by Dyna Lopez

Created on: January 21, 2009

Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th
Commander in Chief attracted unprecedented attention because his history, background and climb to the White House are an original great American story. A rag to personal riches plot filled with drama, suspense, and a determination against all odds spans two countries and one island. His journey reads like scripts from inspirational movies such as "Rocky" "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". The political world first noticed him as the skinny kid with a funny name at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Four years later, his eloquent prose, steadfast confidence, tech savvy campaigns and cool resolve swept the Democratic Primaries, the nation and the world. His powerful messages of hope and change spread like wildfire, winning red states and garnering the highest popular vote in history. His promise and practice for inclusiveness and a transparent government promised a fresh new beginning in government for an America that's tired and ashamed of the politics of usual.

People of all ages voted for the first time because they felt truly connected to a man who is one of them.

Seven years of George W. Bush's propaganda and fabrication for his justification of the "war on terrorism" has angered Americans and the world as evidenced by his plummeting approval ratings. Barack's rating is at an all time high of 83% according to the Gallup poll. Bush and his financial team also failed in fiscal accountability last spring, when they claimed a B grade on their math report card instead of an F. The following quarter, unemployment rose to the highest in American history as retail giants and corporations toppled like the Domino Effect. Major financial institutions and the Big 3 threatened serious economic ramifications if America did not financially dig them out of the quicksand. The public lost its confidence and trust in the systems. But Obama woke everyone up and re-gained their trust in government. He's energized generations of people from all walks of life, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. He firmly said in his inaugural address that he'll bring the country back. A big slap to Bush's poor management of the country.

The numbers show a complete picture of the magnitude and diversity of the inauguration as the historic event broke unprecedented records across the board.

- Approximately two million people braved the cold weather in Washington, DC for hours with no complaints.

- 50 different law enforcement agencies

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