Can You Smell What Barack is Cooking? Pt.1 01/20/2009

I don't believe that I am the first person to coin this phrase. The new president said it himself some months ago when the candidates were grasping for support. The Republican nominee, John McCain, and the last remaining Democratic nominees, Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton went on WWE's Monday Night Raw and made their case to America using trademark wrasslin' taunts.

Check it out!









Personally, I thought that McCain's battle cry was the best, as he called to all of his McCainiacs for support. Too bad there weren't more...But that's just the Arizonan in me.

Clinton's was the worst. She came off, as she so often does, as wooden and impersonable.

But Obama, borrowed Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's catch-phrase, and it sticks in my mind to this day...





But enough about the history behind the title of this blog. As you all know, today is inauguration day, and as I write President Barack Obama isn't cooking anything. He's walking up and down Pennsylvania Avenue outside of Cadillac 1 (Yeah, I want one of those!) in the inaugural parade.



Where were you for the inauguration?

And is it as historic as everyone is making it out to be?

Having nothing better to do, I booked a ticket to watch MSNBC's coverage at a local movie theater. This event, happening simultaneously at theaters across the land, was created because it is believed that many people want to experience the transition of power in a social setting, but simply do not have the power to attend the inauguration in person on the National Mall.

(No word on whether or not the High School Group I donated 10 bucks to at Christmas, the ones who wrapped my gifts so terribly, were able to make it. I hope they did, because I wouldn't pay 50 cents for a wrap job like that!).



As for me, I just wanted to eat some good movie theater popcorn while I watched the morning news.



After having my bag searched and walking past half a dozen members of the Maricopa County Sherriff's Department, I picked up my goody bag (that included a really cool deck of cards and a magnet) and headed over to the concession stand to do one of two things:

1. Buy a Bag of popcorn for my free inaugural lanyerd.
2. Buy an inaugural lanyerd to get a free bag of popcorn.

It was all so confusing.

The coverage had already begun inside the theater, and there were no fewer than three local news crews with cameras and reporters interviewing attendees. I chose to sit off to the side, away from the large group of Obama supporters who had already taken up residence in the middle section of the theater.

The anticipation built steadily as dignitaries trickled in on screen, and the loud ovations for Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter made it clear that I was sitting with a predominantly Democratic crowd.

I noticed a member of the Sheriff's department wander over to my side of the theater and I was certain that he was looking at me. A man in a suit whispered something in the deputy's ear and pointed at me before he began walking up the stairs in my direction.


(Sheriff Joe Arpaio)

Had I done something wrong, I wondered? After all, I had been sending text messages over the past 15 minutes. I can't keep up with what's illegal these days...And neither can the rest of the country. It's no surprise we are all so excited about the transition of power.

To my relief the Deputy walked past me.

A few minutes later he walked back down the stairs, having apprehended some silent protester wearing a t-shirt like this:



Again, I can't keep up with what's illegal these days...

It was time for the inauguration, and the Oath, and I'll be darned if Obama didn't mess it up. I thought for sure that it was a stumble from a man who never seems to stumble...

But...

Turns out that Cheif Justice Roberts is the one who screwed up, and it caught our new president off guard:

John Roberts, Fallible

Okay, so they both screwed it up. D'Oh.

But it was almost as if the new President were too busy going over his speech in his head to worry about the small details, like his oath.

And a great speech it was. I remember thinking, as he went over the difficulties America faces under his watch, and how tough he's going to be in fixing them, that this man I've been accusing of not having a real voice these past 12 months, has finally found one.

Boldly proclaiming that we "will not apologize for our way of life" while simultaneously asking Americans to change their lifestyles seemed like a bit of a contradiction...

But the man admirably talks tough and seized power swiftly, and for that he has my respect.

Let's see how long the honeymoon lasts. For America, we also had a lengthy love affair with Presidents Clinton and Bush.



And they went sour in a hurry.

Can I smell what the rock is cooking? Yes!
And whatever it is it smells good.
Let's hope he doesn't burn it.