A smaller crowd in Washington as Obama begins second term
President Barack Obama will deliver his second inaugural address to an estimated crowd of 600,000 people this morning. While that is an impressive turnout for a frigid Washington morning, it’s nowhere near the record-breaking number of attendees at the president’s first inauguration four years ago.
“There are fewer people on the streets,” says Marketplace’s David Gura, reporting from Washington, D.C. “I’ve heard, anecdotally, that hotels aren’t able to get as much for a room as they were four years ago.”
While the flood of tourists to Washington may be smaller than the last inauguration, the occasion will provide hotels, restaurants, and local businesses with a major boost.
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