Am I the only one who feels this way?

[Bucky]

At this point, it seems like Barack Obama is already the president. He's got the job. He gets personally insulted a few times daily, but it doesn't really mean anything and most people, including many of those who are hurling the insults. The worst part is that he's got to wait for the old president's contract to run out before he can move into the office and start working.

So like anyone who's landed his dream job but hasn't reached his start date, Obama's out partying and visiting with a few million friends. There's a lot to be worried about once the job gets started, but the hardest part is waiting to get started.

For you history buffs, his rallies might remind you of the long processional journey George Washington went on as he traveled from Mt Vernon to New York City to be inaugurated. It's a ritual of how a republic annoits its new leader when it enters a new phase of history--and deliberately leaves behing an old pathetic phase of bad government. Washington didn't go through his ritual journey until after he'd been elected, of course. But we're more eager to re-begin now. At this point we the people are more eager to get rid of George W Bush than are forefathers were to get rid of the Articles of Confederation.

[jobycom]

1. Yeah, reminds me of Dewey's inauguration.

Rein it in, Rookie. The Happy Dance starts November 5th.

Not that I'm not doing a little shuffling already...

[Bucky]

3. Rookie

Son, I'm old enough to remember the shock when Jimmy Carter got out and walked to his inauguration. Clinton did the same thing, but none of the other presidents since then have done so.

Want to see if Obama ends up validating this exclusively Democratic tradition?

[jobycom]

4. I remember that.

I was in elementary school, but they wheeled a TV into the classroom so we could watch. I've never forgotten someone putting together a song called "The Peanut Special" or something like that. But I remember Carter walking. I didn't understand it at the time.

Be interesting to see what Obama does.

[willing dwarf]

2. I'm going to feel nervous until we get through the inaugural

I wish it was all just done already. Everyday I wake up worried that this will be the last day of the "good old days" ie the days before something horrible, marital law, some sort of attack, some sort of violence.

I've never been so worried about regime change in my life. In the past, it seemed like it was never a doubt, but these days, the US feels like a bannana republic where anyone could be gunned down without provocation.