Comments on: Friday Talking Points [62] -- Obama's Inaugural Speech http://www.chrisweigant.com/2009/01/23/friday-talking-points-62-obamas-inaugural-speech/ Reality-based political commentary Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:11:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Chris Weigant http://www.chrisweigant.com/2009/01/23/friday-talking-points-62-obamas-inaugural-speech/#comment-4366 Chris Weigant Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:45:01 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/index.php/2009/01/23/friday-talking-points-62-obamas-inaugural-speech/#comment-4366 leighjane - Welcome to the site! I strongly urge you to write to the email address below the "Most Disappointing" section of this article and let them know your experience. I would include the streets you were on, the Metro you took, and where you were denied entry. The fiasco of the crowd control has got to be addressed, so they do a better job next time. On the good side of things, the Metro seemed to do a bang-up job of getting people there and back. They had a record day of over one million riders, and we experienced some crowds, but no real problems. But seriously, you or I could probably have come up with a better crowd control master plan in about ten minutes. How about - shut down each section of the Mall when it fills, moving westward from the Capitol, and then tell the cops at the newly closed entrances to redirect people further west to get in. See? That wasn't that hard to do. Oh, and give the cops at each intersection radios and bullhorns. And keep them informed. Wow, that didn't even take ten minutes. More like thirty seconds. Anyway, you can still say "I was there" and that's what is important. I would be willing to bet there was half a million to one million people who were there, but didn't make it to the Mall to see it. Meaning the total crowd could have been closer to 3 million than 2. Anyway, thanks for writing, and check back here later today for "Part 5" where I finish the story up. -CW leighjane -

Welcome to the site!

I strongly urge you to write to the email address below the "Most Disappointing" section of this article and let them know your experience. I would include the streets you were on, the Metro you took, and where you were denied entry.

The fiasco of the crowd control has got to be addressed, so they do a better job next time. On the good side of things, the Metro seemed to do a bang-up job of getting people there and back. They had a record day of over one million riders, and we experienced some crowds, but no real problems.

But seriously, you or I could probably have come up with a better crowd control master plan in about ten minutes. How about - shut down each section of the Mall when it fills, moving westward from the Capitol, and then tell the cops at the newly closed entrances to redirect people further west to get in. See? That wasn't that hard to do. Oh, and give the cops at each intersection radios and bullhorns. And keep them informed.

Wow, that didn't even take ten minutes. More like thirty seconds.

Anyway, you can still say "I was there" and that's what is important. I would be willing to bet there was half a million to one million people who were there, but didn't make it to the Mall to see it. Meaning the total crowd could have been closer to 3 million than 2.

Anyway, thanks for writing, and check back here later today for "Part 5" where I finish the story up.

-CW

]]> By: leighjane http://www.chrisweigant.com/2009/01/23/friday-talking-points-62-obamas-inaugural-speech/#comment-4365 leighjane Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:28:25 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/index.php/2009/01/23/friday-talking-points-62-obamas-inaugural-speech/#comment-4365 Hi Chris, great site, I am glad you made it to the Mall to see the great event because I can experience it vicariously through you. What a complete shambles!! We had to watch the swearing in through the window of the Green Turtle bar because we were not able to get to the mall, along with thousands of other people. We listened to Obama's speech on a car stereo turned up loud so a huge crowd could hear. Why were the crowds not funnelled from the Metro to the Mall where we would be contained and somewhat controllable. Instead thousands of people wandered from roadblock to roadblock for hours trapped in a huge maze, missing the whole thing we went to D.C. to see. A once in a lifetime experience was destroyed by outrageous incompetence. I hope a better plan is in place 4 years from now because I will be back to see Obama 2!! Hi Chris, great site, I am glad you made it to the Mall to see the great event because I can experience it vicariously through you. What a complete shambles!! We had to watch the swearing in through the window of the Green Turtle bar because we were not able to get to the mall, along with thousands of other people. We listened to Obama's speech on a car stereo turned up loud so a huge crowd could hear. Why were the crowds not funnelled from the Metro to the Mall where we would be contained and somewhat controllable. Instead thousands of people wandered from roadblock to roadblock for hours trapped in a huge maze, missing the whole thing we went to D.C. to see. A once in a lifetime experience was destroyed by outrageous incompetence. I hope a better plan is in place 4 years from now because I will be back to see Obama 2!!

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