My office is right across the street from a large hotel that often hosts major events. About six weeks ago, the President gave a midday speech in support of a local congressional candidate. Today the Vice President had an appearance at the same hotel. The security precautions for Mr. Cheney appeared to be significantly more thorough and elaborate than those for the Commander-in-Chief, at least in terms of things like streets being blocked off. (I don’t know whether that had anything to do with any concrete threat, or whether there’s just heightened security these days. Also Mr. Cheney didn’t draw the gaggle of protesters that were here in October.)

Hundreds of people worked on the security details in functions from barricade emplacement to directing traffic to searching cars to standing guard. Thousands had their morning routine altered to accommodate this unusual event.

This season of Advent is meant as a time of preparation for an event of an infinitely greater scale than a speech by the Vice President. I’m not even sure what my role is in the great preparation.