Contrary to popular belief, Obama will not become president when he takes the oath of office. I didn’t realize this until a couple of days ago.
According to the official schedule (see page 14), Obama takes the oath at 11:56 a.m., four minutes before he actually becomes president.
When I found this out, it really bothered me, for purely anal retentive reasons, because I envisioned some invisible mantle of power transferring from Bush to Obama at the precise moment Obama says “so help me God.” But I guess it makes sense for him to take the oath in advance of becoming president instead of at the moment he becomes president, or else there will be several seconds in which he’s president without having taken the oath. I suppose it doesn’t really matter how far in advance of noon he takes the oath, since he’ll constitutionally become president at the stroke of twelve.
So even after you watch Obama recite the oath and everyone errupts into euphoria and the band plays “Hail to the Chief,” Bush is still president for another couple of minutes. But by the time Obama begins his Inaugural Address at 12:01, he’s the new president.
Just some TV-watching advice from your friendly neighborhood Tin Man…
What makes you sure he doesn’t officially become president at 11:57?
The 20th Amendment. :)
Ah interesting! And this clears up something that was foggy in my mind. I was doing some similarly nitty-gritty reading about inaugurations and read that when Inauguration Day (in most recent times, January 20) falls on a Sunday, they usually push the public inauguration to the next day. In those cases the president takes the oath in a private ceremony on the 20th as Eisenhower and Reagan did in their respective second terms.
If they were going to avoid Sunday anyway, I wondered why they would bother having a swearing in that day, but I see it makes sense, ’cause the Constitution and the clock ain’t waiting for no one.
You wouldn’t be you if this didn’t initially bother you. :)
Due to being behind schedule today the oath was given late….after 12 noon….and as such as reported by CNN Obama became President before his actual swearing in. Also, it seems that both Barack and his wife were aware as Ms. Obama reached up and squeezed Barack’s shoulder as the time of noon happened. It was noted on TV, and was a sweet act.