Biden's or Obama's first?

[VWolf]

I'm torn between which inauguration made me feel better.

On the one hand, you had Pres Obama reaching the top of the mountain, on the heels of a disastrous presidency (Iraq & wall street meltdown).

On the other hand, you had Kamala Harris breaking glass ceilings, on the heels of a disastrous presidency (Covid and pretty much everything else).

For me, this one was better, by a slim margin. We were so close to losing it all.

[Bluethroughu]

1. My feelings too.

[Enterstageleft]

2. I think they can share #1, & I'll bet they would be happy to share.

[VWolf]

6. Good point n/t

[hlthe2b]

3. Both were landmark elections, in terms of firsts, but honestly, the stakes were so high, so

irreversible this time around and the entire country has been through so much, that I am getting much more out of this inauguration. Both reassurance and celebratory.

[VWolf]

5. Well I certainly feel less naive this time around

When Obama was elected I mistakenly assumed that the race problem in this country was over. This time around, I realize that the monsters that T**** awakened are not going away any time soon. That said, I think Biden is the ideal leader for this moment.

[aaaaaa5a]

4. I like this one because we are coming out of an even

darker time than we were in 2008.

2008 will always be special because we had the first AA President.

But 2020 saw our party with the first woman and first AA and Indian woman as VP too.

Upon second thought, can we call it a tie?🤷🏽

[VWolf]

9. Fair enough :)

Not to be petty, but Michelle holds the edge in fashion. She just killed it in 2008.

[Marie Marie]

7. They both replaced awful Presidents and gave America hope again.

I say it is a tie.

[TigressDem]

8. I was so much more worried this time.

So the relief is grand.

But I was so happy to see Obama speak with GW and Bill there.

I bought Obama's book and the audible version so I can hear his voice. The story is great too, but after a day of listening to tRump and crowd shriek about conspiracy theories, listening to Obama describe how it was being the President and all the pressure and work it took to get things done is soothing.

Yes, we gotta keep DEMs in power for about 100 years now to completely undo the insanity that has become American life.

No more cleaning things up and giving it back to the mess makers again.

[VWolf]

10. That could happen if T**** creates a new political party n/t

[TigressDem]

12. You mean if he divides them we win?

I think so too.

Besides when Joe doesn't turn the US into a "Socialist/Communist/Fascist" nation, the doomsayers will be wrong.

When Covid actually gets addressed and things get better for the nation as a whole, the complainers will have to wear virtual goggles to see their world.

[VWolf]

15. Exactly n/t

[StarfishSaver]

11. I'll tell you one thing

If anyone had told me a year ago that someone would ask this question and we'd have trouble answering it because Biden's inauguration would be at least as inspirational and exciting as Obama's, I would have said, "Nah. That ain't it."

[VWolf]

18. Agreed. Hard to believe what a different world it's become in such a short time n/t

[liberal N proud]

13. Both are history

[Irish_Dem]

14. Joyful and ecstatic for Obama. With Biden, so happy, basic RELIEF, pride.

A big sigh of relief because I might actually live through this next year.
Relief that the country will not be overrun with Trumpers.
Democracy has been saved, for the time being.

A huge weight is off my shoulders and my heart is so much lighter.

Also very proud of Kamala

[fishwax]

16. Obama's was hope/pride (accentuate the positive), while Biden's is relief (eliminate the negative)

Don't get me wrong: W was a shitty president and did shitty things and the country was in bad shape. Obama had to take over in the wake of a 20-year flood -- but other than 9/11 itself, there was nothing that was bad about that presidency (defined by bad wars and a poor economic policy/direction) that many of us hadn't already lived through. And in the face of those significant but fairly standard challenges we got an amazing positive that I think many of us hadn't really expected to see in our lifetimes--and more than just that, we got Barack and Michelle as amazing symbols and vessels of hope and class and possibility.

Biden's inauguration, too, with our trailblazing, glass-ceiling shattering vice president and the most diverse and representative cabinet in history, has its share of cause for hope and the celebration of possibility.

But while W was a once-in-a-generation disaster, trump has been a once-in-the-history-of-the-republic disaster. His administration was a 250-year-flood. An existential threat. And now, with leaders who give a shit about stability and science and the constitution and stuff like that, we've got some relief from that.

Obama's inauguration was like living through a really shitty few months and then having the best Christmas you could imagine.

Biden's inauguration was like struggling for four years against a growing, radical cancer while you're stuck with Ronald McDonald as your primary care physician ... and then Ronald McDonald retires and you find out your new doctor is among the most experienced oncologists in the world, and he says "I'm not saying you've got a clean bill of health, but it looks like there is a real good chance you're going to pull through."

[VWolf]

19. I love your analogies

I guess it's really apples and origins, err .... oranges

(One final poke at T****)

[Maeve]

24. Very well put!

I hope we never have to go thru anything nearly as bad as the past four years have been!

[Renew Deal]

17. For me, it's Obama

It was such a big accomplishment and meant so much to so many.

[Massacure]

20. I would say Obama

Obama basically came out of nowhere to break a glass ceiling by becoming the first African American elected President, and he did it against John McCain, a well respected politician. Bush had a fair share of mistakes he made as President, but he wasn't fucking crazy like Trump was. When Bush had a pretty good idea what we were in for with his "That was some weird shit" comment. Biden basically just had to convince the country he wasn't crazy.

That said, Biden is off to a good start with how he is elevating people of color and women to important leadership positions.

[Vivienne235729]

21. Biden's. Bc as extraordinary as Obama's win, I never once worried about the

About the future of our democracy. I never had to worry about living under an authoritarian government. Racism was never inflamed and out of control like this. There was a semblance of law and order. Under trump, there was no law and order. It was pure graft. And 400,000 Americans didn’t die under W. To me W was 100,000 times better than Trump on a good day and that is saying something bc I thought the world was going to end w W.

[Billytee]

22. VWolf, your last sentence says it all for me.

[ananda]

23. Both were transcendent...

for different reasons.

[Montauk6]

25. I think there's more of a satisfaction with Biden-Harris

Obama's was great, no doubt. Historic, dynamic, marred only by Roberts' fumbling the oath and Pastor Warren but a great event. Bush was gone but he was gonna be gone anyway.

Biden's though was more of a relief; true the Bush economy was abysmal but this COVID aftermath YEESH! Plus, there seemed a restoring of order, a defeat, an asswhooping of sorts. You had the first WOMAN VP (who, let's be quite candid, is truly in line to be the first woman President. You had a speech that was more heartfelt not pompous and self-agrandizing as we had witnessed 4 years ago and continuously until yesterday.

Look, Biden wasn't my initial preference but I voted for him (gladly I might add) because I needed the Troll-in-Chief to GO. I needed he and his paid liars and suckups, his Cabinet soap operas, his conspiracy freaks, his annoying kinfolks to just multiply themselves by zero and get out of the way.

[VWolf]

26. Good point about it being Bush's last term

And I think there was less of a panic over Obama losing to McCain/Palin. Last year, there were serious concerns over T****'s shenanigans (and those of his minions).

[NNadir]

27. Rough call, but I'd have to go with this one.

The last disastrous Republican Presidency threatened in the end the economy, this one added to that a plague and a violent terrorist attack directly on the US Constitution and ever shred of morality left in our country.

[Solomon]

28. Obama's first for me but they both made me cry a river.

Obama's second was great too.

[VWolf]

29. Obama's second was just plain fun n/t