Robert Schlesinger

The Barack Obama Inaugural and Courtesy to George W. Bush

January 26, 2009 RSS Feed Print

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

I commented last week on the notion that Barack Obama was mean—or at least insufficiently courteous—to his immediate predecessor in his inaugural address. (Reagan speechwriter Peter Robinson, for example, dings Obama for this, among other perceived failings with the speech.)

But as the New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg points out (and as a quick look at previous inaugurals bears out), obligatory expressions of thanks to one's predecessor are a relatively new, post-Watergate phenomenon.

BTW: On Facebook? You can keep up with Thomas Jefferson Street blog postings through Facebook's Networked Blogs.

 

Tags:
Inauguration,
Barack Obama

Reader Comments Read all comments (4)

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Watch out Barack Hussein Obama(hmm, that name sounds familiar), Sarah Palin 2012..Yeah!!!!!

For Palin of FL 5:06PM January 28, 2009

BTW-- he didn't mention Bush. At all. A generational misunderstanding perhaps? People expecting Obama to show respect to his elders, and Obama instead speaking to the youth and everyone else who voted for change? The audacity.

Mia of 11:36PM January 26, 2009

Had none of the things Obama had said in his anaugural address about his predecessors not been the truth, Obama would not be President.

I'm over it.

Mia of 11:32PM January 26, 2009

Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger

Robert Schlesinger is managing editor for opinion at U.S. News and World Report, overseeing all opinion editorial content. He is the author of White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters. E-mail him at rschlesinger@usnews.com. Follow him on Twitter: @rschles.

advertisement

Cartoons

Robert Schlesinger

Obama's Mixed-Bag Week

The Obama camp can celebrate Dick Lugar defeat, but should worry about the Scott Walker recall.

Mary Kate Cary

Obama Attacks as Economic Cliff Looms

The president can't afford to talk about the economy, but with a 2013 fiscal time bomb approaching, the rest of us can't afford not to.

Latest Video

advertisement