A number of local residents saw history repeating itself Monday as President Obama was inaugurated to his second term.

Not only was Obama sworn in, but some people such as Julie Robinson were watching the inauguration in-person for the second time. Robinson, a Hamilton resident, was a team leader for the president’s campaign, and got a much better view this time around.

“In 2009, I was back in the yellow section, behind the Reflecting Pool, so I was way back there. I moved up, so this time I was a closer,” said Robinson. This time, she was just to the right of where the president was sworn in, in front of the Capitol.

Robinson arrived at her vantage point at 7 a.m. this morning, waiting for more than four hours. But having gone through the experience once before, she had a much easier time getting the lay of the land, she said. While some reports said the crowds were smaller than they were for Obama’s first inauguration, Robinson thought they were “comparable,” once again stretching behind the Washington Monument and numbering about 1 million.

“I liked the part where (Obama) addressed all of our issues … We have to honor the Constitution and do our best to be better. With all the animosity on gun control and women’s reproductive rights, I like how he said we’re not always going to agree, but we have to do something,” she said.

Anita Scott Jones, a Middletown city councilwoman, concurred, saying, “I thought it was a speech for everybody. It was all inclusive and it touched on every aspect … it was just excitement of people from everyplace.”

Not everyone planning to go the inauguration actually made it — Katrina Wilson of Middletown was sick on Monday with a sore throat. But earlier in the weekend, she got to go to events with leaders like Jesse Jackson.

“Hearing the greats from the civil rights era talk about Martin Luther King brought to mind just how far we’ve come and just how far we’ve yet to go … the energy was just unbelievable. And this arriving on the day of Martin Luther King made it all the more exciting. We have another opportunity to restore hope,” she said.

Wilson said she was hopeful for the future but knows much work lies ahead to make that hope mean something.

“It’s great to celebrate today, but tomorrow, it’s time to go to work, and we have to stay focused,” said Wilson, who is an active member of the NAACP. “We have to be an advocate for people who don’t have a voice.

Carla Fiehrer, Hamilton’s vice mayor, was another repeat visitor to Obama’s swearing-in, having attended the first inauguration in 2009. Like Robinson, she got a much closer view this time, so “We got to feel more a part of it,” Fiehrer said.

“It really was very moving. I’m still trying to process how I felt, but it really was a great feeling to be there and be surrounded by so many people. Plus, James Taylor is one of my favorite musicians, and he got to sing, so that was kind of cool,” she said.

Regarding the president’s speech, “One thing that kept resounding to me is that it’s not just him, it’s not just the Senate, it’s not just the House, it’s not just people in Washington. It’s everyone in the United States that really needs to come together and get through this. That was the biggest thing I drew out of it.”

However, Fiehrer said she thought both inaugurations felt much the same.

“I honestly didn’t feel like it was any different than last time. Both of them have been very uplifting. The crowds were very full, there were no protesters … honestly, you could have heard a pin drop. When you have a million people being quiet and giving that much respect and attention to everyone, it was a very respectful crowd. The entire program was just well done,” she said.

The Rev. Michael Bailey of Middletown, another repeat attendee, took heart in being in the midst of a day full of good spirits.

“The entire day was just an awesome day. We got a chance to be all-inclusive,” he said.

Bailey made note of the fact that the president’s address included a lot of “we” language.

“Regardless of where you may be at as far as middle class or struggling to become middle class, it’s we the people working together to rebuild what we’ve done over the years,” Bailey said. “This (ceremony) spoke to everyone that was attending to look out for the future. That would be my grandkids and my great-grandkids.”