Often an Inaugural Address is more about themes and broad policy matters than specifics, and while President Obama did not go into fine details in his second Inaugural, he certainly did set out some legislative markers for what he wants done in the Congress during his next four years in office.
And it was done without any direct mention at all of gun violence or gun controls, an issue that seems certain to dominate the political landscape in Washington, D.C. in coming months.
In his speech to hundreds of thousands on a chilly January day, the President talked about tax reform, help for America's schools, health care, climate change, voting reforms, immigration reform and gay rights.
"Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity," the President said to applause.
"Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law," evidently the first use of the term "gay" in an Inaugural Address, unexpectedly thrusting that issue into the political debate.
"That is our generation’s task -- to make these words, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American," the President said.
It was a message that certainly resonated with Democrats in the Congress.
"We must work together as one people, one family, one house, the American house," said Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), who joined the President for a formal lunch in the Capitol and also spent some time speaking with former Presidents Clinton and Carter.
"Today, the President laid out an inspiring vision for what we can and must accomplish together as a country," said Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), who represents the Newtown, Connecticut area, where 26 people were killed in a mass shooting before Christmas.
On the subject of Newtown, Mr. Obama did not use his speech to call for specific action on guns, instead talking about ways to keep kids safe - without mentioning guns at all.
"Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm," the President said.
One would think the appeal for change on guns will be more direct in the State of the Union, which often is seen as the better vessel for discussions about legislative action.
One would have to say that if the President was ready to use his Inaugural Address to lay out a liberal, some might say progressive agenda, then maybe one would expect him to turn it up a notch in mid-February when he goes before lawmakers.
Of course, words are one thing, but action is another.
