
Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. The problem with politicians is, they never seem to sound enough like poets, whose language is, by nature, richly imprecise. While the leaden political discourse has its uses — no one wants obscurity when it comes to nuclear launch codes — an occasional ambiguity might be nice. The inaugural address, for instance, to be broadcast at the Schomberg Center in Harlem, is the perfect opportunity for complex phrasing in the service of a broader national cause. Wouldn’t it be great to be ennobled, even surprised, by a president’s public words? Do not misunderestimate the power of such a thing.
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