Looking at Barthe:
Inoculation: One obvious unforeseen issue that occurred on the day of the inauguration was the sudden illness of Senator Kennedy. Kennedy is an extremely well respected and important person in this country, so his medical emergency could not be brushed off. Attention was given directly to Kennedy at the moment of his crisis, and during the rest of the day. However, in the broader scope, the day was a tremendous success. The terrible situation had to be focused on briefly and monitored to allow for the day to positively move forward.
Privatization of History: This is summed up as forgetting small problems that occurred. The Kennedy incident will obviously not be remembered exactly how it occurred the day of the incident, but it will still be remembered. A better example is the late start of the inaugural parade. The parade started about an hour late before successfully running. Despite the brave souls that will never forget how cold that day was, this minor detail is not something that will be notable in history years to come.
Identification: I'm still thinking of specific examples of the Other in this specific context. It is worthy to note how contradictory the Other is to the theme of this particular campaign. With this period in history being so famously important for the unification of all people living in the United States, there is arguably no other. However, in Obama's inaugural address he refers to the "far-reaching network of violence and hatred." This reference, to those against all that is American, can be seen as the Other. It is in fact the opposite of what it means to be American.
Tautology: There is the impossible to miss connections made between Lincoln and Obama. Despite all the connections made between the two figures, I'm not so sure that Obama "erases" all of Lincoln's accomplishments and assumes them as his own.
Neithor-Norism: The concept of being in the middle to not offend anyone. I see Obama as a perfect example of someone desperately trying to win the support of all people in this country, regardless of political position. Obama seems to represent what is needed and what is good for this country. Obviously that statement alone can be debated heavily. What makes Obama different is that he is really trying to prevent forming enemies whenever possible. An example is gay rights. Without completely supporting full rights for gays in this country, he is supportive (marriage) and is doing what he can to foster tolerance. By taking this middle ground he can effectively win over both sides and remain neutral.
Quantification of Quality: The actual inauguration was inarguably messy and chaotic from the perspective of many of those that went to watch the event. Even with the expectation of the large crowd, there was just no feasible way to handle it. However, despite people not being able to see and hear what they had intended to, the occasion was still great. The people stuck in the security lines were stressed out and angered, but still happy. All of these people felt a sense of togetherness. These minor inconveniences brought the supporters together as a nation in ways they wouldn't have imagined. Completely opposite to those in an airport security line to flat out want to strangle everyone.
Statement of fact: these are statements where there is nothing actually factual about them. The inauguration speech provided great hope for the country, to raise spirits regarding the current financial crisis. However, it is not certain that Obama will get us through this. It is likeely and probably, but it is not something that we know is going to happen.
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