The Presidents of the United States officially come into power when the inauguration ceremony takes place. It is the inauguration that signifies the beginning of the tenure of the president. The first and second Presidential inauguration of Barack Obama held on the 20th of January, 2009, and 21st January 2013, respectively.
The question is, did Republicans skip Obama’s inauguration?
President Barack Obama came into power on the platform of the Democratic Party. According to reports from his second inauguration, many high profile Republicans skipped the inauguration. They were those who had official duties to perform at the ceremony and had to be there. However, others skipped the event. They either traveled out of town or refused to attend. Thus, the answer to the question did Republicans skip Obama’s inauguration is in the affirmative.
Is An Inauguration An Exclusive Event?
With many Republicans skipping the inauguration of Obama, and the question that readily comes to mind is if the US inauguration ceremony is an exclusive event that only members of the political party that wins can attend.
An inauguration is a national event that celebrates and installs the American President. Irrespective of party affiliations, the inauguration of President makes him the President of all Americans, and not just the President of members of his political party.
However, with the politics that come with the general elections, the prominent members of the adverse party, who have no official role to play during the inauguration, skips the event. It is like an unspoken rule for them to allow the party coming into power to enjoy their celebration without disturbing them with their presence.
Besides skipping an inauguration and taking a vacation for a few days, the members of the other also host counter-inaugural parties for them to sit and watch the inauguration on TV while mourning their loss.
Notable Republicans That Traveled Ahead Of Obama’s Inauguration
They were several Republicans that skipped the inauguration of Barack Obama during his second term inauguration. It happens to be a perfect weekend to get away for the Republicans since they would instead not attend the inauguration.
Charles Spies and his wife, Lisa Spies, organized a Las Vegas trip. The trip was for about 100 republicans. They were those who need to be out of town as the inauguration was to take place. They tagged the trip with the slogan “We still believe in America.” which was a derivative from their campaign slogan that was “Believe in America.”
Other Republicans that traveled out of town were Ben Ginsberg. He went with his family for a weekend vacation. Russ Schriefer traveled with his wife to Switzerland, Kevin Sheridan traveled to Charleston, S.C., for a work retreat, Ron Bonjean also traveled with some Republicans to Mexico.
The Significance Of An Inauguration In America
An inauguration ceremony is an essential event in America that has persons traveling into town to be a part of the event. The essence of the event is to mark the beginning of a new tenure for the president of America. The ceremony holds whether the president is coming into the office for the first term or a second term.
When Does The Inauguration Hold?
The presidential inauguration holds on the 20th of January at noon. It is the tradition since 1937. However, on three occasions, the 20th of January fell on a Sunday, and the ceremony moved to the next day. In such circumstances, a private swearing-in holds on a Sunday while the public event is the one that shifts to the next day.
Activities That Take Place At The Inauguration
An inauguration is a national event. The event features several activities. It starts with a morning worship service, which began in 1933 when Franklin D. Roosevelt participated in a morning service on the day of his inauguration. After the worship service, a procession of the President-elect, Vice President-elect, and their families, along with others, will move to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.
At the swearing-in ceremony, the swearing-in of the Vice President-elect takes place before that of the President-elect. After the oath of the President, the President gives an inaugural speech.
When the ceremony is getting to an end, the activity that takes place is the departure of the outgoing President, and the new President usually escorts him. After this, the new President and his Vice will proceed back to the Capitol Building to participate in the Inaugural luncheon hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
The Morning Worship Service
In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt attended a morning service on the morning of his inauguration before going to the Capitol Building for his swearing-in. Ever since it became a traditional activity that forms part of the inauguration.
The past Presidents that also attended morning services as part of their inauguration activities are George Bush, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Baines Johnson. Others are Richard M. Nixon, James E. Carter, Ronald W. Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower, William Clinton, Barack H. Obama, and Donald Trump.
The activity has the significance of incorporating the religious beliefs of the American state into the events that lead to the start of a new term of governance.
The Procession To The Capitol Building
After the end of the morning service, it is a tradition for the President-elect, the Vice-President-elect, their families along with the members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to move to the Capitol Building in a procession to commence the inaugural ceremony.
However, before heading to the Capitol Building, the entourage stops at the White House, where the president-elect and the outgoing President will have a short meeting. It is after the meeting that the outgoing President will join the entourage to the Capitol Building for the inaugural ceremony.
The Swearing-In Of The Vice–President
At the Capitol Building, the searing-in of the Vice President-elect is before the President’s swearing-in. There is no specified officer to administer the oath to the Vice President. It is after the swearing-in of the Vice President that he delivers an inaugural address. After the Vice President and the Senators take their oath of office, the next thing is for the President’s swearing-in.
The Swearing-In Of The President
The swearing-in of the President-elect holds on the west front of the Capitol Building. It is unlike that of the Vice-President and Senators that takes place on the east front. After the swearing-in of the Vice President, they move over to the west front for the President’s swearing-in to take off.
The swearing-in of the President includes the taking of the oath of office by the President. It is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court that administers the oath to the President. It is the oath of office that signifies the beginning of a new term of office and passes power to the President.
Other activities that constitute a part of the President’s swearing-in ceremony are the inaugural address by the President, other speeches, parades, rendition of poems, etc.
The President renders the inaugural address to outline their plans for the country as they take over the vehicle of governance. Thus, the inaugural address is often the subject of public discussions after the inauguration has come to an end.
Inaugural Luncheon
The JCCIC is in charge of organizing a luncheon as part of the Inauguration celebration. It is usually for the President and other dignitaries at the Capitol Building. It is a ceremony for food, drinks, more speeches, and the presentation of gifts.
The inaugural luncheon is only one of the luncheons which the President partakes of on that day. After the Inaugural luncheon, he also leaves for the White House. It is at the White House that the outgoing President and his wife, with the members of the committee, will be hosting another luncheon as part of the celebration for the day.
The Venue Of The Inauguration Ceremony
The Inauguration usually takes place at the Capitol Building, except for a case like that of Barrack Obama’s second term that took place in the White House’s Blue Room.
The Capitol Building is at Washington, D. C. It is the seat of the legislature in the United States and houses the Congress. It serves as the venue for major national events such as Independence Day celebrations, the Presidential inaugurations, and others.
The Organizers Of The Inauguration Ceremony
A significant and national event like the Presidential Inauguration is one that requires lots of planning and organization for it to be a hitch-free and successful event. Thus, there are always persons behind them, working to ensure that everything is in its place.
The JCCIC, according to tradition, is in charge of organizing the inaugural ceremonies of the President and his Vice.
Conclusion
All elections come with a variance of political interests that usually centers on party affiliation. Thus, it is not so surprising when members of a political party skip the inauguration of the adverse party when that party wins. It is also not surprising that the question, did Republicans skip Obama’s inauguration, answers affirmatively.
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