m not much into pomp and circumstance. And this would be nothing more than Trump aggrandizing himself and telling lies. What’s the point.
Now Mr. Trump has appropriated that word for his own brand of speech, it is not one I would use.
In the future, “weaving” will come to be listed, when referring to speech, as a symptom of dementia.