People all over the world are watching the inauguration of a new American president. The United States of America is the standard bearer when it comes to inaugurations where former presidents, vice-presidents, and elected leaders from all parties attend to witness the peaceful transfer of power in the most powerful nation on earth.
Not since Grover Cleveland has an American president served two non-consecutive terms. President Trump’s remarkable political comeback is one for the ages and this inauguration is something many thought could never be possible. And, yet here we are.
This South Shore Press writer is on vacation in Florida and wanted to watch the inauguration on a big TV at the hotel.
I asked at the front desk if the inauguration would be on in the bar. They said, "You’ll have to ask the bartender. He controls the TV.”
The host at the bar did not know what the inauguration was and asked a manager. The manager said, “No”, we won’t be showing it.
Onto plan B! My husband and I did not want to watch it in the confines of the hotel room and also didn’t want to disturb other guests, so we set up with the iPad in the outdoor lobby area. My former Marine husband, who can create useful things from scratch on a moments notice, crafted a coffee cup as a phonographic trumpet to attach to the iPad. This directed the sound toward us so as not to bother others.
I decided to talk to some others hanging around about what they thought of the inauguration and if they planned to watch. It was still morning and folks were hanging around with their coffee.
A father and son were nearby and agreed to speak with me. Michael Smith and his son, Carter, are vacationing from South Jersey. We briefly talked about the big wins of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills the night before.
Father and son are split politically. Father is pro-Biden, and even more anti-Trump. Son, Carter supported Trump. Neither planned on watching the inauguration but for different reasons.
Michael, the father, saw the inauguration as a culmination of a “broken and divisive political process”. He feels the MAGA movement, and Trump especially, stain the ceremony. He compared our current political state to British Parliament where “they stand up and yell at one another all the time”. Dad is “frankly disgusted” by the whole process and what he sees as the “demeanor of the MAGA movement and Trump”.
Carter, who is just 20 years old and voted in a presidential election for the first time voted for Trump. He said, “I have very different views than my dad. I’m not that interested in the ceremony and we are on vacation.”
“I think the media and politicians work together to keep us divided on purpose,” said Carter. “I hope all of that ends now. The division is not good.”
When asked what he felt about the hotel refusing to put the inauguration on the TV, another patron said, “I’m not surprised. They are probably worried that some people might get upset even though this is a process for the whole country and not about politics at this point. The election is over.”
A couple from outside Chicago, Scott and Kris, were hanging around at the bar. By this time, the ceremony had begun and it had been turned on at the Hotel Bar TV though it was on silent. Scott mentioned that he had also asked for it to be turned on. It seems I was not alone in wanting to watch.
When asked his thoughts on the ceremony he said, “It’s nice to be able to watch it. I normally miss these things because I am at work, but we are on vacation and it is a federal holiday so it’s good to see the whole thing.”
“It is an important American event. We always watch all of them,” said Kris. “On a not-so-serious note, I wonder what they are talking about in the limousines and at the tea ceremony.”
Scott added, “I just hope that now that the election is over everyone can come together with less hate and we can unite as Americans.”