WASHINGTON—Crowds might not have been as big as in 2009 when Barack Obama was inaugurated as the first African-American president of the United States, but the crowds that turned out Monday, Jan. 21 to witness the inauguration for his second term were just as passionate.
Retirees Lola McFadden and Susan Bocinec had come in from Iowa and were inspired by the event. The inauguration “renewed hope” for McFadden, especially “when things started to fizzle” in the first term. She said, “I think he is going to go full steam ahead.”
She described the president as “an honest man” with “a lot of compassion.”
Bocinec noticed a maturity and strength in the president following his first term.
“I think he has a lot more confidence,” she said. “He has learned a lot, and he is going to go far and work hard for what he wants to achieve.”
In his inaugural address, President Obama laid out a progressive agenda for his second term, acknowledging the challenges ahead while asserting the need for action.
“For now decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate,” Obama said. “We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect.”
Second-term inaugurations are traditionally low-key affairs, but official estimates put Monday’s crowds at around 1 million people, with supporters crammed into ticketed spaces in front of the Capitol and two general public areas along the National Mall. Some had come for a second time; others were keen to show their support for the first time.
McFadden and Bonicec witnessed the event from the general public viewing area at the top of the mall, closest to the Capitol, and they were happy with the view.
