And with Tim Scott’s exit from the 2024 race, Nikki Haley is stepping up her efforts to supplant Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the clear second-place runner.
In a poem personal yet universal, Maine poet unites
At the second inaugural of President Barack Obama, Richard Blanco of Bethel follows in the footsteps of Robert Frost and Maya Angelou, championing the American experience.
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The poem that was read aloud Monday at President Obama’s second inauguration was deeply personal to the Maine poet who wrote it, scholars said, but its theme was universal: This country offers tremendous possibility, yet its real greatness stems from the unity of its citizenry.
Richard Blanco, a little-known poet from Bethel in western Maine, was elevated to the national stage when he was selected to be Obama’s inaugural poet. He is only the fifth poet to compose an original piece for an inauguration.