The greatest irony of the last 8 years is that it almost all of our woes were self inflicted. Even 9-11 now seems to have been preventable. And Bushes regretting that there were no WMD is very confusing.

Shades of Pogo.

While the speech lacked the rhetorical flourishes we have come to expect from Obama, I wonder whether that was his intention. While parts of the speech, particularly those covering foreign policy were extremely forceful, Obama chose to lay out a sobering picture of the country rather than a soaring, hopeful one. Perhaps his aim was to dampen the wild expectations of his supporters or to reinforce the need for patience as he and his administration moves forward.

Debating the merits of the speech is hard because there are so many elements that make a memorable speech. As many people have already noted, much depends on what Obama accomplishes in the next four to eight years, which in turn depends on the resilience and patience of his supporters.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=216538&title=changefest-09-obamas-inaugural