Gov. Angus King used his inauguration Thursday night for a bit of indulgence, and he seemed to enjoy himself: He bantered, joked, swaggered and strutted about the stage at the Augusta Civic Center, exhorting Maine and Mainers to take control of their own futures, their own destinies.

Much of what he said was boilerplate of the sort that makes up high-school graduation speeches. Even so, there is something reassuring about a governor who cares enough about Maine to get up there and cheer his heart out, and also something disingenuous.

The inauguration, of course, is not only his but everyone’s. It is a reaffirmation of democracy, of the value of the vote. The ceremony is solemn because the occasion marks one of the great achievements of civilization: the willing and peaceful transfer — or extension — of power. The popular recognition of a political leader is what allows everything else in government to work. So it was disappointing that the governor acted so much of the time as a motivational speaker and used a television talk-show format of videos and a gigantic poster to make his points.

Behind all his encouraging words was policy. Though it was not a night for specifics, he urged powerful investment in three areas: education, research and development and land aquisition. Yet after announcing that education was the most important link to an improved quality of life, he said he would propose increasing General Purpose Aid to Education by $55 million.

That sounds like a lot, but it barely meets the statutory funding minimum and doesn’t begin to cover the shortfall in GPA from the last eight years. It is, in fact, less than his education commissioner recommended and is expected to be significantly less than what the Legislature will propose. When it comes to education funding, the governor’s budget has yet to match his words.

That is a battle that will begin next week in the Legislature; the start of a deceptively short time for Gov. King to leave his mark on Maine. With a mandate from voters and a budgetary surplus, his effect could be profound. Maine should expect a lot from a man who has so much more to give than mere style.