I’m getting a lot of grief from folks (like Michael). I didn’t say the speech — as in the words — was sedate. I think it was really outstanding. I wanted to read it through after the delivery to search for overt Wilsonianism and for a few other things I thought I heard. But I think it was a great speech (see my insta-analysis on the home page).
As for Bush’s delivery, I do think it was a bit low energy and that he sold his last one better (which was also beautifully written). But Tim Graham and a few others think that impression might have been a result of the bad mixing of the crowd’s audio. Maybe so.
Regardless, the more I think about it, I think this will probably be the most historic inaugural since at least Kennedy’s and perhaps FDR’s first or fourth.