Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, 6:08 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- We're journeying to our respective locations to cover this inauguration. After a little more than an hour's sleep from the night before, we were slow to wake up this morning. Cell phone service is expected to be non-existent, so it's unclear when we will be able to update again. I'm not sure what to expect, particularly how many people might be out there already. As we noted last night while canvassing the Mall in the wee hours, some -- without tickets -- had already staked out spots as close as possible, burrowing themselves in sleeping bags and sheltering themselves in cardboard boxes to shield from the wind.
-- Dan Petty
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, 3 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- THE CITY is locked in the grip of a powerful "O-gasm." Trudging the length of the frozen Mall from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, a body could acquire a countless bounty of worthless, tacky Obama memorabilia.
Step right up and get your T-shirt with Obama's smiling face on it, or maybe it has a dollar bill emblazoned on the front with a picture of Obama, looking pensive, replacing George Washington. And what lady wouldn't want to wear a snazzy pair of Obama earrings, or even secretly sport her Obama panties?
What gentleman wouldn't look fresh tilting his left wrist to check his large Obama timepiece? Maybe you'd like a fly Obama keychain or even a sexy Obama scarf?
The shameless commercialism of it all is enough to turn the stomach, but what is worse is people are buying this crap. One skull cap in five has Obama's name on it. Everyone seems to be wearing apparel distributed by Pepsi that reads "Hope" and "Joy," with "O" decorated with a Pepsi logo. I suppose the people of Pepsi Company had an O-gasm as well.
The real evil here is not the enthusiasm generated by the election of the first U.S. black president. Clearly that is an occasion of note that we should give special recognition to. The real evil is the unabashed Obama idolatry. This is, at best, untamed expectations for a president who, in his own words, faces the worst economy since the 1930s. At worst, it is a sinister indication of just how susceptible we Americans are to charismatic leaders in troubled times, who may or may not have the peoples' best interests in mind. Only time will tell.
At the moment my cynicism peaked today, brimming over into a full-on rage, something I saw restored my dwindling hope for America.
A group of soldiers in fatigues were marching down Maryland Avenue when two little boys, maybe 10 and 12 years old, ran up to greet them and ask them questions. The soldiers stopped in the street, got down on their knees and interacted with the boys, ruffling their hair and laughing with them. Their mother, a Latino woman with chestnut hair flowing from under a knit cap, ran over and grabbed the boys. The soldiers stopped her and asked her whether she wanted to take a picture of the boys, to which the woman agreed.
The soldiers formed a rank around the boys and posed for the photograph. I'm not sure what about this moment moved me to the verge of tears, but I think it was the look on the boys' faces. They had a glint in their eyes and were so thrilled to have met the soldiers that their whole demeanor been uplifted. It was as if they had just me rock stars or action heroes.
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My spirit had been restored. With all the sickening Obama mania that has gripped this city, it seemed I had found the only boys in Washington that had it right.
-- David Larter
Monday, Jan. 19, 2009, 7 p.m.
WASHINGTON -- The roads into the city are now blocked, but online editor Dan Petty and I managed to reach Washington, D.C., in less than two hours. We left at noon and parked our car in Arlington, Va., then took the Metro into the city. When I was sitting outside the building where we were staying, a man walked up to me and advised: "Don't drive downtown. You can't move." The streets were not crowded when we were walking, but small packs of people were gathered in excitement, walking up to strangers and asking them how close they would be to Barack Obama tomorrow. Parents bundled up their children and showed them the city's historic sites. People were wearing Obama-themed hats, earrings and bracelets. Street vendors were selling Obama paraphernalia, including T-shirts with Michelle and Obama's photo that read "Yes, We Did." Tonight we plan on walking around the city and taking photos of people getting ready for the inauguration. We are also hoping to interview Richmond students who made the trip to Washington. Online reporter David Larter will be reporting from the front row, Dan Petty will be taking photos of students, reporter Nick Mider will be writing about his experiences and I will be shooting video for the Web site.
-- Kimberly Leonard
Contact staff writers Kimberly Leonard, David Larter and Dan Petty at kimberly.leonard@richmond.edu, david.larter@richmond.edu or dan.petty@richmond.edu
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