Innaugural Liveblog

9:21 Now is as good a time as any to start The Common Man's liveblog of the inauguration ceremonies. After all, the major networks can't seem to decide when to start. ABC got going at around 8 AM, CBS at 9, and NBC at 9:30. Fox, citing their refusal to cowtow to the liberal media bias, will begin its coverage at 2:45 Wednesday morning. The Common Man will update every fifteen minutes or so between now and the end of the ceremonies.

9:26 Katie Couric awkwardly tries to pimp Washington lobbyist and powerbroker Vernon Jordan's new book. Then urges those who can't get into the Washington Mall (it's full) to go home and turn on CBS. Ah, shameless promotion. You stay classy, CBS. Dan Rather is spinning in his grave. What? Alive? Really?

9:28 Celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration by sending in all your old gold jewelry for far less than it's worth. "I got $400 for my gold jewelry. That's a lot of gas money." (depressed)

9:31 The Common Man is excited by the prospect of an Obama presidency. He certainly has made little effort to hide his enthusiasm over the past few months. However, The Common Man is troubled by this poll by CNN.com, which reports that 2/3 of African Americans believe that Dr. King's dream has been fulfilled. Sure, maybe the election and inauguration of an African-American means that Dr. King's dream is fulfilled. But what troubles The Common Man is the implied notion that somehow race doesn't matter anymore. From this point, it will be easy for those in power to reject the notion that black and Latino and Native American minorities (amongst others) are discriminated against, and Americans need to be increasingly vigilant.

9:32 NBC has stopped broadcasting and the screen is frozen. What a day to forget to pay the gas bill.

9:43 Dignitaries begin to leave the White House. There go the wives of the Vice-President and the VP-elect.

9:44 The First Lady and First-Lady-to-be make their way into their armored tank. This ride will be awk-ward.

9:46 Dick Cheney is in a wheelchair today after pulling a muscle in his back moving out of the VP mansion. You'd think the Vice-President could have gotten someone to move his boxes for him. Maybe he was trying to lift the the man-size safe.

9:48 There's the man. Or The Man (fight the powers that be). Bigger than The Beatles?

9:52 Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln.

9:54 The Common Man loves that the Secret Service has to take the limousine apart piece by piece to check it. What happens if there are parts left over when they put it back together?

9:56 Senator John Corrin is holding up Hilary Clinton's nomination, in a partisan effort to thumb his nose at the Obama Administration. Dick.

9:58 Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln.

9:59 How hard is it to drive in formation like that? You have to be constantly watching the speedometer, don't you? Think about how tough it is to drive in a caravan and maintain a steady speed and distance. Important? Not so much. But The Common Man has 12 minutes to waste.

10:00 The Presidential caravan arrives at the Capitol.

10:01 Oh, God! The Terminator is in the crowd! Look out Barack, he's been sent back through time to become the Governor of California and be invited to the inauguration and bring about Judgment Day!

10:06 Ooh, Cabinet and Agency Designees! Sexy. Seriously, bring on the real deal.

10:12 Bored now. Dan Quayle! Al Gore! Fritz Mondale! The feeling of despair and disappointment is overwhelming. There's no air left in Washington with all that suck up on the dais.

10:14 Joe Biden's mother is the cutest woman in America who is not one of The Common Man's grandmothers. Quick, declare her a national monument to adorableness.

10:17 George H.W. Bush is toddling along with a bum hip. The image of ex-Presidents next to Obama's energetic youthfulness will be striking and is symbolic of the change that many are hoping for.

10:21 Before he forgets, The Common Man is so happy for black Americans who participated in the Civil Rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s. What a day to get to see. Sure, as The Common Man mentioned previously, the idea that the Civil Rights struggle has ended should is probably wrong. But what a wonderful symbol and sign that their efforts were not in vain. What a way to honor their sacrifices.

10:23 Wow, ABC has a great shot of the moving trucks and boxes moving the Obamas into the White House.

10:27 The Common Man really hopes that being in the spotlight will not unduly hurt the Obama children. What a crazy life must be ahead of them (and behind them for the past couple years).

10:29 Waiting...waiting...waiting...

10:31 Simply from an aesthetic standpoint, the new first and second ladies are much more pleasing then the old.

10:32 President Bush's procession is awfully somber as it makes its way through the Capitol.

10:35 Those poor Indonesian children who have to sit through this at almost midnight. Mom and Dad, I have to go to school when? Why?

10:36 And Bush 42 comes out. Keep him away from the microphone. Don't let him get his bad juju on anything Barack will touch. Has the White House been sterilized?

10:39 Joe Biden. The Commmon Man can't help but like that guy.

10:41 OK, the Oh-Bah-Ma chant does make The Common Man a little uncomfortable.

10:43 Oh my God! That's Barack Obama's music! Barack Obama is in the house tonight! AND HE'S GOT A STEEL CHAIR!

10:44 The Common Man is awfully glad he's not playing his trumpet out in the cold.

10:48 Here comes Pastor Rick Warren. And here's the most controversial moment of the inauguration. You know, there is a real sense, as The Common Man watches this moment, that Warren is endorsing the Obama presidency. Again, a masterful decision by Barack Obama and his administration, to help in whatever future battles he has with a intransigent political right.

10:50 Ewww, Rick Warren needs to never say the names of Barack Obama's daughters again.

10:55 Aretha's "My Country 'Tis of Thee" was beautifully different. Man, it's dusty in here.

10:58 The Common Man just gets the feeling that Joe Biden is a hell of a dad.

11:00 Perlman and Ma and friends? It's dusty again. Music is so evocative.

11:03 President-Elect Obama really seems to be drinking this all in. It's fun to watch.

11:04 It's go time. The Common Man is standing up, which makes it hard to type.

11:06 Oops, there was a little ball-dropping going on with that oath. But still, President Barack Obama!

11:11 Yay Presdient! The Common Man thinks he'll never be cynical again.

11:15 How can anyone doubt the manly cut of this new President's jib?

11:17 We will not give up our ideals for expedience's sake. You here that George? Well, the cynicism wasn't gone long.

11:26 Wow. Nice speech. And now, The Common Man is going to go hug a puppy. Adn with that, The Common Man will leave you for the day. He looks forward to President Obama putting former-President Bush on a plane and kicking his butt out of Washington...and getting down to business. This is a good day.

Election Night Liveblog

The Common Man is going to kick this thing off a little earlier than he thought last night. The Boy and The Uncommon Wife are off at swimming lessons, and The Common Man is nuking some leftover French Onion soup to ease an aching throat. The Common Man plans to switch between networks throughout the night and to update his blog every 15 minutes or so. He hopes to hear from you as the night goes on (and on and on), if you're so inclined. All times are central.

6:00 Good God, look at that panel on CNN. It's like watching an rerun of Family Feud.

6:02 The nation breathes a sigh of relief as Vermont and Kentucky fall to the Obama and McCain camps respectively. So far, all is right with the world.

6:03 With 0% of the precincts reporting, CNN calls the Virginia Senate race for Democrat Mark Warner. How does that work exactly, The Common Man wonders? How big are the crystal balls needed to make that call?

6:06 At this point, it's a good time for The Common Man to tell you all that he voted today at around noon. Unfortunately, he accidentally did so with his fly open. Perhaps The Common Man is, indeed, one of those sad few he discussed yesterday who should be discouraged from voting. Don't even make The Common Man tell you how he completed the arrow.

6:12 Oh God, oh God, oh God. McCain is ahead of Obama in Virginia. Oh, wait. That's ok, it's only MSNBC. By the way, if CNN is right, and Warner has won Virginia, there's no way Obama lost. And if Obama wins Virginia, The Common Man has a hard time believing he can lose the election.

6:14 Hi Keith Olbermann! Doesn't the mediocrity just drips off him. And he's interviewing Mayor Wilder of somewhere in Virginia, who just called his state "microcosmic," which clearly makes it the most awesome state ever. The Common Man wants to be any kind of cosmic. Micro or macro. Inner or intra. It doesn't matter. It sounds great!

6:23 CNN is showing footage of the crowd running in to watch Obama's potential victory speech. It would be like Woodstock or Lollapalooza except for all the union members plodding along.

6:25 CNN: Doing the Math For You!

6:29 John King has a very indepth and impressive analysis of Indiana, comparing the results reported so far to those of John Kerry in '04. The upshot: good news for Barack Obama.

6:34 The Common Man loves it when everyone talks at once and nothing is discernable. That's good tv. Thank, CNN!

6:35 AHHHH! James Carville. Look away! Look away!

6:37 Good question, did Democrats just shift their votes to vote earlier. The Common Man's gut says no (and as Stephen Colbert always says, you should go with your guy), that the early voting allowed many of those who wouldn't normally have the chance to vote to get their voices heard. But The Common Man has nothing to back that up.

6:40 If it's "still early" and the numbers that CNN projects essentially don't mean anything, why do they post them? The Common Man knows the answer, of course, they have to show something. But given the potential for those numbers to mislead other voters in other time zones, why not find other interesting, less horse-racey things to talk about during the early coverage? The fewer numbers the better, The Common Man thinks. Less to keep track of.

6:47 See? Stories like that. CBS has a camera crew outside of Martin Luther King's church in Geogia, where supporters of Barack Obama are gathering and hoping to celebrate. And many of them remember segregation. There's a story!

6:50 CBS seems to be very aggressive in allocating its electoral votes. At this point, while CNN has McCain up 8-3, CBS has him up 21-3, though The Common Man hasn't seen what states CBS has called.

6:52 CBS has given West Virginia to McCain, in addition to Kentucky. ABC is calling South Carolina for McCain.

6:56 CNN says South Carolina is McCain's as well, despite Obama being up in the vote count (again, The Common Man doesn't get that). That's 16. The Common Man approves of CNN's measured pace. Ah, guy at the far end of the desk of CNN Pundits Playing the Feud explains that it's all the exit polls.

7:00 Anti-climatic deluge: Obama takes Massachusettes, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, D.C., and Illinois, and 3 of Maine's electoral votes. McCain takes Oklahoma and Tennessee. Again, no surprises. The count is now Obama 77, McCain 34. The magic number is 270.

7:03 He doesn't care what you say, The Common Man knows that Soledad O'Brien has no human emotions. A robot? You said it, not The Common Man. At least some kind of Latina/Irish Cyborg.

7:05 John King talks up CNN measured approach. The Common Man approves, but wishes they weren't such dicks about it.

7:10 Now, however, John King (mostly) effectively demonstrates that John McCain seems to be underperforming President Bush's performance in 2004.

7:12 A half million to a million celebrating Obama supporters in Chicago? Quick, pot dealers, get to Chicago stat!

7:15 The Common Man thinks now is a good time to pop open his first beer of the night. In honor of the two campaigns and the occasion, The Common Man is is drinking Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale (because Barack Obama is a crazy-ass pinko socialist, as Sean Hannity told him), out of Petaluma, California, and Rogue Chipotle (for Sarah Palin's recent mavericky decision to "go rogue." And if those run out? Maybe margheritas to highlight America's "problem" with "illegals" (damn Candadians!). First, the Commy! The Common Man will let you know how that goes.

7:20 The Common Man's first trip over to Fox News is largely non-eventful. That's disappointing. He wants to watch Hannity's head explode (even though a Democratic government is going to give him golden material for the next 2-4 years.

7:22 Neither CNN nor Fox is calling Pennsylvania yet. Good for them. And The Common Man can't believe he's writing that.

7:23 Whew! That commy beer is harsh. Very strong hops overwhelms almost everything. The Common Man enjoys it, but just doesn't quite have a handle on it. Maybe he shouldn't be drinking from the bottle.

7:26 Jeanne Shaheane takes New Hampshire's open senate seat, according to Fox News. That's good news for Obama too (and for Democrats, as that's a pickup for them).

7:27 The local Fox station finally has their election coverage up and running. Apparently The Simpsons and Two-and-a-Half Men were just too good to bump between the 6:00 and 7:00 hours.

7:29 Oops, The Uncommon Wife and The Boy are home from swimming. The Common Man will be back in 5.

8:11 Or, in 42. Somebody needed dinner (The Boy) and somebody nearly burned down the house making French Toast (The Common Man). Since The Common Man's been gone, CBS has called Pennsylvania for Obama, which is a huge nail in McCain's coffin. He has to win Virginia, Florida, and Ohio now. At this point, it's Obama 174, McCain 100.

8:15 On NBC, Giuliani believes that tomorrow the country will unite whoever wins because they will all be Americans first (The Common Man thought Republicans had already put country first). If that happens, The Common Man will be pleasantly surprised, but he refuses to hold his breath. The dissention will be just as loud and rancorous.

8:26 ABC has called Ohio for Obama. PBS has not. If Ohio goes blue, McCain is dead man walking until California reports.

8:31 NBC reports New Mexico for Obama. But believes that Cochrane in Mississippi and McConnell in Kentucky have won, dealing a strong blow to Dems chances of picking up their 60th senate seat.

8:34 Ooh, NBC hasa Minority Report wall. Far cooler than CNN's Star Wars wall.

8:36 Oh, that's unfortunate. Did Brian Williams just make a reference to the Confederacy and Virginia as a symbol? Not that the legacy of slavery isn't all around us, but it's hard to equate Virginia of 2008 to Virginia of 1863 with a straight face.

8:43 The Boy's going to bed. The Common Man needs to spring into action. Back in a jiff.

9:10 OK, The Common Man is back. The Boy is in bed. Is this thing over yet?

9:13 Luke Russert has the same doughy likeability as his father. Though, c'mon, young Russert just makes The Common Man sad and miss his father, given his mispronunciations and lack of charisma.

9:17 Congressman John Lewis, Civil Rights Movement veteran, Freedom Rider, and honored American, is currently on ABC. While not the most fiery and inspirational a speaker, his history speaks louder than his voice. One of very few Americans who can talk with relevant, first-hand accounts of Dr. King and Lyndon Johnson. Lewis calls this a "nonviolent revolution". A revolution implies a fundamental reordering of the way a society functions. Gosh, that'd be nice. This is an opportunity for that kind of changing of the national priority. It will be a shame if America misses this opportunity.

9:23 A rhino holding a laser, shoots a golden helmet onto Obama's head to announce he won Rhode Island. Oh, The Common Man is watching Comedy Central. Better graphics. Also, dynamic and hilarious talent like Steve Forbes.

9:27 Ooh, Sam Donaldson is still alive. Who knew?

9:28 Oh, that was sad, as Donaldson fumbles the send to commercial.

9:35 Random dude: I don't have to be a racist to be a Republican. I'm having dinner with an Iranian, a Syrian, and an Indian. John Oliver: Because you're keeping an eye on them.

9:39 Opening up the Rogue Chipotle Ale. The Red Ale was refreshing, but not flavorful. Extremely hoppy and surprisingly bitter, given how well the evening is going for Barack Obama.

9:43 Wow, that's a spicy meat-a-ball. Crisp and clean, the Chipotle Ale seems somewhat sweet but nondescript until it reaches the back of your throat. There, it explodes with a spiciness that belies its beverage-i-ness. And that spiciness lingers as slight tingle. While it won't have you running for a flower vase to find water (particularly because the spiciness bypasses the tongue), it will remind you of what you're drinking for a while.

9:55 Fox News is giving Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan 5-10 uninterrupted (and unchallenged) minutes to pimp his roadmap for bringing Republicans back from the hinterlands and end the "Europeanization" of America. Grrr.

10:01 A new President: Barack Obama. Look out, America! It's an orgy of Democratic exuberance.

10:02 Juan Williams almost cries on Fox News. The Common Man likes Juan Williams and thinks he is one of the smartest pundits working today. Far less loathesome than most of them out there. It was cute.

10:18 John McCain, ladies and gentlemen. Gracious in defeat, though still refusing to tell his supporters to be classier than they are being as they boo Obama's victory. A shell of the man who ran in 2000. Would that man have won this year?

10:22 There's Sarah Palin. What's she going to do now. It's not like she can remain prominent nationally while staying up in Alaska.

10:25 Here's where she goes rogue and grabs the microphone, leading a "Two-thousand-twelve" chant.

10:26 "Thanks so much to all my 6 volunteers."

10:27 Bill says "Stop booing, morons." See idiots, you've dissuaded someone who only wants to love and embrace you and your policies. But you had to be spiteful, angry, bitter bastards, and embrace the negative tactics and rhetoric of McCain's campaign.

10:33 Oprah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (on CNN)

10:39 Hilary issues a press release. She finally concedes the nomination to Obama.

10:54 So, um, nothing much is happening. Obama is on the way to Grant Park to address his throng, and in the meantime The Common Man is so happy that he is nowhere near that throng. Close to his heart it is. That's a lot of people.

10:57 Ladies and Gentlemen, The President-Elect of the United States of America: Barack Obama.

10:58 The best part of the evening so far? Watching Michelle swing her daughters' arms back and forth as they walk back from the podium. There is joy there. Unadulterated joy and love. A true mommy moment.

11:03 Whose arm is Jesse Jackson trying to pull off and wave above his head?

11:03 Good deal. Dad wins the election. You get a puppy. Must be nice to be an Obama.

11:06 Oh, some of them did it for you, Barack. Sure, the task is enormous, but some gals just like your big ears.

11:15 The conclusion of an excellent speech. Here's a question: America is living in the age of political satire, where it is acceptable and profitable to criticize those in power. How does modern political satire go forward in the face of a figure as popular and as inspiring as Barack Obama has been? Indeed, how do you make fun of John Kennedy? The Commmon Man is very interested to see how that develops going forward. The ball is clearly in the court of Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, and Lorne Michaels (not so much in MadTV or Frank Caliendo).

11:20 Oh, The Common Man loves Joe Biden's mother. So very, very cute.

11:27 At this point, The Common Man thinks he's going to sign off. He's got a lot to do still and a bottle of champagne to crack open with his lovely wife, whose birthday starts in a half-hour. God bless you all and God bless America. And good luck to President-Elect Barack Obama, his family, VP-elect Biden and his huge brood. America needed a strong, bold new President and direction, a manly man with wisdom and strength of character. He thinks (he hopes) it found him.

Live, From the Basement, It's Debate Night!

To be consistent, The Common Man considered getting in his car and driving around for 90 minutes to listen to the debate. But, because his knee hurts too much to make his way toward the garage, The Common Man is going to stick it out here on the couch with his beer and live blog the debate. Updates every 15 minutes or so, all times are central. One final note, in the interest of full-disclosure, The Common Man is supporting Barak Obama for President, though he has a lot of respect for John McCain's service before he got to the Senate and while he was there.

8:03 Bob Schieffer starts off with a question about the economy and the candidates’ plan to fix it. Is anyone actually wondering about the economy these days? Hmmm, The Common Man hasn’t heard anything.

8:06 Obama’s answer is much more direct and clear than McCain’s. He sounds more confident and calm. John McCain, on the other hand, sounds as though he’s rambling and wandering through his answer. Like a student giving a presentation who didn’t read through it in advance.

8:11 Joe the Plumber? Saying it over and over makes him sound like a ridiculous character and dehumanizes him. This works against McCain, as he needs to connect on a deep level with American voters tonight. Instead, he sounds shallow and condescending to Joe the Plumber.

8:13 McCain needs a better phrase than "spreads the wealth around," which sounds terribly positive (which of course McCain doesn't mean it to be). That sounds pretty good. Share that wealth around to The Common Man, why don't you?

8:17 "I'd use a hatchet and then I'd get out a scalpel?" What's the point once you've cut off the arm? Bad metaphor.

8:19 John McCain mentions the $3 million "overhead projector" for the Chicago Planetarium. This sounds familiar to me. Hmmm...is his audio being piped in from the previous debate?

8:20 McCain finally scores by looking at Obama and telling him "I'm not President Bush; if you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago." Now he's addressing Obama directly again. Terribly effective, challenging him to explain himself.

8:23 Barak Obama cites Fox News as supporting him. McCain's head almost explodes. His eyes nearly ended up in Shearer's lap.

8:25 Ooh, Bob Schieffer! Yeah, tell each other off!

8:29 Neither one of them has the balls to do it.

8:32 McCain looks smug on the split-screen. Obama, measured and reasoned.

8:33 McCain: I'm proud of the people who come to our rallies.



Really, John?

8:36 ACORN is tearing apart the fabric of our dewmocracy? Then our dewmocracy is terribly weak and we have bigger problems than ACORN.

8:40 Ooh, a running mate question. This should be good. Who would you rather be President of the United States, Joe Biden or Sarah Palin? The Common Man will give you a moment to stop laughing before you answer.

8:42 This brief time-out brought to you by Bayer Muscle & Joint Cream. Mmm...menthol and numbness.

8:43 If The Common Man had not seen all the clips of Sarah Palin, John McCain's description of Sarah Palin would be incredibly moving and persuasive. A very great description.

8:50 Since The Common Man was forced to miss out on visual portion of the first two debates, this is the first time he's seen the candidates together for any extended time. Has the difference between their demeanors always appeared so striking?

8:51 Right, John, Barak Obama's eloquence is a bad thing. Everyone knows that them people who know'd how to talk smart can't never be trusted.

8:55 Why did McCain look incredulous when Obama brought up that Colombian labor organizers are being assassinated? Is that somehow off the table? How unpleasant. Gentlemen shouldn't discuss such things. By the way, according to Human Rights Watch, "Colombia leads the world in trade unionist assassinations, with 17 killings in the first three months of 2008 alone, and more than 400 during the 6-year administration of President Alvaro Uribe. Hardly any of the killers have been brought to justice."

9:01 "Your fine is zero." Very effective. Whether its true or not and gets factchecked apart (The Common Man has no idea, really), he just won the point. People won't remember the fact check. They will remember the zero. So McCain's grin seems misplaced.

9:04 John McCain doesn't dumb down as well as George Bush dumbs down. Believe it or not, that's a weakness. Despite all his faults, Bush always conveyed the idea that he's communicating and connecting with his audience. McCain seems to be talking past them.

9:08 Right, so John McCain won't impose a litmus test, but supporting Roe v. Wade isn't a sign of judicial acumen and of correctly interpreting the Constitution. So, what's the difference?

9:15 McCain is blinking. Like, he's blinking a lot. A LOT. Someone who knows poker, tell The Common Man what that means. The Common Man thinks it means John McCain is nervous, or knows he's in trouble, but doesn't know for certain.

9:17 Obama: Education-->Economic strength. Economic strength-->Military strenght. A strong, clear equation.

9:17 The Uncommon Wife: "Is John McCain actually made out of wax? And is he melting?"

9:25 The Common Man thinks John McCain's rocking his rebuttal on education, sounding at once disappointed in Obama and knowledgeable about the subject. The Uncommon Wife disagrees, she says "McCain really makes me feel uncomfortable."

9:31 McCain leaps into the handshake with Obama at the end of the debate. Making sure that he remembered, after forgetting following the second one.

9:34 Talking heads think the "Joe Plumber" was effective. The Common Man thinks that shows that the mainstream media is entirely out of touch and insulated from the Joe the Plumbers of America.

9:35 Overall, The Common Man thinks that John McCain did far better this time around than previously, but didn't really do enough to change the tenor and tone of the race and his place within it. He looked and sounded uncomfortable at times, while Obama seemed cool and composed throughout. Bob Schieffer was a terrific moderator. He asked interesting and insightful questions and follow-ups, and kept both candidates to their time. It was a contentious debate, though not as unpleasant to hear as last week, when both candidates sounded whiny and flustered.

And, now, The Common Man is going to pay attention to his wife. He'll be back tomorrow for his regular post. And he invites your comments and criticism.