Amend the Amendment

The fact that President Obama was privately sworn in for his second term today, one day before the public ceremony, raised some questions in my mind, partly about history but mainly, what would have happened if Romney had won the election? Well, the short answer I guess is that he would have been sworn in today, and all of the official hoopla would have happened on a Sunday, which is fine with me, but probably would have seemed blasphemous to many religious Republicans. On the other hand, they would have been so glad to see the last of Blacky McBlack's black ass..... (apologies to Bill Maher).

Prior to the ratification of the 12th Amendment to the Constitution in 1933, the President-elect was sworn into office the following March.  The long delay between election and inauguration may have been necessary or logical in colonial times, but it made no sense in the 20th century. (Actually it made no sense even by the time Lincoln was elected and may have contributed to the chaos of the time.) The same Amendment moved the beginning of the new Congresses to January 3rd. Why prolong the lame-duck status (a curious term, the definition of which you can find for yourself on Wikipedia, if you're inclined) of either Congress or President?

It apparently was no concern in 1933, but one does feel that, if the 12th Amendment were being written today it would include a provision that says the inauguration date would be January 20th or the following Monday, if the 20th were to fall on a Saturday or Sunday. Why waste a good weekend? seems to be our current motto.

Since the 12th Amendment was ratified, inauguration day has occurred on a Saturday or Sunday four different times, but in three of those cases it was of absolutely no importance because the incumbent had been reelected:

January 20, 1957 - Sunday
Einsenhower was sworn in privately for his 2nd term on Sunday. The public ceremony was on Monday.

January 20, 1973 - Saturday
Nixon took the oath of office for his second term publicly on Saturday.

January 20, 1985 - Sunday
Reagan was sworn into his 2nd term privately on Sunday. The public ceremony was on Monday.

January 20, 2001 - Saturday
G.W. Bush was sworn into his 1st term publicly and officially on Saturday.

So, as you can see, Bush II was the only President to begin his first term on a weekend, and it was a Saturday. Nixon had already set the precedent for holding public inaugurations on Saturday, if necessary.

But no President has ever begun his first term on a Sunday. Romney would have been the first. I wonder, is the country ready to give up televised Sunday sports for a Presidential inauguration speech?

Maybe the 12th Amendment needs amending.

Ahh, and I just saw that for only the 2nd time in history the the inauguration will occur on the day of the Martin Luther King Holiday. That is awesome.