Abraham Lincoln

[Iceaxe]

So yesterday a friend made the comment....

Nobody had heard of Abraham Lincoln in 1854. Where is such an American leader today? Please step out of the mist.

This comment really got me thinking. If a Lincoln stepped out of the shadows today two out of every three people reading this post would not be able to stand him. Which is kind of funny when you think that such a hated individual was actually the one that united the country.

At the time Lincoln was more hated than Trump. Lincoln was also one of the few presidents who was treated less fair by the press than Trump. I'm not saying Trump is Lincoln, I'm just pointing out what would happen if another Lincoln stepped out of the shadows today. The media and the majority would treat him similar to how they treat Trump. Anyhoo... food for thought.

[DirkHammergate]

So yesterday a friend made the comment....

Nobody had heard of Abraham Lincoln in 1854. Where is such an American leader today? Please step out of the mist.

This comment really got me thinking. If a Lincoln stepped out of the shadows today two out of every three people reading this post would not be able to stand him. Which is kind of funny when you think that such a hated individual was actually the one that united the country.

At the time Lincoln was more hated than Trump. Lincoln was also one of the few presidents who was treated less fair by the press than Trump. I'm not saying Trump is Lincoln, I'm just pointing out what would happen if another Lincoln stepped out of the shadows today. The media and the majority would treat him similar to how they treat Trump. Anyhoo... food for thought.

i believe Lincoln would have handled a situation or press conference about Charlottesville quite a bit better than Trump, "The Uniter".

Food for thought

[Iceaxe]

i believe Lincoln would have handled a situation or press conference about Charlottesville quite a bit better than Trump, "The Uniter".

Food for thought

No doubt as Lincoln was known as a great speaker. Lincoln certainly didn't step on his own dick as often as Trump does. And I was not comparing Lincoln to Trump in any manner other then to point out how one of our greatest presidents was treated in his time or would most likely be treated if he showed up today.

When Lincoln took office 2/3 of the population dispised him. Lincoln did unify the nation, but it took force, a civil war and a massive toll on the nation to do it. The nation certainly did not follow willingly.

[Scott P]

If a Lincoln stepped out of the shadows today two out of every three people reading this post would not be able to stand him. Which is kind of funny when you think that such a hated individual was actually the one that united the country.

And I was not comparing Lincoln to Trump in any manner other then to point out how one of greatest presidents was treated in his time or would most likely be treated if he showed up today.

I agree with what you said, but wouldn't you be one of the ones who despised him though? By current definition, Lincoln was a liberal and a progressive, even after discounting his views on State Rights vs. Federal Government. This is very apparent in reading his speeches.

For example, if someone were to read this Lincoln speech, those ignorant in history would probably think it came from Bernie Sanders rather than Lincoln:

The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves in their separate, and individual capacities. In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves, government ought not to interfere. The desirable things which the individuals of a people can not do, or can not well do, for themselves, fall into two classes: those which have relation to wrongs, and those which have not. Each of these branch off into an infinite variety of subdivisions.

The first that in relation to wrongs embraces all crimes, misdemeanors, and nonperformance of contracts. The other embraces all which, in its nature, and without wrong, requires combined action, as public roads and highways, public schools, charities, pauperism, orphanage, estates of the deceased, and the machinery of government itself. From this it appears that if all men were just, there still would be some, though not so much, need for government.

It seems strange that you consider him to be one of our greatest presidents based on his political ideology.

As far as Lincoln's popularity goes, there wasn't as much of a polarized two party system back then. There were four viable candidates on the ballot, rather than just two like there is in modern times. Lincoln only received 39.8% of the popular vote.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United...ntial_election

Now days, even the losing candidate usually receives more than 39.8% of the popular vote. Since 1972, the only year when that didn't happen was 1992.

[Iceaxe]

I agree with what you said, but wouldn't you be one of the ones who despised him though?

Who knows which side of the coin I'd be on, I'd have to hear his thoughts and ideas... but that totally miss my point....

The entire point was 2 out of 3 people would be against a similiar great leader and the hate and fakenews media he would face would be similar to what Trump is experiencing. And again, I'm not comparing Lincoln to Trump is any other manner other then to point out it's a good modern day example of what Lincoln encountered.

[Scott P]

And again, I'm not comparing Lincoln to Trump is any other manner other then to point out it's a good modern day example of what Lincoln encountered.

I'd say Lincoln was far worse off when compared to Trump. A huge number of people wanted to kill Lincoln, not just John Wilkes Booth. There were several plots to assassinate him even before he was inaugurated, and even before he was elected. There were open public meetings calling for his assassination.

Trump may not be popular among many, but as far as I know there aren't a bunch of public meetings calling for his assassination. Lincoln received hundreds of death threats. Lincoln would downplay the danger, saying that assassination was not in the American spirit and that he didn't fear for his life since there wasn't much he could do about it anyway.

Ironically, Lincoln's popularity was increasing greatly at the time when he was assassinated.

It seems to me that there aren't a lot of people publically calling for Trump's assassination. Maybe a few wackos want to do it, but there isn't a public outcry calling for it.

[Scott P]

On another note, for one I'm glad we live now instead of in the 1860's. The Civil War killed close to 2% of the US population and killed about as many US soldiers as all the other wars combined.

By ratio of people killed, if the Civil War happened today, it would kill about 6.43 million people. That would be more than double of the entire population of Utah.

People may not agree about politics, but at least we're not killing each other over it; at least not at this time.

Even when a politician I don't like is elected, I'm still glad that we have the chance to vote.

We also have the right to complain about the President or other leaders here, which is something that much of the world can't do. In much of the world, any negative comment about a president or leader would land you in jail, or worse.

[Iceaxe]

When Lincoln was elected you could just show up at the White House and knock on the door. You would be allowed to enter and walk around the first floor. Lincoln had no bodyguards until later in his presidency and he often walked freely among the people with no protection.... threats in 1860 were not prosecuted as they are today. The threats stopped when they became a crime that was punished.

So I'd argue the assassination threats are not applicable to today... The crazy calls for Trumps impeachment when he has done nothing wrong is about as close as we can come today.

[oldno7]

Didn't this Lincoln guy give a speech, once?

[Brian in SLC]

And..happy birthday!

[double moo]

nobody liked vampire hunters back then...