Yesterday, 20/1/2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as President of USA. He is the 43rd President of USA but is generally mentioned as 44th President of USA. That is because Grover Cleveland is counted twice as 22nd and 24th President of USA. In between his two terms Benjamin Harrison was President of USA. There were many Presidents who had two terms. They are not counted twice. Franklin Roosevelt was President four times. He is not counted four times.
While administering the oath of office John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of USA mentioned the words in wrong order. Instead of “faithfully execute the office of the President of United States” he said “execute the office of the President of United States faithfully”. Barack Obama stood silent for a while. I thought he missed the words. I realized the mistake of John Roberts later on. As Wolf Blitzer of CNN said “John Roberts screwed up”.
In 2005 Barack Obama had opposed the nomination of John Roberts as Chief Justice.
Most of the Presidents of USA are WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants). There are exceptions like Martin Van Buren who was Dutch and John Kennedy who was Irish Catholic.
Barack Obama is said to be the first black President of USA. He is not a descendant of blacks who were slaves in USA. His father was from Kenya. His mother was white.
Barack Obama talked of change. Within eleven hours of his taking over as President www.whitehouse.org disappeared and after sometime reappeared in a new format
Barack Obama’s middle name is Hussein. At one time that was considered a disadvantage but Barack Obama overcame that.
Barack Obama has two daughters. George W. Bush has two daughters. William Jefferson Clinton has one daughter. It is strange that three successive Presidents of USA had daughters and no sons.
Expectations are high from Barack Obama. Whether he will meet them only time will tell.