mercredi 21 janvier 2009

One thing that really amazes me about living abroad is how much the rest of the world is interested in the United States- national disasters, politics, sports, entertainment, etc.
The MSN France website yesterday had the American flag as the background.
When Hurricane Katrina was raging, it was on the news in France constantly. Yet Americans would say to me "Don't know if you have heard about the big Hurricane we are having..."
Yes! Can't get away from it in the French news! Americans for the most part don't seem to realize how much what they do affects and interests the rest of the world, for better or for worse.
Even if the French are complaining their little French heads off about America's politics, etc. they still can't seem to NOT talk about it, NOT watch it on the news, NOT be interested.
When I got home from work yesterday I watched the Inauguration Speech on the internet. I thought it was a very good speech and it moved me.
I haven't seen much of Obama's speeches, but I thought he did very well. The actual Oath of Office could have been better though- didn't they practice it beforehand? Was he just nervous?
Anyway, good luck Mr. President. The rest of the world is counting on you, perhaps more than you realize.

6 commentaires:

Anonyme a dit…

I get exactly the same impression about American news here. Although my French husband is still amazed that Americans are so patriotic!
The Oath was a bit flubbed, but maybe Obama was nervous.

Champsleeve a dit…

Actually Roberts messed up the oath. Obama had it memorized so when Roberts said the wrong thing, he didn't know if he should repeat what had just been said or say it properly from memory.

We thought it was funny because Biden had just done his oath which is much more difficult without any issues!

-Dana

Starman a dit…

When I saw it as it happened, I thought it was Obama who had flubbed, But NO, it was the Chief Justice who screwed up and Obama who gave him the chance to correct himself.

Anonyme a dit…

Megan,
BTW, I just awarded you something. Go by my blog to collect it and see the tag you've received.

Anonyme a dit…

Megan, as others mentioned earlier, it was Roberts who messed up the oath of office. Obama had it memorized already, which is why he paused and smiled when Roberts recited the words incorrectly.

Roberts was given a second chance, the next day, to correctly address the oath of office.

Betty Carlson a dit…

You were probably right to watch it on the Internet and not TV. We don't have TV, so I watched it at a friend's. I somehow had not been expecting the commentary from Miss France (TF1) and Bernard Henri-Levy (France 2)!

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