{"id":136958,"date":"2013-01-21T10:00:30","date_gmt":"2013-01-21T15:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prosebeforehos.com\/?p=136958"},"modified":"2013-12-09T11:46:08","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T16:46:08","slug":"worst-inauguration-speeches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prosebeforehos.com\/political-ironing\/01\/21\/worst-inauguration-speeches\/","title":{"rendered":"The Worst Inauguration Speeches Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

James Buchanan<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Worst<\/p>\n

Had he been alive then, James Buchanan would have been an excellent addition in the 90s cinematic masterpiece \u201cClueless\u201d. Channeling Cher Horowitz in his 1857 inaugural address in terms of sheer ineptitude and real-world disconnectedness, Buchanan spent a large portion of his uninspired oratory discussing slavery as one would their chronic (and unsuccessful) battles against irritable bowel syndrome. Described as an \u201cagitation\u201d that hadn\u2019t had any intermission for more than 20 years, Buchanan spent most of his 2,834-word address musing about how he wished Kansas would just stop bleeding so that Americans could focus on other matters \u201cof more pressing and practical importance.\u201d Like, you know, not slavery. Suffice it to say, Supreme Court Justice Taney delivered his abominable majority opinion on Dred Scott V. Stanford<\/em> in the following days, and four years later the Civil War would begin its bloody trajectory on American soil. Sound like presidential leadership? \u201cAs if!\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

William Henry Harrison<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Worst<\/p>\n

A blistering cold. An old man lacking a coat, a hat and charisma. An audience disengaged and disenchanted. No, this isn\u2019t the set of a Jay Leno Christmas special, this is William Henry Harrison\u2019s 1847 inaugural address. Rambling about ancient Rome and indulging in overly erudite platitudes, Harrison\u2019s verbal purge took with it two hours, 8,000 words and ultimately his life. The presidential equivalent of the nutty, babbling uncle that everyone wishes would take his meds and shut up developed a fatal case of pneumonia following the speech and thus became the first president to die in office. Note to future speech writers: verbosity kills.<\/p>\n

George W. Bush<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Worst<\/p>\n

Because he never should have had one.<\/p>\n

Warren Harding<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Worst<\/p>\n

As intellectually intriguing as Mitt Romney\u2019s iTunes library, the 29th President of the United States used his inaugural address to engage in bromides fit only for today\u2019s hollow Republican platform. Where Harding lacked conviction, he gained in his excellent use of redundant tropes and recitations as rousing as the back of a Campbell\u2019s soup can. Cases in point: <\/p>\n

\u201cI speak for administrative efficiency, for lightened tax burdens, for sound commercial practices, for adequate credit facilities, for sympathetic concern for all agricultural problems, for the omission of unnecessary interference of Government with business, for an end to Government’s experiment in business, and for more efficient business in Government administration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut America, our America, the America builded on the foundation laid by the inspired fathers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suffice it to say the biggest impression he left on the White House was when he died in it.<\/p>\n

Ulysses S. Grant<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Worst<\/p>\n

Ulysses S. Grant greeted his 1869 inauguration with as much enthusiasm as a seven-year-old staring down at a plate of days-old cafeteria meatloaf, and with good reason. Saying that the \u201cpresidency had come to [him] unsought,\u201d Grant followed in the footsteps of the messianic Abraham Lincoln and the simpering Southern sympathizer Andrew Johnson. The nation was still one very much divided and in desperate need of reminding that a path to peace must be forged for the sake of renewed strength, shared growth and national stability. So in a particularly small-minded fashion, Grant failed to address the above issues and opted instead for a hackneyed talk about debt. Funny how little things change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

James Buchanan Had he been alive then, James Buchanan would have been an excellent addition in the 90s cinematic masterpiece \u201cClueless\u201d. Channeling Cher Horowitz in his 1857 inaugural address in terms of sheer ineptitude and real-world disconnectedness, Buchanan spent a large portion of his uninspired oratory discussing slavery as one would their chronic (and unsuccessful) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":530,"featured_media":136959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[259,260],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Worst Inauguration Speeches Ever<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Happy Inauguration Day! 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