The Inauguration

Well, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Atlanta, watching the Inauguration of Barack Obama. My husband is at meetings nearby and I told him that I would be happy to accompany him as long as I could sit in front of a TV all day so that I could watch. And, watch I did. From 1o am to 10 pm.

Read my posting on Beyond The Stuff at http://www.beyondthestuff.com/ to see my reaction to the day -- and feel free to comment.

I remember when I attended the first Inauguration of Ronald Reagan. It was 1981, I was an intern for a Republican Congressman, and inaugurations back then were different from today. I was given a pass to stand really close to the podium and could see the swearing in perfectly. The only other thing I remember was how cold it was and the fact I was on crutches. Oh yeah, I also remember going to the Youth Ball and seeing what smooth dancers Ronnie and Nancy Reagan were, particularly as compared to Barbara and George Bush Sr.

Think of how much has happened since then. Ronald Reagan danced through two terms. By the second term I was working for a prominent Republican Senator. I had been given great tickets to the Second Reagan inaugural -- tickets which I was able to share with my parents and sister, which was great -- but unfortunately, it was so cold that they cancelled the outside event, moving it inside and so we watched together on the TV in the Senator's office.

Then we had one term of George Sr, followed by Bill Clinton. At that point, I was a Republican, voting Democratic. By the time Al Gore and W. came up to bat, I was a registered Independent, having made a conscious choice to leave the Republican party when the Republican-led Congress tried to impeach President Clinton. I couldn't quite bring myself to become a Democrat. That was 2000. By 2004, I had had enough. I was ready to fight for my country. Not by enlisting, but by doing everything I could to support the candidate of my choice.

I can remember the first time I heard him speak..."What I want to know...what I want to know...what I want to know is what are so many Democrats doing giving the President unilateral authority to invade Iraq...." It was the first time I heard someone publically disagree with the President. Out loud. In public. I was blown away. Someone actually said -- in a public forum -- what I had been thinking privately. Wow. Before that, no media outlet or prominent politician dared to challenge the President. But, this candidate did. He was smart and unafraid, or as one of his young supporters put it: "He had 'brains and balls.'"

And, so, I became a registered Democrat so that I could support him and vote for him in the primary. I gave money, I attended meetings, I wore a tight t-shirt and stood at the Staten Island ferry so that I could hand out fliers to commuters coming off the boat, flyers which invited them to a rally in Bryant Park. (10,000 people showed up!) I flew to Iowa, by myself, at my expense, and for 5 days, in subzero weather, knocked on doors, made phone calls, canvassed, cajoled, and slept in rooms with strangers. Finally, I monitored a caucus in a middle school for the campaign.

He didn't win. But, it didn't matter. The movement he started culminated in the landslide election of Barack Obama. Only his supporters know how much of what he did -- his pioneering of Internet fundraising, his appeal to the youth vote and efforts to get them registered. Even his campaign slogans were echoed in Obama's campaign. "Yes, we can."

Howard Dean will always be remembered for his "scream." I will always remember him for his "dream." Let's Take This Country Back. Which is exactly what we have done.