Inauguration Day, aka Hump Day

As a result of receiving 51% of the vote and a majority of the Electoral Votes in November, Barack Obama was Inaugurated and began his second term. As per the 20th Amendment of the US Constitution, he was sworn in on January 20th in a Blue Room ceremony, and because it fell on a Sunday, the public ceremony on the West Front of the US Capitol took place on Monday.

While making an attempt to achieve the rhetorical grandeur of Lincoln or JFK in the beginning of his Inaugural Address, Obama fell short; turning to a partisanship that has driven this administration. Furthermore, it seemed to read more like a State of the Union than a call for unity; supporting and endorsing big government over the individual, showing the president's true intentions.

After the balloons come down and the Inaugural Ball and after-party hangovers end, America must look ahead to the next four years. It's etched in stone - Barack Obama is the president for four more years. Things will get worse before they get better. On the bright side, yesterday was "Hump Day," and although there are 1.459 days remaining, the sun will soon set on this administration. This president will be emboldened and determined to advance and enact his liberal agenda and it's up to the Republicans to remind America that there is a conservative alternative that will show bold colors, not pale pastels. While they are helped by a history of underachievement in Second Terms, the Republican Party is hindered by its current state of division and conflict. The level of how much these four years will hurt will very well be determined on whether the Republican Party acts as loyal opposition or truly goes toe-to-toe with Barack Obama.

If the next four years have taught us anything, it's that elections have consequences and your vote matters. (You hear me, 42%?) Let's remember that in 2016!