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Inaugural Hell
Generally, the ballroom is dimly lit (probably so you can’t quite see the ordinariness of the place), making it exceptionally difficult to find friends in a crowd of 10,000 to 15,000 people. Thus, there are a lot of ballgoers, dressed to the nines, trying to look as if they have a purposeful destination, but who are in fact wandering aimlessly around the room. But this is their chance to see their new president, the first lady, the Bidens. And guests do see them. Amid wild cheers, they drop by for ten minutes to stand on the specially constructed stage, say a word of thanks, do an obligatory dance, and then, to more wild cheers, are whisked off in the massive presidential motorcade to the next ball. If you’re down on the ballroom’s actual dance floor, about a quarter of a city block away, your best chance of catching a glimpse of the Obamas and the Bidens is going to be on the strategically placed Jumbotrons.
So, are there any more intimate soirees in Washington? There are indeed, but most are private, and the jockeying for invites is already fierce. The Kuwaiti ambassador and his wife are set to co-host a pre-inaugural party with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty; Don Graham, the CEO of The Washington Post; architect Leo Daly; and Ronald Reagan’s former chief of staff, Ken Duberstein, two days before the official swearing-in. Oprah is supposedly planning a party, and the Screen Actors Guild is hosting a dinner, presumably for Hollywood’s A-list. The Environmental and Clean Energy Ball, to be held at the Sequoia Restaurant in Georgetown on inauguration night, has already scored a major coup; it sold out in one day and boasts that it will be hosting almost President Al Gore, who’s also planning his own ball. Ticket holders have also been told that the Obamas, big fans of clean energy and green jobs, are “expected to drop by.” Biden and his wife, Jill, may even take a page from Dick and Lynne Cheney’s book and host a small post-inaugural party later in the week for friends and supporters inside a large heated tent on the grounds of the vice president’s residence at the Naval Observatory, while camouflaged security teams with painted faces roam about outside through the bucolic trees and bushes.
Should you score a ticket to the actual swearing-in, you may want to arm yourself with offerings from the L.L. Bean catalog. Wolfgang Ischinger, the last German ambassador to the US and a big fan of icy Alpine skiing, says he has “never been so cold in my entire life” as he was sitting in the coveted diplomatic section for Bush’s second inaugural.
Post-inauguration, however, most of the city’s resident elite will forgo all the official events and gather for small private parties at restaurants or luxurious homes and “leave the inaugural prom-ing to the out-of-towners.” Those out-of-towners will be more than a bit peeved to discover that among President-elect Obama’s many promises of change, he never included the inaugural fete.
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Lyric Wallwork Winik is an award-winning writer and author and the Washington correspondent for Parade Magazine. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Washingtonian Magazine, and Forbes FYI, among other publications. Her next book will be about Magellan’s Voyage for Crown, and she is married to the best-selling historian Jay Winik.
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Peter Beinart, senior political writer for The Daily Beast, is associate professor of journalism and political science at City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. His new book, The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris, will be published by HarperCollins in June. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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Lyric Wallwork Winik is an award-winning writer and author and the Washington correspondent for Parade magazine. Her next book will be about Magellan’s voyage for Crown, and she is married to the bestselling historian, Jay Winik.
Inaugural Hell Freezes Over
Lyric Wallwork Winik is an award-winning writer and author and the Washington correspondent for Parade magazine. Her next book will be about Magellan’s voyage for Crown, and she is married to the bestselling historian, Jay Winik.
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Lyric Wallwork Winik is an award-winning writer and author and the Washington correspondent for Parade magazine. Her next book will be about Magellan’s voyage for Crown, and she is married to the bestselling historian, Jay Winik.
Skyrider
Well okay then! I was just about to write that check for 50k ...but now have opted for a trip to Florida where I will sip cool drinks and watch the festivities on the tube!
Bettie
Loved the article. It brought a smile. I think I too will take my 50k and head to Florida. Maybe I will run into Skyrider and we'll have a drink together.
pjp425
Spot on assessment. I attended Bush 2004 - maybe even at the Hilton, I can't remember - it wasn't that memorable. The best thing is 'they' make everyone and every event seem important until you show up and figure out you and your ten thousand closest friends have the exact same VIP only pass. Land of the free... :)
clarityinthedefaultworld
I'm happy to say, I've already seen both Obama and Biden in person in San Diego last year for the California Democratic Convention, to which I was a delegate. We had a great view of the then candidates, and I was even close enough to Hillary Clinton to catch her cold.
There were some similarities though. The lines for the bars are ridiculous, and there's something disturbing about going to a party with free booze hosted by Native Americans. This year, I got wise, and took my trusty flask.
theblender
already in FL... seen 44 here during the last phase of the election and am so happy i chose to do that! am already drinking and will continue to watch out for it on the tube... it promises to be a global party... the palm beaches have many public houses, vfw's, lodges and churches creating their own events for the day... my new night job as a cabbie is overjoyed for it! but alas, i will be sober when the rest of the clan will be party down! oh and free booze from Native Americans... well, i think we ALL just want the party to shove out the old energy of the last eight years and renew our land... the Nations would uphold that...
nikkio
LOL - I'm in Florida - you all can come to my pool and I'll mix and pour your drinks on the house...I went to BC's first inauguration and every word in this article is true. It does get this bad...crowds were enormous...I was able to see everything up close & personal...but... only because I was a guest of a VIP...and if you're not one - you'll be sorely disappointed when you see how rough it gets in those crowds.
AgathaX
Sure, the description rings true. And I personally have no desire to live the comforts of my little bungalow a couple of hundred miles south of D.C. where we can amicably sip the best wines $12 can buy and watch whatever public TV is broadcasting. But when one undertakes to attend such things, you anticipate the hardships and summon your most positive attitude. How else, for example, could anyone get on an airplane--particularly during a holiday? But we all do, from time to time. I think a nation of people whose roots lie in covered wagons, tenement houses and worse can endure the "hardships" that accompany wanting to be part of a joyful occasion. Just plan to enjoy the people with whom you find yourself rather than seeking out particular VIPs. You'll have a ball.
politicalmom
Good grief.. after reading this article, someone will have to pay ME $50k to go to this thing.. and even then i might decline.
rittrohs
Bag the balls. I'm taking AMTRAK from Philly at the ass crack o' dawn to D.C., hanging on the Mall, and then heading back to the City of Brotherly Love as soon as the speech is over. So I can say, "I was there!"
ScottRose
Dear :Lyrik:
Have you ever wondered what people could possibly have been thinking, setting the inauguration for January when cherry blossom time would so obviously be a better time for the event?
TavernWench
Hey ScottRose....
In retrospect, seems like a great idea to have the Inauguration in January. Do you really think this country could handle letting Bush/Cheney stick around until Cherry Blossom season?!?
idiotking
Sigh... i know it will be hellish, but I have 3 friends visiting from Europe who desperately want to "be there." So alas, I'm doing a housing swap (thank god I live in NYC... still desirable!) for a spot in DC. I'm still dreading getting in or out of the city, finding food, and squeezing into bars. But on the plus side, I was sick on election night, so I didn't get to have my celebratory "Yes We Can Have Sex..." like everyone else. But maybe for the inauguration, I can make up for that. Town, Cobalt, Apex? I dunno. I think the pickin's will be easy, regardless :-P
As for seeing Obama... well, I'll duly escort my european buddies to a jumbotron location, but then I'm heading back to watch it on TV. I was lucky enough to see Obama at the Apollo theater (with Chris Rock and Cornell West) way back last year when he was the underdog. I framed my ticket to that, and that's all I need. Everyone's on Obama's side now, but I remember back when it was just a small minority of us working to get the word out and build the most incredible grassroots organization in presidential history!
zaydoun
Attended one of the Bush '88 balls (can't remember which one)... A dismal affair, and a colossal waste of my time!
finderj
LOL! How true. A frined attended the inaguration of the first Bush, and hated every minute of it. Finally wound up in the un-godly expensive hotel suite watching it on television. Said it was better than battling frostbite and line-jumpers.
Mark69
This is exactly why I believe the unofficial Balls will be far more exciting. For example, the Blue Diamond Inaugural Ball at the Museum of Natural History will have a premium bar plus all the glitz and glamor of the official Balls. The best part is Jackson Browne will perform there (if you like him that is). It's also themed around universal health care so will support Obama's vision for healthcare for all.
The Neighborhood Ball sounds fun but might simply be too packed and the DC Convention Center, while nice, is a little sterile. What other Balls are out there?
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