Sunday

So today there were tons more people at the National Mall than yesterday, and I can only imagine what it's going to be like by Tuesday. Estimates say that over 300,000 people showed up, and this could mean that more than the projected 2 million will show up for the inauguration day itself. At this level there would be about 400 porta-potties per person. Let's just hope that's enough to keep everyone satisfied.

Yesterday the temperature didn't even get out of the teens, but today it was almost 40 degrees. People didn't seem to mind the cold, and if anything, used it as a way to show off their new Obama hats and scarves at the kick-off event for the Today was the big "We are One" concert outside of the Lincoln Memorial, with the likes of U2, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé singing songs inspired by our country. It was really cool to hear Springsteen joined the 89-year-old Pete Seeger in a rendition of "This Land is Your Land" with a gospel choir backing them. Obama addressed the crowd briefly, reassuring them that despite the economic turmoil the country is experiencing now will eventually be lifted, even if it does take a while.

Even on the other side of the Washington Monument where there was only a faint hint of sound from the concert, people were still crowded together, dancing and singing along. People watched Obama on Jumbo Trons out on the lawn, and even if they couldn't see the action up close (most couldn't) they were still rocking out. We've seen pick-up soccer games and runners going about their business as usual, mixed in with the news outlets setting up their makeshift studios and carving out their turf. Basically, this is a circus. But it's really kind of refreshing, to see the media interacting with REAL people in the same space. Maybe it could happen more often? At any rate, I got the chance to see women flinging themselves at Anderson Cooper next to a homeless man leaning on his shopping cart, which I'm sure never made it on CNN.

Although there are a lot of people who are unsure of whether or not Obama will bring about change, almost nobody that we've seen in the capitol has outwardly expressed opposition to the new administration. This is a stark contrast from the Counter Inauguration of 2005, when Bush was starting his second term. The only people that we have seen who were doing any sort of protest were some guys on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue somewhere, with big signs that said "Homo Love is Sin" and "Trust Jesus." But people seemed to be more drawn to the tent of Obama merchandise than trying to heckle the protesters, who really didn't have anything interesting to say anyway.

Although there are no big protests or anything going on (yet, anyway) there is still a pretty big police presence in general. But maybe that's just because we're in D.C., and there's kind of a lot of important things to protect here. Seeing snipers on the top of buildings is kind of surreal but for the people here, it's probably second-nature.
So what are people saying about Obama? I've overheard:

"He's the light at the end of the tunnel"
"To see this is such a privilege"
'He's MY president"
"I wouldn't be standing here out in the cold if it weren't for Barack Obama"
"If you can pay five dollars for a footlong, you can pay five dollars for an Obama pin"
"I love everything about him"

You get the picture.

After the festivities everyone scattered to go home, clogging up the subways. I'm sure the people trying to beat crowds by walking down the upwards escalators is only a hint of what's to come on the public transit system in the next few days, which up until now have been relatively quiet.

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and we'll be out reporting even more. Hopefully then I'll be a bit less tired. More tomorrow.

--- Kristin