I noticed a few odd things in his speech.  You can read the whole speech here, but I want to acknowledge and comment on a couple aspects of it.

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

As I noted in my last blog, while the crowd may be classless, he was very gracious to his predecessor.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

It was noted on the radio that his speech was laced with “we”, and how that was a historic new idea.  They are full of it.  Read Bush’s speech from 2001, and see for yourself.  In fact I may post it for comparison.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

I’m sorry, but when did we do this?  I never saw the election as hope over fear, though I do recall that is how he wanted us to see it.

And the discord idea, here it comes again…as a central theme.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

I think right here he has outlined the next four years.  He has new ideas, republicans (and some democrats) are dogmatic and false.

If we oppose him, if we oppose his ideas, we are guilty of petty discord, and we are the enemy.  No room for contrary beliefs.

He has set the tone for all future debates.   This is not new, by the way,  both parties have used this tactic in debates before. 

What it is is a contradiction to his promises to be above the typical type of politics.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

Here comes the call to action, and it represents an interesting turn.  He has been clear that only the Government can save the nation, particularly in regard to the financial mess. Also in regard to health care, and education and the other elements of the trillion dollar programs he advocates.

But now he moves into a different spin.  The government cannot do it.  We must do it.  More on this shortly.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost.

Minor nit:  Science was never under attack, nor was it ever stifled.  Come on…

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works —

A good question indeed. 

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

Here comes the pitch:

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

Hmm…is that a subtle suggestion that only by national service will citizenship we truly earned?

I wonder.  

All in all, a good, stirring speech.  Not his best, and really in terms of concrete ideas, very vague.

But there are some subtle hints that will have us talking for a while.  Most interesting is this new call to service, which is driving people to not wait for change, but to cause it.

Um, this is not new. Community groups are the best ones for getting things done.

So is his real intent a subtle back pedal of  his assertion that the Government can save you, to you must save yourselves?

Time will tell.  As I said, a nice speech coming from a guy who is noted for giving nice speeches.

Now, we shall see what it means.

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