Based on what I saw on the Mall today, I think it's also that folks actually are thrilled to feel like the government belongs to The People again. After 30 years of conservatives denigrating our government, and especially the last 8 years of Bush/Cheney telling people to shut up, stop asking questions, and just enjoy their tax cuts, people really feel excited about again be asked, even urged, to be part of the noble experiment that is American Democracy.