Why were Clinton, and even Carter, at the coronation?

[Deja Q]

Especially Carter?

[Cleita]

1. I dunno, but I was proud to learn that my former

Congresswoman, Lois Capps, decided to stay home and moderate a conference on women's rights instead.

[Catherine Vincent]

2. Customary?

[Goldeneye]

3. I thought ex-presidents always went.

:shrug:

[Deja Q]

5. Ford stayed home. Bad illness. Seemed to be the most mentally healthy...

if you ask me, of course.

[donheld]

14. Give him a break

he's an old fart.

[mountainvue]

16. He's under doctor's orders not to fly. n/t

[Cleita]

6. Even so, I would have been more happy if they had

chosen to break with tradition this one time and snubbed the shrub, thereby proving to their constituency that they really do care what we think.

[karlrschneider]

18. Yes, it's a customary tradition. If they had NOT shown up, the wingnuts

would be crucifying them for that. It's a no-win situation with these assholes...

[mountainvue]

4. I saw Clinton at the

breakfast (?) on CSPAN.

[bliss_eternal]

7. Hilary looked annoyed, imo

[SoCalDem]

8. It's a long-standing custom for "formers" to attend

The logic, is that even though they may be from different parties/eras, the transition/transfer of power is a peaceful and even celebratory event. The thing that would be the hardest, is when the defeated candidates are "obliged" to go so the show of "no hard feelings" prevails..

As creepy as it seems, it's better than the way some "former" leaders are treated. Some are under virtual house-arrest...or worse when their term "expires"..

[brindis_desala]

9. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

and it never hurts to be civil.

[russian33]

10. I figured it's customary

similar to when Bush 1 and Bush 2 went to Clinton's library opening

[PinkTiger]

11. Gee,does it always have to be us versus them?

Can't we ever get along?
I'm as dedicated as ever, but when we get so fringy that we can't be part of a day like this, then we are sick indeed.
We have to celebrate the things that make the US different from other countries. We have elections. We have inaugurations. We have a peaceful transfer of power.
Let's hope this continues.
We aren't perfect; I, for one, think our elections were tampered with. But they have been tampered with for eons.
Let's hope we can change things but keep our Democracy.
The real problem with our society is not that we all celebrate things; it's apathy.
I made my students watch this today. I made them explicate the speech and compare and contrast Speech 2001 to this one.
You would be shocked at how many of them didn't even know it was happening.
These are college students. I asked them, "what is the inauguration?" Only one student knew out of 20 in one class. And he is a political science major and only got it partly right.
Nobody knew what the state of the union address was about.
I'm frankly worried about our nation. We aren't teaching our children anything about our government.
I firmly believe that if more people took part in just knowing about this stuff, we would be a healthier nation. More people would vote. And people would demand the things our party stands for.

[Bridget Burke]

12. "Peaceful transfer of power" ???

I quite understand why Clinton & Carter attended the Inauguration--custom.

But could you explicate this statement: We have to celebrate the things that make the US different from other countries. We have elections. We have inaugurations. We have a peaceful transfer of power.

Actually, there are quite a few other countries that have elections. Inaugurations, too.

And what the Hell does "peaceful transfer of power" have to do with today's events? The media talking heads used the phrase heavily when describing the 2001 inauguration. You know, the one where the wrong guy was inaugurated. The guy who got into office with the help of his corrupt brother & the Supreme Court. We were supposed to take comfort that the coup had been bloodless--counting the votes was just So Twentieth Century. There was no transfer of power today--just a consolidation. And an obscene spectacle, pretending a slim & questionable majority is a "mandate."

I do, indeed, wish I could have been "part of a day like this"--carrying a very rude sign. But DC is too far from Texas.

[PinkTiger]

15. This is exactly what I'm talking about here.

Instead of always being angry, we need to decide what is worth saving.
I wasn't celebrating Bush. I was celebrating Democracy.
I despise him.
But if I spend all of my time being full of hate, then I can't live.
There has to be a little decorum.
Our side was well represented at this event today. I'm proud of that.
You don't have to sell me on protesting. I've done my share.
I wore blue today as a protest.
I have to be careful, because I teach at a conservative University and live in a conservative area. But I refuse to give up who I am and what I believe in.
I just want more people to take part in knowing about our government so they can decide for themselves if they like what is happening.
Otherwise, we are doomed.

[karlrschneider]

21. Kudos to you. It seems your students will benefit from your input.

I haven't seen the word "explicate" in years; it grieves me that the vocabularies of regular Americans have been so desiccated the last couple of decades. I recently talked with a neighbor kid (well, he's 18) who's considering joining the army. He didn't know the names of either the Vice-President or the Secretary of Defense. It made me want to scream at hideously high decibel levels. ;-)

:eyes:

[n2mark]

13. Yes they were

that is part of the protocol.

[Greylyn58]

17. It is tradition

the only reason Gerald Ford wasn't there is because of health issues.

No matter what they may think or feel about the shrub and his policies...all living Presidents usually attend the swearing in ceremonies.

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. Perhaps because Carter is mature enough to congratulate the other side

when they win rather than throwing a hissy fit.

[JI7]

20. former Presidents always go

[Senator Lamb]

22. poor Carter

now he is a Christian President. too many on the left believe religon isnt on their side as if the right owns it; leaving a moral values/ religous ideals vs. secularism debate. but Carter symbolized true Christian values. its a shame he wasnt reelected. in my American Presidency class from the reading and lectures it seems Carter failed to work well with the COngress, which was democratic, and ran his administration ineffectively. if only he did better he would have been a great president, a humble man who forsake expensive inaugurals, carried his own luggage, and sold the yacht in a time where America experienced distrust of its governemnt and the corruption of power.