Today is inauguration day — very soon , we’ll be honored to listen to a very beautiful inauguration speech — most will say it’s the most beautiful they’ve ever heard. It’ll be in a class all by itself — no other inauguration speech, or maybe any speech, will come close to how beautiful it is.
So — we know this will be the best and most beautiful speech in all of history, but I got to wondering what would be the (far distant) second best inauguration speech. Obviously, determining the (second) best inaugural speech by a U.S. president is subjective — it depends on individual perspectives and historical contexts. But my extensive research found that one speech always mentioned in the top two or three bests (before today) is John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address in 1961. That speech is renowned for its call to civic duty and unity during the Cold War. His famous quote, “ask not what your country can do for your — ask what you can do for your country,” inspired a generation to a life of public service. The speech emphasized global cooperation and the pursuit of peace.
Not that I’m inviting comparisons, but I thought while I was it it, I’d see what historians considered the worst inaugural speech. Again, picking one is subjective, but nearly all chose William Henry Harrison’s Inaugural Address in 1841 to be at the bottom.
The speech was over 8,445 words — it’s still the longest inaugural speech in U.S. history. The speech was criticized for being verbose, unfocused, and heavy on classical references. It rambled through historical and philosophical ideas rather than addressing clear policy goals or the pressing issues of the day.
Thankfully, we won’t have anything like that today I’m pretty sure todays wonderful, beautiful speech will be available on parchment paper (ready for framing) and probably be engraved on all sorts of jewelry and items that we can proudly display in our homes. And — available for purchase later today.
So the excitement grows…. the whole word will be watching — and listening.
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