It was a remarkable event. A vast multitude of Americans, ordinary citizens from every corner of the country, had gathered in the great space between the Capitol and the Washington Monument to hear their new president take the oath of office and make his first address. The mood was one of delighted celebration, yet it was also attentive and respectful. This was an enormous assembly not of fans but of citizens. The spirit of the occasion, as much as its awesome scale, was a soaring affirmation of democracy.
Despite some fumbling as Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath, President Obama soon recovered. His short, sober speech struck notes familiar from his campaign, but the moment could not fail to invest them with fresh significance. He was politically encompassing, reaching out to sceptics and opponents. He touched admiringly on US history and traditions, but without vainglory and not without reminding his listeners of its errors. Addressing his nation's enemies, he was measured but stern. He did not disguise the difficulties that face the country; he addressed them with quiet confidence.
There is no bombast or chauvinism or phony sentiment in Mr Obama's oratory. He inspires, yet his appeal is always to the intellect; still he holds an audience of this size spellbound. It was the performance of a born leader.