Northeast Florida reacts to ‘beautiful day’ of Donald Trump inauguration

With the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Friday morning, it was predictable that Northeast Florida pols would post thoughts on the event.

Some thoughts were sanguine, such as those from Mayor Lenny Curry and former State Rep. Lake Ray.

“It’s a beautiful day,” Curry Tweeted Friday morning.

Ray had more to say.

“The peaceful transition of power is unique to countries that value freedom for its people,” Ray wrote Friday on Facebook

“As we celebrate the inauguration of a new President, Donald J. Trump, may we come together as a people that value fair and free elections and may we wish success on the incoming President, his administration and outgoing President Obama.for wisdom as you lead our nation,” Ray added.

Cindy Graves, who succeeded Ray as chair of the Republican Party of Duval County, is in D.C. for the festivities.

She is wowed.

“It is hard to describe the patriotism, the emotion, the pride as we approach our nation’s Capitol among citizens from across America. I am almost overcome with emotion,” Graves opined.

Others were a bit more subdued, such as Rep. Al Lawson, who felt the need to message about his decision to attend the inauguration to two different reporters in the last few days.

That decision, we hear, was grist for internal debate in Lawson’s office.

On Inauguration Day, Lawson’s thoughts were of the end of the Barack Obama era.

“With the last few hours under the Obama administration, I simply want to say thank you Obama for everything you have done for the American people. You will be missed.”

Former House District 14 Democratic candidate Leslie Jean-Bart had a novel idea regarding protest.

“ACTION: TO BOYCOTT INAUGURATION, DONT TURN OFF TV. Instead, turn tv ON (but not to inauguration channel),” Jean-Bart advised.

Why?

Jean-Bart’s take: “if we turn off the TV entirely, it looks like the vast majority of all people watched Trump. But, if our TVs are tuned to other shows, it takes away from the ‘market share’ and makes the relative inauguration viewing percentage appear much lower.”

UNF Professor Parvez Ahmed, a member of Jacksonville’s Human Rights Commission, issued his own pointed criticism.

“Trump has assembled the Wealthiest, Whitest, and least educated cabinet in modern American history. They are not the only problems. As [a Washington Post article he linked to] makes it clear, “never before has one president assembled such a remarkable collection of individuals who are either unqualified for their jobs, devoted to subverting their agencies, or both, not to mention the ethical questions that will continue to swirl around this administration.” No wonder Kremlin is rejoicing while most Americans are scared,” Ahmed wrote.

This post will be updated as more politicians post their thoughts.