What do you think of President Obama's inauguration speech?

Wednesday 21st January, 07:50 AM JST

See speech at http://www.japantoday.com/category/world/view/full-text-of-inaugural-address-by-president-barack-obama

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onibaku at 06:49 PM JST - 21st January

@JapanHusker: By the way, you mention about looking beyond Iraq, but have you ever looked BEFORE Iraq? I remember that some of your allies warned you about the danger of starting a war in Iraq... and the only thing you have done was ignoring them, and even worst, insulting them. So now we could say: deal with YOUR mess!! Who's the troublemaker and the "whipping boy" right now??

I really hope that Obama will change the mentality of some American people who see no problem in stating that the United States are meant to lead the World. (In fact, thinking about it, I remember a small guy wearing a moustache speaking exactly the same way...)
NuckinFutz at 08:01 PM JST - 21st January

williamsmith,

When compared to George Bush, Homer Simpson is a GREAT SPEAKER! I voted for Obama in hopes that America can return to a place of honor among nations. We are not, and should not be a world "dominator". America should set an example by maintaining the highest standards for itself as a nation. We should not impose our type of government, our religious beliefs, or our way of life on others. We should respect the customs and cultures of others and encourage everyone to join together in their own way towards a common goal of peace.

There, enough of my soapbox preaching! Go luck Mr. President!
penbaidai at 08:08 PM JST - 21st January

Speech wasn't a mover in a real sense. Been reiterating the same type of things through the campaign. Honestly though , the idea of responsibility that was a theme seemed a bit boring but I guess that is the parlance of politics.
ca1ic0cat at 09:45 PM JST - 21st January

It was a good speech. When the conservative home school the kids guy said "he sounds like a Republican" I figured Obama had covered all the bases.
onewrldoneppl at 10:34 PM JST - 21st January
in terms of inauguration speeches, i think mr. obama's ranks behind:
1. JFK's
2. FDR's
3. MLK's (ha ha ha ... ok, so it wasn't an inaguration speech but, it was very inspiring).
his memorization, delivery and evocation were excellent. perhaps, the best among 20th century presidents of the U.S.A. the worst 3, you ask?
1. GWB's
2. RWR's
3. GWHB's
ha ha ha ... what do these 3 men have in common? republican moderators, please feel free to exercise your partisanship in erasing my comments. you know you will.
cainhf1 at 02:09 AM JST - 22nd January

This was the first time in my life that I have voted Democrat. Not because of the racial issue but due to the fact that I really think Obama can help mend strained relation with other countries that the last administration tried so hard to destroy. The economy will eventually stabilize and grow again it comes in cycles. Obama will have a huge task ahead of him but the quicker we get the economy running smoothly the faster the world will catch up. Our economies are so intertwined that if one fails it drags down all the others. Obama carries the hopes and dreams of millions of Americans as well as millions from around the world. I pray that he has the strength and willpower to make the world a better place, and soon... I want to visit Japan some day, and it won’t happen with this economy. Japan is one of the safest places on the planet and I hope it remains that way. Stay Beautiful Japan and help us pray for Obama to turn this country (USA) into a posative direction.
Ranger_Miffy at 07:46 AM JST - 22nd January

Speech worked for me except for the line about we will kill people who oppose us (or something to that order)...but, 'twas a great day! Watched it on cnn.com. The crowd! It's a new day for Americans, 'cause they could look at each other and not see the color, gender, age, socio-economic level, but the beauty of each as Americans. Sorry, none of this would have happened with McCain/Palin in charge. It's a beautiful day and I am deeply moved to say "President Obama"!
JapanHusker at 12:34 PM JST - 22nd January

williamsmith at 01:05 PM JST - 21st January "Actually it was the chief justice that made the errors, not Obama."

No, it was Obama who made the error. He jumped in early which, in turn messed Roberts up.
Noripinhead at 01:59 PM JST - 22nd January

I thought the only false step was "we will defeat you"--which did not seem to resonate with the crowd of liberals. He could have rephrased it as "we shall prevail" -- something more poetic. It did not seem like something Obama would say; he did it to appease the hawks.
easychord2 at 02:59 PM JST - 22nd January

At first, I switched parties to try to get Dr. Ron Paul on the presidential slate. When I saw that he could not make it, I switched back to Democrat so as not to waste my vote. >

It's not a wasted vote to vote your conscience. I voted third party, because I think the two party system is flawed and outdated. As far as Obama's inauguration speech? Sounded a lot like Bush, and went back to his well, very vague and not a lot of substance. He swoons the American public with his confidence and bravado, the "citizen of the World" bs. He is the epitome of the celebrity worship complex America has. The media created him, and will not speak an ill word of him his time in office. He'll probably try to go Chavez on everyone and change the term limits to three terms, or indefinite. In the end, he's a great talker, but don't bark if you cannot bite.
JapanHusker at 03:50 PM JST - 22nd January

onewrldoneppl at 10:34 PM JST - 21st January in terms of inauguration speeches, i think mr. obama's ranks behind: JFK's FDR's MLK's (ha ha ha ... ok, so it wasn't an inaguration speech but, it was very inspiring). his memorization, delivery and evocation were excellent. perhaps, the best among 20th century presidents of the U.S.A. the worst 3, you ask? GWB's RWR's GWHB's ha ha ha ... what do these 3 men have in common? republican moderators, please feel free to exercise your partisanship in erasing my comments. you know you will."

No they won't, because the moderators are as liberal and biased as you are.
ptolemy at 06:27 PM JST - 22nd January

In this speech Barack Obama actually said that government is where people are gonna turn when they need work. And of course people will turn to the government to fix their problems instead of trying to fix them on their own first. It was a campaign speech, and I think that he tried to just touch on too many things and strive for memorable line after memorable line. And, as such, it came off as an infomercial. There wasn't anything of substance, but there were good sound bites. Of course that's what any politician looks for.
PuffinMuffin at 11:33 PM JST - 22nd January

I read the transcript on JT. Impressive.
veilside at 04:22 AM JST - 23rd January

In reflecting on what happened on the Capitol steps, if you think about it, some day in the future Obama's face will adorn our currency. Maybe not in my lifetime or yours, but certainly in our grandkids' time.

For Obama, Feinstein and Pelosi, it is one thing to preach hope from the Capitol steps that day; it will be another story to preach the same hope two years from now. As an American, the cure for our economy is not building bridges or roads or infrastucture with printed money. Nevertheless, it is hard to determine what is the best course of action.

I do wish that history will reflect on #43 as one that protected our country, saved millions from oppression and as someone who inherted the mess the Clinton-led fiasco left him... down to the libs who cried foul when people who could really not afford to buy homes were allowed to buy. Unknown to many of you, yes, McCain saw the danger in allowing credit rules to become compromised several years ago.

As for the valued ability to deliver speeches and sway people's feelings and beliefs, that is what many a fraudster uses to enrichen themselves and take from others. Speech giving does not a good president make.

Let us see what happens when he tries to stop F-22 production or clamp down on guns instead of criminals. While I do support our President as an American, hope and holding out his hand can only go so far.
Blue_Tiger at 12:04 AM JST - 25th January

"...a tale told full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

--William Shakespeare, MacBeth