Even Matt Denn Can’t Get a Ticket
The Obama-Biden Inauguration will be the most attended and most watched Inauguration ceremony in the history of the United States. Federal officials in Washington responsible for the National Mall expect four million…. 4 MILLION … people to descend into the District to attempt to watch the ceremony. Now, there is not 4 million tickets to the ceremony. There are probably only 50,000 to 100,000, for the tickets guests are seated in an enclosed space close to the Capitol Building, as seen in the picture below:
The overflow of the 3,950,000 people will fill every green space you see in this picture and down the National Mall. Like Matt Denn, I also do not have a ticket this time (even though my father and I was able to get them in 1997 and 1993). I was considering attending myself, with or without a ticket, just to be in Washington for the experience. And you know what, after having to deal with a crowd of 2-3 million people celebrating the Phillies victory, I think I’d rather stay home this time and watch it all on TV. Traffic into DC will be a nightmare, especially when you consider that people are booking hotel rooms in Delaware (since all hotels in MD, DC, and VA are sold out).
So, fuggetaboutit.
What we need is a big inauguration day party here in Delaware.
I was at a Board committee meeting the other night and everyone was recounting whose inaugurations they had attended. One lady attended Carter’s as a young DEM leader from NYC, one attended Clinton’s as one of his Delaware delegates and one remarked that she just talked to a woman who had attended JFK’s inaugural.
No one was planning on going to DC in January but everyone is planning on watching the inaugural on the TeeVee.
I wonder if we need an invitation to attend the Markell/Denn midnight swearing in?
“I think I’d rather stay home this time and watch it all on TV. “
I am with you on that! I took my sons down during Clinton first Inauguration and D.C. was a zoo! We took the metro-liner down and happen to ride in the same car with Castle and Carper! So baby Kilroy got some photos with them in his Young Marines uniform (Young Marines is a program sponsored by the Marine Corp League for kids 8-18). Besides I you don’t have a good seat you can’t see shit! Then getting back was a bitch as the train station was packed!
All of this Wintertime trim is making me feel like I am still back at the Foulk Road Elementary School.
Forget the inauguration, you guys are missing out on “The Obama Puppy Watch” being featured on Headline News (Turner Broadcasting).
Priorities, people!!
The Phillies parade was great, though moving around by train and subway was next to impossible. DC’s transit system is much better, but will come to a standstill that day. Throw in unbelievable security and the odds of freezing temps and on the couch will be the best seat to have!
Couldn’t score a ticket but my wife and I got a place on the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Ave SE gratis from a univerisity mate of mine. As far as traffic, trains and Metros works rather nicely.
I will be looking for a spot on the parade route.
Makes me think I should put an advert out to rent my couch in DC! Just checking out Craigslist, there are studios going for 1500 a night. Yikes.
(Grew up in Wilmington, but now working for the fed… and soon Obama, yay!)