The 2013 Inaugural is Quickly Approaching
The presidential election is now behind us, and there are just over two months until the ceremonies marking the 57th Presidential Inauguration. In January 2013, for the second time, our country will celebrate a four-year term in the White House for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
We have received many questions from our Inaugural Scholars in regard to who plans the Inauguration, who chooses the day on which it is held, etc. Here is some helpful information, as well as some interesting and fun trivia questions about the Inauguration:
Who plans the Presidential Inauguration?
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) manages all Inauguration Day activities at the U.S. Capitol Building, including the swearing-in ceremony of the President and Vice President and the traditional luncheon that follow the ceremony with the President, Vice President, JCCIC members, and special guests. The JCCIC comprises the Senate Majority Leader (at the time of appointment), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives.
Why is the upcoming Inauguration Day being held on January 21?
The 20th Amendment to the Constitution changed the beginning of a presidential term from March 4 to January 20, requiring that the President and Vice President be sworn in on that day. When January 20 falls on a Sunday, which will occur for the seventh time this January, precedent determines that a private swearing-in ceremony be held for the President and Vice President on Sunday to fulfill the requirements of the Constitution. A public ceremony is then held on the National Mall on Monday, January 21. January 21 is also a national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King.
The Presidential Oath of Office (Article II, Section 1, United States Constitution):
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
The Vice Presidential Oath of Office (Also recited by Senators, Representatives and other government officials):
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
Inaugural Trivia Questions (See answers below):
- Who was the first U.S. President not born a British subject?
- Who was the first and only U.S. President to take the oath of office on an airplane and why?
- Which U.S. President’s inauguration was the first ceremony broadcast live over the Internet?
- Which U.S. President was sworn-in on the warmest Inauguration Day on record (55°F)?
- Which U.S. President was sworn-in on the coldest Inauguration Day on record (7°F)?
- Who was the first unelected Vice President to be sworn-in as President, and how did that occur?
- Who was the first U.S. President to wear long trousers, rather than knee breeches, at his Inauguration?
- Which U.S. President gave the shortest Inaugural address, which contained just 135 words?
ANSWERS: 1. Martin Van Buren. 2. Lyndon Baines Johnson, as he flew back from Dallas, Texas following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. 3. William J. Clinton. 4. Ronald Reagan’s 1st Inauguration. 5. Ronald Reagan’s 2nd Inauguration. Due to extreme cold, the ceremony was performed inside in the Capitol Rotunda. 6. Gerald R. Ford. Ford was appointed Vice President by Richard Nixon when Spiro Agnew resigned and was then sworn in as President when Nixon resigned over the Watergate cover-up. 7. John Quincy Adams. 8. George Washington, at this 2nd Inauguration.
See these links for more information on the 2013 Inaugural Committee and for interesting inaugural facts and firsts:
http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/
http://www.inaugural.senate.gov/about/facts-and-firsts
The Presidential Inaugural Conference congratulates President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on their re-election victory!
Photo Source : Jerome Delay/AP Photo
Leading up to Election Day, many polls showed that the campaign for the White House was extremely close all through the summer and fall, with some analysts suggesting scenarios in which a winner would not be declared for days or weeks after the election. In reality, however, the President was declared the winner and Governor Romney conceded the race well before midnight Eastern Time on Tuesday.
Being in our nation’s capital during the Inauguration as President Obama begins his second term in office will be both inspiring and motivating to all of our attending Inaugural Scholars.
We have a full, five-day program planned with prominent Keynote Speakers, exciting activities and exclusive events.
We encourage all of our Inaugural Scholars to watch for important e-mails and to monitor our web site for final details as the Conference nears!
Candidates Make Final Push in Critical Swing States
The presidential debates are now over, and Governor Mitt Romney, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Congressman Paul Ryan are all now sprinting across the country in their final push toward Election Day, focusing most of their efforts in the “swing states.”
The majority of states are categorized as either “red” states, meaning they overwhelmingly vote for the Republican candidate in presidential elections, or “blue” states, meaning they tend to vote Democratic.
© User:Theshibboleth / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Swing states are those that have moved back and forth between the Republicans and Democrats in previous elections, and the candidate that gains the most Electoral College votes from these nine swing states on November 6th will win the White House.
The swing states are: Florida, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa, Colorado, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Nevada.
Both parties for the better part of the last year have prioritized their polling efforts, campaign stops, get out the vote drives, and ad spending in these states, and they are now pouring every resource available into these crucial states to secure a victory.
We strongly encourage Inaugural Scholars to monitor news from the campaign trail over the next 10 days, paying special attention to polling data and news reports from the all-important swing states.
Make your predictions on how each of the states will vote at:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2012-race-predictions
The Final Debate of the 2012 Presidential Campaign Takes Place Tonight!
The final debate of the Presidential campaign, which will focus on foreign policy issues, takes place tonight from 9:00 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern time. Bob Schieffer, Chief Washington Correspondent for CBS News and moderator of Face the Nation, will moderate the debate from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida.
We strongly encourage Inaugural Scholars to watch the presidential debates on television or online at http://www.youtube.com/user/politics/elections2012.
The Final Debate of the 2012 Presidential Campaign Takes Place Monday, October 22!
What has been called one of the most contentious presidential debates in modern history is over, but political analysts, journalists, and the campaigns themselves are still talking about the dust-up that took place between President Obama and Governor Romney Wednesday night.
Most observers expected the president to come out swinging, and he did not disappoint, aggressively criticizing Mr. Romney on a wide range of issues, including most of the items in the governor’s previously released five-point plan for the future. In addition, the president once again vehemently defended his administration’s record and his leadership in the White House through his first term.
For his part, Governor Romney showed his own propensity to strike, bashing the president for the economy, the debt and deficit, and the record high unemployment rate, as well as for his actions in the days following the terrorist attack in Libya that killed the American Ambassador and three other Americans.
Monday’s debate will focus on foreign policy, so the recent terrorist attack in Libya is sure to be a contentious issue between the two candidates.
The final debate of the presidential campaign takes place this coming Monday, October 22, just 15 days before Americans go to the polls to cast their votes on Election Day.
Bob Schieffer, Chief Washington Correspondent for CBS News and moderator of Face the Nation, will moderate the debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. The format for Monday’s debate will be identical to the first presidential debate.
We strongly encourage Inaugural Scholars to watch the presidential debates on television or online at http://www.youtube.com/user/politics/elections2012.
The Second Presidential Debate is Tonight!
The next presidential debate of the 2012 campaign between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney takes place tonight from 9 – 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
This is the second of three presidential debates and will take place at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. The debate will be moderated by Candy Crowley, Chief Political Correspondent and anchor of CNN’s “State of the Union.”
This presidential debate will be held in a “town hall” format, in which undecided voters in the audience, each selected by the Gallup polling organization, will have the opportunity to ask the President or Governor questions regarding foreign and domestic policy. The candidates will have two minutes to respond to questions, and an additional minute will be provided to the moderator to facilitate discussion.
The Obama administration’s record on the economy and Governor Romney’s jobs plan, as well as Iran’s efforts to build a nuclear weapon and the terrorist attack last month that killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in Libya, are sure to be hot topics.
As with all of the debates, we encourage all of our scholars who are attending the Presidential Inaugural Conference to tune-in to the presidential debates on television or online at http://www.youtube.com/user/politics/elections2012.
If you were selected to ask a question at the debate, what would you ask and to which of the two candidates? Enter your question and candidate below. We’ll post some of the best questions following the debate.
Vice Presidential Debate Wrap-up
Last night, the American people watched the only debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Republican challenger Congressman Paul Ryan.
After President Obama’s lackluster debate performance the week before, which the President himself joked about throughout the week on the campaign trail, it was said that the Vice President was under some pressure from party leaders and supporters to put on an energetic and enthusiastic performance, and Mr. Biden did not disappoint. He strongly defended the Obama administration’s record and aggressively hit the Republican challenger with attacks on his voting record, for proposing tax cuts for the rich and for his estimates on what the Romney/Ryan plan would accomplish, saying “They’re pushing the continuation of a tax cut that will give an additional $500 billion in tax cuts to 120,000 families. And they’re holding hostage the middle class tax cut because they say we won’t pass — we won’t continue the middle class tax cut unless you give the tax cut for the super wealthy.”
For his part, seven-term Congressman Paul Ryan, who has served as the Republican point man on the federal budget and reforming entitlement programs prior to his selection as Governor Romney’s running mate, was polite but firm, demonstrating his command of both the financial and foreign policy issues facing the nation.
Mr. Ryan reiterated the Republican plan, saying “We need real reforms for real recovery and that’s exactly what Mitt Romney and I are proposing. It’s a five-point plan. Get America energy independent in North America by the end of the decade. Help people who are hurting get the skills they need to get the jobs they want. Get this deficit and debt under control to prevent a debt crisis. Make trade work for America so we can make more things in America and sell them overseas, and champion small businesses. Don’t raise taxes on small businesses because they’re our job creators.”
Who do you think won the Vice Presidential debate?
The next presidential debate of the 2012 campaign takes place next Tuesday, October 16, 2012 from 9 – 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
This will be the second of three presidential debates and will take place at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. The debate will be held in a “town hall” format, in which questions will be asked by members of the public who are in the audience, and will be moderated by Candy Crowley, the Chief Political Correspondent and anchor, of CNN’s “State of the Union.”
As with all of the debates, we encourage all of our scholars who are attending the Presidential Inaugural Conference to tune-in to the presidential debates on television or online at http://www.youtube.com/user/politics/elections2012.
Watch the Only 2012 Vice Presidential Candidates Debate Tomorrow Night
The only Vice Presidential debate of the 2012 campaign between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan takes place tomorrow, October 11, from 9 – 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
The debate will be held at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and will be moderated by Martha Raddatz, the Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent for ABC News.
We encourage all scholars who are attending the Presidential Inaugural Conference this coming January to watch the Vice Presidential debate tomorrow night. Watch the debate this Thursday online at http://www.youtube.com/user/politics/elections2012.
As expected, the first debate between President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney last week was watched by a huge number of Americans. More than 67 million Americans tuned in to see the candidates side-by-side for the first time, making it the largest TV audience for a presidential debate since 1992. That means 15 million more Americans watched this debate than watched the first Presidential debate of 2008 between Barack Obama and John McCain.
Last week in our Presidential Debate Wrap-Up, we asked who you thought won the first presidential debate of 2012 and here is how you voted:
Presidential Debate Wrap-Up
The first presidential debate of 2012 is now in the record books. Both President Obama and Governor Romney were said to have prepared for weeks prior to the debate, and each of them left behind the personal attacks of the campaign trail for a mostly cordial, but lively debate on policy as they defended their achievements and their plans for the future.
If you didn’t watch the debate this past Wednesday, watch it now:
During the debate, both candidates pledged their commitment to help the middle class.
The President defended the federal health care act he championed and signed into law, proposed more federal spending on education and new energy sources, and urged patience with his administration’s efforts saying, “we’ve begun to fight our way back.”1
The President accused Governor Romney of wanting to cut taxes for the wealthy and roll back banking regulations, both of which he cautioned had never worked to strengthen the economy in the past.
For his part, Mr. Romney cited his success in business and his accomplishments as the Governor of Massachusetts which required him to work with Democrats who controlled 87% of the state legislature as proof that he can be an effective leader. He consistently mentioned jobs, saying, “My priority is putting people back to work in America.”1
Governor Romney attacked the President’s policies and what he called his “trickle down government” agenda, saying … “It’s not working. The proof of that is 23 million people out of work. The proof of that is 1 out of 6 people in poverty. The proof of that is we’ve gone from 32 million on food stamps to 47 million on food stamps. The proof of that is that 50 percent of college graduates this year can’t find work.”1
The only Vice Presidential debate of the 2012 campaign between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan takes place next Thursday, October 11, from 9:00 – 10:30 Eastern Time, and we encourage all of our Presidential Inaugural Conference scholars to watch.
Source:
1 Full Debate Transcript – CNN.com
Below are some of the major news headlines on the morning after the first of three Presidential debates of 2012.
Romney Sets a Winning Tone
Romney Hits Obama on “Trickle Down” Approach
Economy Focus of Debate Showdown
Policy Differences Take Center Stage in First Debate
Pundits: Romney Beats Obama in First Debate
Romney Takes the Fight to Obama
Obama and Romney tangle on Economy
Obama, Romney Spar on Taxes
Romney Hits President on Economy, As Obama Defends Progress Made
Watch the first 2012 presidential debate tonight!
The first presidential debate of the 2012 campaign takes place tonight between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. The debate will be watched by millions of Americans who will be seeing the Democratic President and his Republican rival side-by-side for the first time ever.
We encourage all of our Inaugural Scholars to watch the presidential debate tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. You can also watch the debates live online at http://www.youtube.com/abcnews.
