For what it’s worth, there are lots and lots of people in the world who liked the President’s inaugural address just fine–and they all seem to have my email address. The most common subject heading? “You Are Wrong.”

On the other hand, I heard from a few people who found the speech just as unsettling as I did. (On first listening, that is. On re-reading the text, I revised my view, as I’ve explained elsewhere on this happy Corner.) These folks included Rich Karlgaard, publisher of Forbes. “Great job,” Rich wrote. “The next two years will tell whether GWB is Wilson, LBJ or Reagan.”

Rich touched on a critical point; namely, that political speeches are documents that can only be properly judged in retrospect. Did the speech work? That is, did it predict events accurately? Did it help the president in question attain his goals? Did it affect the development of policy? Or did it prove mere talk?

Regarding today’s speech, as Rich suggests, we’ll know in a couple of years. Which is just about the next time I intend to open my mouth on the subject.