Obama had a tough time selling inaugural ball tickets

The 2009 coronation of Barack Obama, the nation's first African-American president, was the hottest ticket in inauguration history. The rerun? Not so much. Estimates suggest that only a third of the 2 million headcount for the event four years ago would be present Monday, and ridership on Washington's transit authority was down 37 percent, equal to an average D.C. weekday. Meanwhile, organizers of the two official inauguration balls slashed prices in half to $500 a ticket in hopes of paying the $50 million tab as corporate donations lagged. They still believe they'll hit their target, but one fundraiser admitted, "It's been a tough slog." Maybe that's what they should call the night's first dance. [Source]

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