# What an outstanding inaugural speech! **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 20, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639 "2017-01-20T17:20:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/181 "2017-01-21T13:47:58Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Like I said, this is bullshit. America’s wealth hasn’t been drained out to other countries. Do you not agree that a large portion of America’s military budget is spent abroad? All those soldiers stationed in Germany, Turkey, Britain, etc spending their wages locally? > [@](#): > > Where the wealth is going is to the rich and the super-rich, the 0.1% and the 0.01%. Is that actually important? I’m not bothered about people being rich; I’m bothered about people being poor. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/182 "2017-01-21T13:47:59Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Equally, the bulk of the Doper Americans are die-hard anti-Trump. He could have made the greatest speech ever and they’d still excoriate and denigrate it. Bullshit. That thing was nothing more than another campaign speech. You’d almost think he isn’t sure if he truly won or not. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/183 "2017-01-21T14:36:35Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > While part of Trump’s speech sounded depressing, since his message is one of rebuilding America, that by necessity has to involve a depressing part. It’s an A+B speech. > > A = we are in the doldrums right now > > B = we’ll rise out of the doldrums > You can’t have that rise out of ashes speech, without a depressing ashes part first. What do you call the last 8 years? Lots of ashes there. I’ve been reading a lot of the responses and, as usual, the snowflakes are all bent out of shape because Trump came out and said we are going to fix America, as opposed to Obama who came out on his inaugural and said we’re going to screw up America. He sure tried and damn near succeeded. And what was the first thing Trump did? He carried out a promise that he made to the American people and drove the first nail into the coffin of Obamacare. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/184 "2017-01-21T14:53:40Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > What do you call the last 8 years? Lots of ashes there. > > I’ve been reading a lot of the responses and, as usual, the snowflakes are all bent out of shape because Trump came out and said we are going to fix America, as opposed to Obama who came out on his inaugural and said we’re going to screw up America. He sure tried and damn near succeeded. > > And what was the first thing Trump did? He carried out a promise that he made to the American people and drove the first nail into the coffin of Obamacare. Is everything black and white to you, or is it possible for decent and patriotic Americans to disagree on issues like these? I’ve never gotten the sense from you that you consider that some liberals might be thoughtful, honest, and decent, and just reach a different conclusion than you based on their experience… but I’m hoping that I’m wrong about that. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/185 "2017-01-21T15:42:12Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Equally, the bulk of the Doper Americans are die-hard anti-Trump. He could have made the greatest speech ever and they’d still excoriate and denigrate it. George Will, conservative commentator, called it the worst inauguration speech ever. Doris Kearns Goodwin, the presidential scholar, said it was a speech that only Trump supporters would like and recalled - probably through ignorance, IMHO - those who turned a blind eye to Nazism. Hugh Hewitt, conservative talk show host, called it unusually bleak. These are not your typical SDMB liberal posters. Their opinions are worth taking seriously, even if you hold ad hominem views that criticism from others should be ignored. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/186 "2017-01-21T15:48:29Z")
The inauguration speech was a microcosm of the campaign: cherry-picking facts to prove the point you want to make. The economy is vastly improved in the past 8 years…except for those traditional blue-collar sectors like mining and manufacturing. They’re a small minority but Trump spoke to them and got them to vote for him, and his speech was all about “shuttered factories like tombstones.” Similarly, crime is down almost everywhere – so if you want to make a bleak law-and-order argument, point to Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/187 "2017-01-21T15:49:31Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Are there other polls besides Rasmussen, and do they align with this one? Just askin’. Noted liberal media moguls [Fox’s](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/19/fox-news-poll-divided-yet-optimistic-country-awaits-trump.html) numbers weren’t terribly good. The numbers aren’t terribly relevant, though. I’ll never understand what was bad about the last 8 years. I thought they were great (especially financially for me) and a part of an America I want to be part of. Let’s see how the next 4 or 8 go. I don’t really feel I have reason for optimism, but I’m kind of an optimist by nature. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/188 "2017-01-21T15:57:03Z")
> [@arfurvirus](#): > > he needs to be Trump and do whatever it is he feels like doing anytime he feels like doing it In other words, unchecked power from the White House is a good thing. Isn’t that what Obama had been accused of for 8 years? Acting like a dictator? I recall the term “overreach” being used by Republicans several times over. It truly is okay if a Republican does it. But ONLY if a Republican does it. The more I learn about history and repetition…“It’s not illegal if the President does it” will be the echo of this new administration. (David Frye’s joke about Nixon also comes to mind) Nixon at a canyon: N: Hello! Echo: Hello…hello…hello… N: I am the president. E: …The president…the president…the president… N: I am the greatest president who ever lived. E: (Silence) N: Well?! E: Sorry, I’m an echo, not an idiot…idiot…idiot… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/189 "2017-01-21T16:06:21Z")
I liked the part where Trump plagiarized several lines from one of Batman’s Super-villains. Bane, if I do not err. Google it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/190 "2017-01-21T16:17:31Z")
I’d still like to know why he thanked the world. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/191 "2017-01-21T16:31:06Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I’d still like to know why he thanked the world. Thanking Putin directly would have been a bit too obvious. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/192 "2017-01-21T17:03:12Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Yes, it’s been my experience that those that wrap themselves up in the flag the most are more likely to be quite bigoted. “When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag carrying the cross.” Attributed to Sinclair Lewis, and perhaps one or two others, IIRC. I couldn’t bear to listen to his speech in real time, I’ll give it a shot online. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/193 "2017-01-21T17:16:49Z")
Best comment I’ve read so far: > [@](#): > > Andrew Reeves > ‏@AndrewSshi > > I’m pretty sure that right now a time traveler’s digging a crushed butterfly from the mud on his boot sole, horror dawning on his face. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/194 "2017-01-21T17:23:51Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > For some reason, I’m picturing Trump as Zaphod Beeblebrox, President of the galaxy (a role that involves no power whatsoever, and merely requires the incumbent to attract attention so no one wonders who’s really in charge, a role for which Trump is perfectly suited). Minus the extra head, of course. Picture a remake of “The Thing With Two Heads”, with Trump in the Rosie Grier role and Putin in the Ray Milland role. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/195 "2017-01-21T17:24:34Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > In other words pander to the stupid people in case they, in their stupidity, might be offended. > > Got a question. What do I call [this](https://www.woodcraft.com/products/downloadable-woodworking-project-plan-to-build-fail-safe-router-jig?gclid=CNzV1Nr-0dECFUtNfgod3S0PgQ)now since stupid people might get insulted? > > Slee I have to admit, I side with **slee** on this one… why should I dumb down my speech, rather than use such confusion as a teachable moment? Some of this recreational outrage bullshit is partially responsible for the backlash that elected Trump. The offenderati really need to find real things to get all het up about, rather than assuming that the use of the word “niggardly” has some bigoted overtone. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/196 "2017-01-21T18:15:49Z")
To borrow from the much-missed Molly Ivins, I’m sure Trump’s inaugural speech sounded much better in the original German. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/197 "2017-01-21T18:17:40Z")
That should be, its original Russian. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/198 "2017-01-21T18:37:00Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > That should be, its original Russian. Multiple translation steps… ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/199 "2017-01-21T19:39:21Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Do you not agree that a large portion of America’s military budget is spent abroad? All those soldiers stationed in Germany, Turkey, Britain, etc spending their wages locally? We’ve got [about 150,000 U.S. troops stationed abroad](http://time.com/4075458/afghanistan-drawdown-obama-troops/), divided nearly evenly between Europe, Japan, and the Middle East and Afghanistan. My WAG is that the ones stationed in the Middle East probably aren’t spending much money off base. No drinking, no fraternizing with the local women, no fun. And if the rest are spending $10,000 off base each year, that comes to, what, [Dr. Evil]ONE BILLION DOLLARS[/Dr. Evil] per year. Out of a nearly $20 trillion economy. > [@](#): > > Is that actually important? I’m not bothered about people being rich; I’m bothered about people being poor. If there were no connection between the two, I’d agree that it wasn’t important. But I’ve said a number of times in recent years that despite being a small-d democrat, I could probably put up with government by the plutocrats if they’d only do a good job for everyone else while they took their chunk of the pie, plus a bit more. But the fact is that if you concentrate a lot of money in a relatively few hands, you also concentrate a lot of power there, and while there are exceptions, the rich work really hard to keep the poor poor. There’s a reason that the GOP is against health care for everyone, against raising the minimum wage, against guaranteed overtime pay for middle-income people, against labor unions, etc., etc., and that’s because that’s the stances most of the rich people want the GOP to take. And the rich people largely call the tune. Besides, the money that the rich hang onto really IS money that everyone else isn’t getting. And it’s an increasingly large chunk of the pie. ---
**Author:** ![Olfatbut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a183cd/32.png) [@Olfatbut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olfatbut)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639/200 "2017-01-21T19:53:04Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > What do you call the last 8 years? Lots of ashes there… You have to hand it to him though, the part where he deregulated the banks and GM went bankrupt was genius! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-an-outstanding-inaugural-speech/777639.md?page=11)