Barack Obama Inauguration

[lordscarlet]

In just a few months the United States will inaugurate it's first president from a racial minority. President-elect Obama has been followed by fervor throughout the campaign trail, and some estimates for the crowd on inauguration day exceed 1.5 million people. It will be a sigh to behold.

I thought having a thread specifically to discuss the events around the Inauguration would be beneficial. Having said that, I plan on leaving town for the long weekend and there is something else I would love to get thoughts on. My wife and I typically take advantage of the MLK, Jr holiday to take a short vacation. On top of that, Inauguration Day is a holiday for many workers inside the District. I am somewhat regretting the decision to miss such a historic event, but the trip out to a less hectic part of Virginia (Charlottesville) is something we always enjoy.

Having said that, a phenomenon is occurring within the area. People are renting their houses, condos and apartments for exorbitant prices for the throngs of people making their way into the city. It looks like 1br places close to me are subletting for numbers such as $4,000 for the week. I live 9 blocks from the whitehouse and I have a 650 square foot 1 bedroom condo. The idea of someone staying in my house for a few days as a business transaction skeeves me out a little bit, but if I can actually get several thousand dollars to give up my small condo for 5 days or so, it seems rather tempting.

I have not looked into the legal ramifications, but as I was getting ready this morning I saw something on the news regarding the District waiving some of the laws regarding subletting, tenant restrictions, and the like for Inauguration week.

for a non-historic reference (in other words, when someone views this in a year, the link will suck), here are the current listings on craigslist: classifieds - craigslist

[Dr. Sak]

My friend rented his house out for the US Open in Oakmont a few years ago. Stuart Appleby paid him $20,000 for the week.

[Logan]

When New York was making it's pitch to host the 2012 Olympics, there were already people putting together estimates on how much apartments/condos/etc both in the city and in the suburbs could be rented for. The numbers were unreal.

I'm surprised that there is such demand for this, considering it's just one day's worth of events (unless I'm totally missing something), whereas you would need a place to stay for possibly weeks if you were in town for the Olympics.

[CamEdwards]

I would be very tempted to house an Obama supporter in my guest room, but Burke may be a little too far away for folks coming in for the inauguration.

I'm already dreading the traffic on the 20th of January, however. It's going to be uberbrutal.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

I would be very tempted to house an Obama supporter in my guest room, but Burke may be a little too far away for folks coming in for the inauguration.

I'm already dreading the traffic on the 20th of January, however. It's going to be uberbrutal.

I saw listings in Sterling, for instance, that were rather high.

Logan: I'm sure there will be events going on around it; even if it's just the general air of being an Obama supporter cavorting with other Obama supporters. My understanding is that all of the hotels are booked already, and this is going to be the only way for additional people to get in on the action. In addition, at a minimum there's the inauguration plus all of the festivities the night of. Even if you only want a room for Tuesday night, you need to party that night and go home on Wednesday.

[flere-imsaho]

I expect much the same if/when Chicago host the Olympics. We have a nice backyard too - I wonder if we'd be able to sell tent space....

[st.cronin]

I had a dream about Barack Obama last night. In the dream, our planet was about to be invaded by people from another realm - they had detonated a nuclear warhead in antarctica to show their strength and seriousness. Every country in the world had surrendered except for the north african nations - Tunisia, Morocco, etc. So Obama had gone commando and infiltrated those nations Jack Bauer style to convince the sovereigns to surrender, so as to save the Earth from devastation. Unfortunately his extraction from Morocco ran into a snafu, and a team had to be sent in to find him - I was to be on this team. So I was with the supply NCO, trying to convince him to upgrade my Civil War musket for a modern pistol, as well as to get me the right kind of hat. That's when I woke up.

[astrosfan64]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

I had a dream about Barack Obama last night. In the dream, our planet was about to be invaded by people from another realm - they had detonated a nuclear warhead in antarctica to show their strength and seriousness. Every country in the world had surrendered except for the north african nations - Tunisia, Morocco, etc. So Obama had gone commando and infiltrated those nations Jack Bauer style to convince the sovereigns to surrender, so as to save the Earth from devastation. Unfortunately his extraction from Morocco ran into a snafu, and a team had to be sent in to find him - I was to be on this team. So I was with the supply NCO, trying to convince him to upgrade my Civil War musket for a modern pistol, as well as to get me the right kind of hat. That's when I woke up.

I don't know what to say.

[CamEdwards]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

I had a dream about Barack Obama last night. In the dream, our planet was about to be invaded by people from another realm - they had detonated a nuclear warhead in antarctica to show their strength and seriousness. Every country in the world had surrendered except for the north african nations - Tunisia, Morocco, etc. So Obama had gone commando and infiltrated those nations Jack Bauer style to convince the sovereigns to surrender, so as to save the Earth from devastation. Unfortunately his extraction from Morocco ran into a snafu, and a team had to be sent in to find him - I was to be on this team. So I was with the supply NCO, trying to convince him to upgrade my Civil War musket for a modern pistol, as well as to get me the right kind of hat. That's when I woke up.

at least there were no erotic hallucinations... right?

[cartman]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

at least there were no erotic hallucinations... right?

Well, he did say Obama had gone commando...

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

I had a dream about Barack Obama last night. In the dream, our planet was about to be invaded by people from another realm - they had detonated a nuclear warhead in antarctica to show their strength and seriousness. Every country in the world had surrendered except for the north african nations - Tunisia, Morocco, etc. So Obama had gone commando and infiltrated those nations Jack Bauer style to convince the sovereigns to surrender, so as to save the Earth from devastation. Unfortunately his extraction from Morocco ran into a snafu, and a team had to be sent in to find him - I was to be on this team. So I was with the supply NCO, trying to convince him to upgrade my Civil War musket for a modern pistol, as well as to get me the right kind of hat. That's when I woke up.

When you go to sleep tonight try your best to re-enter that dream, I'm kinda getting into the story now and would like to see how episode two goes

[Karlifornia]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

When you go to sleep tonight try your best to re-enter that dream, I'm kinda getting into the story now and would like to see how episode two goes

Fuckin' a. Televisionwithoutpity has even started their own forum devoted to this stcronin dream.

The wackjob theorists on that site are talking about things like "Cronin is in a Tunisian bank, waiting for funds from the freemasons to be transferred over, when a radical group storms in. Armed with nothing but a cherry flavored popsicle, Cronin holds off the militants until his 8th grade Spanish teacher, Mrs. McKenzie, descends from the rafters, throwing uncooked macaroni into the eyes of the enemy, forcing them to swim down underneath the banks liquid floor..."

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

It will be a sigh to behold.

Awesome typo, by the way.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Awesome typo, by the way.

doh.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Awesome typo, by the way.

Meh, booty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Neuqua]

Me and a few friends were actually contemplating making the trip to DC for the inauguration as well. My best friends father owns a few hotels in that vicinity and we've already been told that we are free to stay but that we have to let him know ASAP. Hah.

Im just wondering if it is worth it for us to go. I was at the Obama Rally but I didn't have the big donor ticket so I watched the giganto screens on the other side of the park. Seems wasteful to travel all the way to DC to watch a big screen again.

[Dutch]

I'm glad that in this economic crisis that 1.5 million people can afford to pony up $5000 a week for a convenient walk to the White House. Thanks George W. Bush for making that possible.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Dutch

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Yup.

[Dutch]

It was a joke, peanut.

[CamEdwards]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I'm glad that in this economic crisis that 1.5 million people can afford to pony up $5000 a week for a convenient walk to the White House. Thanks George W. Bush for making that possible.

I don't begrudge the lavish inauguration balls that will be held, nor do I begrudge the budget-busting inauguration ceremony itself, but I would like to find out what Rep. Anthony Weiner thinks.

The New York Times > Washington > For Inauguration in Wartime, a Lingering Question of Tone

Some critics say spending so much on these parties seems ill-timed both because of the Iraq war and the tsunami catastrophe in Asia. Anthony D. Weiner, a Democratic congressman preparing to run for mayor of New York, sent President Bush a letter on Tuesday suggesting that the millions in inaugural funds be sent to the troops in Iraq.

"Precedent suggests that inaugural festivities should be muted - if not canceled - in wartime," Mr. Weiner wrote, noting that in 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt limited the celebration to a cold luncheon at the White House.

[Galaxy]

What's the excepted economic impact of this?

[RendeR]

I have to agree, spending idiotic amounts of money on the inauguration is just a bad idea, do something simple, and cheap and show the world that you're really about fixing the economic woes of the only real world power left out there.

[flere-imsaho]

For the inauguration itself, how much of that outlay is actually security-related?

As for FDR's inauguration in 1945, Rep Weiner should also bear in mind that it was FDR's fourth, so maybe it justified a little roll-back.

[chesapeake]

The problem with this particular inauguration is that it is clear that at least 1.5 million people will be coming, regardless of what festivities will be held. Some estimate that 4 to 5 million will show up. Providing sufficent security, public safety, sanitation, transportation et. al. is going to grow quickly for that volume of people. And you can't not do it, if I may hurl out a double negative, wartime or no.

[CamEdwards]

Originally Posted by chesapeake

The problem with this particular inauguration is that it is clear that at least 1.5 million people will be coming, regardless of what festivities will be held. Some estimate that 4 to 5 million will show up. Providing sufficent security, public safety, sanitation, transportation et. al. is going to grow quickly for that volume of people. And you can't not do it, if I may hurl out a double negative, wartime or no.

I disagree. I'm not suggesting Obama do this, because I understand the desire (and to some extent, the need) for pomp and circumstance, but there's nothing stopping Obama from saying he's going to take the oath of office inside the Capitol, and deliver an inaugural address to the American people via the mass media.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by some article linked by CamEdwards

Anthony D. Weiner, a Democratic congressman preparing to run for mayor of New York, sent President Bush a letter on Tuesday suggesting that the millions in inaugural funds be sent to the troops in Iraq.

So Bush controls the funding for the inauguration?

And if so, the meltdown of monumental proportions that would come from the Obamites about how they weren't getting their due pomp & circumstance would almost be worth the price of a ticket.

Methinks Rep. Oscar Meyer isn't very in touch with reality if he actually made that suggestion.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

So Bush controls the funding for the inauguration?

And if so, the meltdown of monumental proportions that would come from the Obamites about how they weren't getting their due pomp & circumstance would almost be worth the price of a ticket.

Methinks Rep. Oscar Meyer isn't very in touch with reality if he actually made that suggestion.

I'm pretty sure the article was from 2005.

[Senator]

I can't wait to Tivo this.

[CamEdwards]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

I'm pretty sure the article was from 2005.

It was. Sorry, should have made that clear. I remember reading another article from 2005 recently (but I can't for the life of me remember where it was) that featured some Democrat bitching about the cost of the Bush inaugural given the (then) current economic conditions. Again, something I haven't seen much of this time around.

[Subby]

Well to be fair, FDR was a sitting President so the situation was a little different than what we have now. Same with Bush in '05.

I do think we should be fiscally responsible with the inauguration, but at the same time recognize that it is as much a celebration of democracy and freedom as it is a change in power a top the executive branch.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

I'm pretty sure the article was from 2005.

Okay, that makes more sense. I was really bumfuzzled trying to figure out why someone was suggesting Bush repurpose Obama's inaugural funding.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

I disagree. I'm not suggesting Obama do this, because I understand the desire (and to some extent, the need) for pomp and circumstance, but there's nothing stopping Obama from saying he's going to take the oath of office inside the Capitol, and deliver an inaugural address to the American people via the mass media.

I don't think there's much of anything he could do to tamp down the excitement over the inauguration, nor do I think he should. I think the free transfer of power should be celebrated and it should be open to as many of the public that want to take part.

I'd like to see Obama discourage the private balls and not make appearances. In the end, though, they are private affairs and he can't demand they be canceled. It would also be good to ask for donations to help cover the DC police expenses. (They may already do that.)

[SFL Cat]

Let the Hollywood koolaide drinking fruit loops pay for it.

Oprah can afford it.

[SFL Cat]

dola -- and while they're all partying, Obama can tell them they will be the first to help spread the wealth!!!

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Subby

Well to be fair, FDR was a sitting President so the situation was a little different than what we have now. Same with Bush in '05.

I do think we should be fiscally responsible with the inauguration, but at the same time recognize that it is as much a celebration of democracy and freedom as it is a change in power a top the executive branch.

Dammit, Subby, this is probably the most well thought out post in the thread (except the OP, and maybe stc's dream). I don't even know who you are any more

SI