Caution: Rough Road Ahead

At this time, President Obama and his wife are in the process of attending the plethora of inaugural balls listed on his schedule.

He has been the leader of the free world for more than eight hours now; but the ceremony is drawing mixed reviews from critics and supporters.

After botching his oath of office, (I told you folks: take the teleprompter away and not much remains) he proceeded to give a morose, dejected and somber address.

He painted an unflattering portrait of America, making numerous references to "raging storms" and "rough times ahead". He also bashed President Bush; seated a mere few feet away.

Where was this notion of "Hope" we heard so much about over the course of the last two years? Where was the bright-eyed optimism in American ingenuity and its people's pursuit of happiness?

Where was Ronald Reagan's "It's morning, again, in America"?

In addition to Obama's lackluster speech, the poet he selected was able to present yet another version of a bleak American future read in complete monotone and Joseph Lowery, chosen by Obama to deliver the convocation, managed to paint all whites as stubborn racists.

Indeed, the brightest moment of the day came from Ms. Aretha Franklin's rendition of "My Country Tis of Thee".

That kind of uplifting rhetoric seemed sorely out of place at today's ceremony.

If this day is any indication of what is to come from an Obama administration, the American people should brace themselves for a desolate future.