About to start again. I, Barack Hussein obama, do solemnly swear. Those who say that were in a time when there are no heroes, they just dont know where to look. Our challenges are great, but our will is greater. There is nothing wrong with america that cannot be cured by what is right with america. The United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. All are equal. All are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. The president ial inauguration is getting under way right here on the capitol, and we have a front row seat. Here on the National Mall, people are staking out their spot to experience this moment in history. The sun rises on Barack Obamas second term. We gather because we have chosen hope over fear. Unity over purpose. On this day, a public celebration of the presidency after a private oath the day before. So help you god . So help me god. On this capitol where so many battles have been fought and will be fought, political rivalries are being set aside in a show of democracy and unity for all the world to see. And we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of america. Were live here on the west front of the United States capitol for one of the grandest celebrations of democracy in the world. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. Im wolf blitzer. Less than three hours from now, on this stage, right behind me, president obama will raise his hand and publicly take the oath of office. Well show you that and every big moment of this Inauguration Day. Were learning about the sources of inspiration for the president s inauguration speech and the mistakes he wants to correct. And were just minutes away from giving you a candid look at the obama family and their daily life in the white house. The first lady is planning some changes over the next four years. Now take a look at this. Across the National Mall, right here in washington, hundreds of thousands of people are gathering. This is the way the president will see it right near the Washington Monument at the edge of the crowds, our own Anderson Cooper is standing by. Anderson, a very exciting day. It certainly is, and the crowds are building around this area as well. A lot of people got here very, very early. They want to stake out a spot to watch the inauguration. We have got cameras in place all across the National Mall, along with teams of anchors and correspondents, including don lemon, robin meade, and christi paul. First, lets check in with robin meade. Robin, whats happening where you are now . Im standing here with a bunch of people from what states do we have . Florida, new jersey, ohio. Okay, weve got a lot of folks who are in this town making their way. I want to introduce you to, this is marcela; shes 70 years old. She is volunteering from california. Why did you come all the way from california to volunteer . Youve got to work. Thats true. I thought this was a great opportunity for me to show my love for the president and for the country. It would probably be my last opportunity to see barack obama in office and to be a part of this whole historical event. So while youre working, what do you anticipate him saying today in the speech . I think hell talk about bringing the country together and the strides and just the goals. The goals of im sure hell bring in Martin Luther king and the goals that he shares with him and with the country. And trying to get congress to Work Together to pass all the initiatives. Marcela, you have the whole list ticked off in your head there. Thank you so much for the work that youre doing today. Everyone, were back to work. Say back to work. Back to you. Robin, thanks very much. Everyone is due to arrive here at the capitol less than two hours from now. At this moment, hes beginning the start of his second term in prayer. Our White House CorrespondentBrianna Keilar is outside st. Johns church. Thats right near the white house. Our chief White House CorrespondentJessica Yellin is on the National Mall. Brianna, lets go to you first. Tell us whats going on. What is about to happen . Reporter hi there, wolf. I am across from the church where president obama and mrs. Obama are inside sitting, not in the traditional president s pew, but in the first row, as is the Vice President and his family, and i want to show you, if this bus will move behind me, you can see over here the president ial limousine, the beast. Once this service is over and we are told that it will be short and sweet, the beast is standing ready to whisk president obama and mrs. Obama off to the capitol. Brianna, thank you. Lets go to Jessica Yellin. Jessica, i understand youre learning some details about what the president will say. Reporter one insider insisted to me, wolf, that there is no challenge to be met today, no political test, but president obama considers this speech deeply meaningful, an important opportunity, a chance to reset the political conversation, and aides concede to me, its no easy task. I, Barack Hussein obama, do solemnly swear. Reporter a second inaugural, a Second Chance for president barack obama. He used his first address to issue a grim warning about the coming economic crisis. Let us brave once more the icy currents and endure what storms may come. Reporter that message was not well received. It clashed with the euphoric mood of a nation expecting hope and change. Cnn has learned the president began working on this address with longtime speechwriter john favreau in middecember. Favreau writes, the president rewrites in the margins in long hand or on yellow pads. This is a historical event. You cant help but feel some pressure because of that, and a desire to make those few minutes when youre up there count. Reporter inned t etodays s dont expect policy details. That will come in the state of the union. Instead, this address will be heavy on sweeping themes. Among them, the responsibility that comes with citizenship. For inspiration, the president read this inaugural. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Reporter a second theme, a call for unity in a time of division. The president read bill clintons second inaugural. Will we all come together or come apart . Reporter and Abraham Lincolns, delivered to a nation divided by civil war. With malice toward none, with charity for all. Reporter a third theme, renewing our commitment to the values of our Founding Fathers. Perhaps its surprising the president found inspiration in the words of this former a adversa adversary. There can be no human rights without human liberty. Reporter aides tell us that, although the president disagrees with mr. Bushs policy, hes moved by the speechs democratic principles. Freedom by its nature must be chosen and defended by citizens. Reporter a message, aides say, the president will echo today, as he did at the white house last week. That most fundamental set of rights, to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those rights are at stake. Were responsible. Reporter of all his predecessors, the president says he is most inspired by president lincoln. That government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. Reporter in november, mr. Obama screened Steven Spielbergs movie lincoln at the white house theater. Sources tell me, ever since, hes been quoting it around the west wing. Lincoln is the patheosis of a uniter. Reporter and look for an acknowledgement of dr. Martin luther kings vision on the day we honor the civil rights leader, a coincidence of timing thats not lost on the nations first African American president. Now, the speech was finalized over the weekend, but the president often makes final word changes up to the very end, and this time was no exception. Im told that he made tweaks this morning, in fact. The president , im told, will speak for under 20 minutes. By reading prior inaugural addresses, he decided the shorter, the better. His last address was just over 18 minutes. His favorite two past inaugurals were kennedys, which ran just under 14 minutes, and, of course, lincolns second, which at 700 words, had to be fewer than ten minutes. Im told president obama had a quiet breakfast with the first lady and his daughters before going to church. Anderson . Lets talk about it with john king and Gloria Borger. What are you anticipating, john, hearing today . I think broad strokes. Time to bring the country together. Time to get through the tough economic times. I think it will be a cautious speech because of the uncertain environment. The president doesnt quite understand whats going to happen with republicans. He thinks maybe Common Ground on immigration with most, but there are confrontations looming. If he wants to go back for a big grand bargain and a legacy on medicare and entitlement ds, he has a fight with the Democratic Party. If you look around the world, is syria at a Tipping Point . What exactly is happening in north africa right now . He begins with an uncertain political situation in town and big question marks around the world. I think, as jessica noted, you save the nuts and bolts for the state of the union and try to get off to an optimistic start. The question is whether he acknowledges the partisanship that exists in washington but then says, that doesnt mean you cant get anything done. Just because we believe in Different Things sometimes doesnt mean we cant reach and find some Common Ground, which is obviously what hes got to do if he wants to get some of those ambitious agendas through. How much does he really say matter today . Do we know there have been speeches throughout history that have resonated and people continue to quote john f. Kennedy and others. Paul begala wrote a piece in the daily beast the other day saying president obama should give lip service to unity and then go out and be ruthless afterward. That is a tough choice for the president. What does he want his strategy to be in the short window that second term president s get, is it a year, 18 months, two years . By the 2014 mid term, the climate will change even more. People feel better about the direction of the country at any point of his presidency, yet 49 of americans think the country is going in a good direction. So the president has to bring American People along at a time when they dont like this town, they dont like washington, and theyre not totally in love with his first term. He just beat his rival in the election. People have lower expectations, so i think were going to he may try and raise that a little bit. This will be a lot of poetry, and the state of the Union Address is going to be the prose where he really lays out the agenda. Lets bring in the auth aror the book barack obama the story and margaret hoover, republican consultant and cnn contributor. David, what are you expecting to hear . I think theres a paradox here, which is that four years ago there were huge crowds and so much ebullience of the moment. He gave such a wintry speech. Today theres smaller crowds, i think hes giving a more optimistic speech. I think he feels hes in a much better place today than he was four years ago . Cornell . I think well hear some of the things picked up from the campaign. Hes got to talk about the economy, talk about the number one issue to americans, and thats jobs and expanding and growing the middle class. Were looking at a middle class that continues to shrink, and its something that really bothers the president. This is a speech that talks about values. Hes going to try to paint a vision for his next term. The danger is if hes too broad. It wont be memorable. So how does he keep it tight, have memorable lines, maybe a quotable nugget that we can take with us like blue states and red states, the United States of america. Its a high bar to set, but hes done it before. Jessica, youve been covering him for a long time at the white house. Is this a different man than he was four years ago, a different politician, a different president . We always saw barack obama, there was the professor, and there was barack obama, the competitor. Since hes been in office, weve seen barack obama, the competitor, emerge as a more dominant force. Barack obama, the competitor, plays to win. Weve seen him do more of the things it takes to win. We saw him return from his vacation in hawaii to fight Congress Just now on the bush tax cuts battle as opposed to three years ago, during the health care brawl, he hid away in Marthas Vineyard while that was exploding around the country. So hes doing those things you need to play to win. Hes taking his case to the American People more aggressively. It is not different. When i interviewed him in 2007 on the bus in iowa, i covered him all through the campaign. I interviewed him before he won a single primary. He said to me on the bus in iowa, what i need to do if i become president is take my case to the American People and make them rally congress. It sounds, though, as a Constant Campaign is what were looking to over the next four years, like a never ending campaign. This is what he always believed. Going back to 2007, he always believed he needed to constantly rally the American People and campaign. He understood thats how washington works. He just didnt always do it. And hes now realizing he has to always do it. David, do you think hes very different . As john and i know so well from covering clinton, the campaign has been a part of american politics for 20 years. Barack obama thought he could get away without that, and hes learned the lesson that he has to do that. Of course hes different. Think about it. Ten years ago, he was a state senator just getting into the majority in illinois. So he had really scant administrative experience before this, and hes had to learn on the job. Thats a critical point. David has done brilliant work on both of our last two democratic president s, the current one and clinton. Clinton had been governor. He knew how to cut deals. Mostly democrats in arkansas, but a Democratic Party that was more conservative in some ways. He had the chief executive experience. Thats my bigger question for president obama the second term. What did he learn from the first abouti about being the boss . Also, the idealism. This say president now that hes taking on guns. Why didnt he do that during the first four years . Is there some sense that maybe i need to do the things that i didnt do and i wanted to do. In the midst of all this spectacle, Michelle Obama says shes keeping her kids grounded. Were going to peel back the curtain on the kids daily routine and see how their lives have changed in the white house. And an interview with former secretary of state colin powell, as he would like to see an African American president whos a republican in his lifetime. First an inaugural flashback. We must be ready to dare all for our country. I think the reason so many inaugural speeches are not memorable is theyre like graduation speeches. The president reaches for these large themes. We remember lincolns. We remember fdrs. Do we remember reagans . Let us begin an era of national renewal. We remember jfks. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Sometimes they fall flat. It does depend upon the circumstance if theres a war, if theres a depression, those are the moelts that create great speeches in a certain sense, but it also depends upon the person being able to inject himself into that moment. [ male announcer ] every car we build must make adrenaline pump and pulses quicken. To help you not just to stay alive. But feel alive. The new c class is no exception. Its a mercedesbenz through and through. See your authorized mercedesbenz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedesbenz financial services. Welcome back to our continuing coverage of the president ial inauguration. As you can see, the crowds are growing literally by the minute here. A lot of people very, very excited to be here. They woke up early on this cold, cold winter morning here in washington, d. C. The sun is shining, and the excitement is growing. That is the church where president obama and Michelle Obama, the first lady, are attending services, as is tradition on this day. Then they will come here to the capitol, where theyll have a lunch before the swearing in begins. Theres going to be a lot of performances. Beyonce will be performing, singing the National Anthem. Kelly clarkson will be singing as well as james taylor. Lets a lot to look forward today, a day of pomp and pageantry, parades. It is going to be a moving, historic day. The fourth time that president barack obama has taken the oath of office. Two the first time because the mistake made by chief justice john roberts. He also took the official oath of office yesterday. That was in a private ceremony, which we broadcast from the white house. Lets check in with soledad obrien. Weve got correspondents stationed all over the National Mall, all over the parade route, to give you a complete look at what is going to be happening today. Stay with us