Inaugural Balls

[JSojourner]

Well, it's time for me to repeat my quadrennial call for a moratorium on balls and parties held after the Inauguration.  I think these are a collossal waste of money -- money that is needed elsewhere. 

I am all but certain President-Elect Obama or President-Elect McCain will keep the tradition going.  And permit millions of dollars to be spent on ridiculous parties and celebrations.  To me, this is akin to the athlete who wins one game or match at the start of a season and celebrates like he's won the whole championship.  The work is just beginning, people.

Oh, I know...I know...much of the money comes from big donors, corporate interests and other private sources.  Not all of the Inaugural nonsense is taxpayer funded.  But I don't care.  A good leader should be able to ask those donors to give the same amount to something worthwhile. 

I've had this discussion locally, with city officials.  Do we really need to shoot off fireworks four times a year at a cost of about 350-thousand dollars a pop?  New Years, July 4th, local festivals and so on?  It's money up in smoke.  Again, not taxpayer money.  But if First National Bank has 350-grand so they can claim they sponsored the fireworks...how about if they sponsor three Habitat for Humanity houses?

Sincerely,

A cranky old man who wants you meddling kids to get the hell off my lawn so I can finish watching Matlock.

[Torie]

Public festivals have a civic purpose, that brings a community together. That is the theory anyway. I know it works in Mexico! The Inaugural Balls have become stilted and meaningless stilted affairs however - a bunch of old rich people show up, who don't know each other, and eat rubber chicken, and dance to bad music, and do it en mass in eight different venues, with POTUS elect showing up for 5 minutes.

[True Democrat]

I'm going to the GW one.  It'll be pretty sweet I think.

[??????????]

Crist canceled his inaugural ball, fwiw.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Gov. Sanford held inaugural barbeques instead of balls.

[ChrisFromNJ]

I would happen to agree, JSojourner.

Another good idea would be to shorten the conventions to 1-2 days.

[??????????]

I would happen to agree, JSojourner.

Another good idea would be to shorten the conventions to 1-2 days.

That's horrible, tradition rocks. Quit wanting to make my country boring.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I would happen to agree, JSojourner.

Another good idea would be to shorten the conventions to 1-2 days.

That's horrible, tradition rocks. Quit wanting to make my country boring.

The conventions already are boring.  The excitement they used to generate is no more.  You want tradition, then lets go back to the days when the nominees never even spoke to the convention.

[??????????]

I would happen to agree, JSojourner.

Another good idea would be to shorten the conventions to 1-2 days.

That's horrible, tradition rocks. Quit wanting to make my country boring.

The conventions already are boring.  The excitement they used to generate is no more.  You want tradition, then lets go back to the days when the nominees never even spoke to the convention.

I'm referring more to the grand ball.

[JSojourner]

Crist canceled his inaugural ball, fwiw.

One of the several things I really like about that guy!