[imagesource: Chad J. McNeeley, USN]

In November 2008, Barack Obama defeated John McCain to become the 44th president of the United States of America, cleaning up with 365 electoral votes to McCain’s 173.

He also won the popular vote by close to 10 million votes.

Given what we’re seeing at the moment, it’s clear that the country is anything but united.

Counting the votes appears to be just the beginning, as Donald Trump launches legal battles across a number of states. Come January 20, which is the day when the president-elect is officially sworn in, things will surely be resolved.

What we do know for certain that we won’t hear a speech as powerful as that delivered by Obama in 2009.

Trump isn’t exactly a fan of speaking in full sentences, and Joe Biden’s oratorical skills can’t match those of the man he served under.

A brief summary, via History, before we let Obama speak for himself:

Obama opened his inaugural address, which lasted some 20 minutes, by recognizing the challenges facing the nation at the outset of his administration—the worsening economic crisis, ongoing war against radical extremism and terrorism, costly health care, failing schools and a general loss of confidence in America’s promise.

One might say that those same challenges need to be overcome today, with a pandemic thrown into the mix.

Let’s take a moment, as the vote counting continues and the world watches on with a mixture of curiosity and horror, to listen to a man who knew how to deliver a message of hope:

[source:history]