Since it seemed at the time that the mangled oath of office was possibly a result of Barack Obama’s nerves, let’s set the record straight: Barack Obama doesn’t get nervous (or sweat). It is Chief Justice John Roberts who, coincidentally, didn’t get Obama’s vote in the Senate who shoulders the blame. Here is the actual oath of office, as it’s supposed to be read: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Instead, Roberts said, “…that I will execute the office of President to the United States faithfully…” See that? You can’t just throw “faithfully” at the end like that. Obama, who likely practiced the correct line for hours precisely so he wouldn’t mess it up on the biggest day of his life, knew Roberts read it wrong. So he paused and, in one of the most widely watched awkward moments ever, waited for Roberts to correct himself. Unfortunately, the confusion sowed by Roberts caused Obama to ultimately say the line the wrong way anyway. Relive the majesty after the jump:
About that oath flub [First Read/MSNBC]
