It's all very thrilling, it really is. There's a great feeling around Washington.
That said, the media have gone a bit ga-ga. When they overdo things (especially the electronic media) they always sort of cheapen them. I think of how I felt during Bush's inauguration and can imagine how right-wingers are feeling today.
On the other hand, Obama won the election legitimately, unlike Bush. And Obama has clearly and sincerely signaled that he will treat his political opponents with respect, unlike Bush. Plus Obama is quite obviously up to the rigors of the job, unlike Bush. And finally this is historic for the obvious reason. So the differences are rather vast.
