Inaugural Leftovers

Just a few interesting pieces in the aftermath of this week's coronation inauguration:

• A supposedly easy question with an interesting answer: who was our first African-American president? Would you be surprised to know that it might have been Condoleeza Rice? Read here for more of this interesting (if somewhat far-fetched) argument.
• Watching all of the inauguration hoopla, this question plagued me. Might there just be a hint of a double standard in American political discourse (that's a rhetorical question).
• Barack Obama, Libertarian? His first few days on the job have been encouraging.
• I am not afraid to admit that George F. Will nailed my take on the inaugural address. Not that I agree with the substance, but that is how I interpreted it.
• A great piece on the drama of civil religion that are inaugurations. Another interesting article from the same site on the "Oprafying of Obama."