Tuesday January 20, 2009

I've Been Thinking:

The inauguration of a first term president is the closest thing this side of the Atlantic of a royal ceremony - it is a coronation, USA style.

In the days preceding the inauguration the president-elect is revered. The wheels of pomp and power move to create a transition of power that is seemingly seamless. A sense of excitement surrounds all inaugurations. The excitement surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama is greater than all others in modern history.

The emotional high, as I walk the streets of Washington DC, is palpable and contagious. People have come to our nation's capital from cities large and small all across America. The concerts are loud. The museums are packed. The vendors are hawking photos and maps and calendars and clothing. Everyone feels a part of history. Everyone feels a part of history-in-the-making. These moments in American history are laced with magic.

When a democracy installs a leader it is an important occasion not only for that country but for the democratic world. When the most powerful democracy in the world installs a new leader it is important for the non-democratic world as well.

The President of the United States of America is the leader of the free world.
A safe and easy transition of power is the hallmark of our democratic process.
And that, my friends, is worth getting excited about.

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