This is an interesting take on the "flub" affair:
"Joel's Two Cents
Inauguration Flub Watch
By Joel Achenbach
The problem with Obama relying on that 27-year-old kid to write his speeches is that someone so young doesn't remember the Grover Cleveland presidency the way I do. And thus Obama opened his speech with a mistake that made every history geek in America wince and gasp (before deciding, perhaps, to call it a mere rounding error).
"Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath," Obama said.
Actually, it's 43. Obama is considered the 44th president because Cleveland, whose two terms were not consecutive, is considered both the 22nd and 24th president.
And while we're on Flub Watch duty, we have to mention the awkward oath. It appears that Obama jumped the gun at the beginning a little bit, and that threw off Chief Justice Roberts, who garbled the oath. Obama then improvised a little bit. They both closed strong, however.
The oath is specified in the U.S. Constitution, so you'd think it would be flub-proof -- especially when delivered by skilled lawyers in front of 2 million people on the Mall and trillions on television. It states: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."
It didn't go exactly that way. Here's a transcript of the Roberts-Obama verbal tango (complete with stepped-on-feet):"
voices.washingtonpost.com |
