From time to time someone will liken President Bush to Abraham Lincoln. Every time I hear it happen, I'm sure my face betrays my shock. I cannot fathom how anyone could make the comparison.
Lincoln had a most difficult task of insuring that the nation did not dissolve into separate halves. Bush faces a war on terrorism, committed by Osama Bin Laden, which has been overlooked so that America could invade Iraq.
But how Lincoln reacted to his situation tells us much about how Bush could better handle his.
Lincoln was able to take competing viewpoints and bridge the differences. His own party had very deep divisions between the radicals who wanted a very strident effort to end slavery at once, and moderate elements that wished to find a more select and cautious series of steps to achieve mostly the same result. At the same time, Lincoln hoped not to undermine those who were in the Democratic camp but were not totally opposed to his ideas.
Today the nation is highly divided over the war, how the evidence was gathered and presented to take our country into battle, and how the continued rationale for war is taking us nowhere.
Lincoln understood that to do the job as Chief Executive he needed to mire himself firmly in the daily operations of the war. He digested information and became self-schooled in military matters even though he (like Bush) had limited military experience. It has been reported in many books how Lincoln went to the War Department and would stretch back in a chair and read memos from his generals and military personnel via the telegraph. He had a desire to understand the war strategy so as to be a better war President.
There is little evidence that Bush prides himself at being highly adept at any topic, and no one has ever suggested he reads volumes of information so as to convince the public he has the mental resources to make valid decisions.
Article comments
1 - Bing
What do JFK and Lincoln have in common?
The day he died Lincoln was in Monroe, Maryland. The day he died, Kennedy was in Marilyn Monroe.
But seriously Bush may not be another Lincoln but then Clinton wasn't exactly another reagan either.
2 - Dave Nalle
From time to time someone will liken President Bush to Abraham Lincoln. Every time I hear it happen, I'm sure my face betrays my shock. I cannot fathom how anyone could make the comparison.
True enough, Lincoln was far more abusive of the Constitution and civil rights than Bush has been. The things which Lincoln did in the 1860s would guarantee impeachment in our current political environment.
Dave
3 - allendrury
You can't be serious in comparing the break-up of the Union which Lincoln had to contend with, and Bush and his war on a noun! The abuses by Bush and Company has done more to destory our nation than any group of terrorists could ever envision.
The book "Linoln: In Text And Context" would be worth your read.
4 - Anthony Grande
Maybe Bush isn't in leaugue with Lincoln but I think what they meant to say was that Bush is the greatest president since Lincoln.
5 - allendrury
I have written several posts on my blog about how we teach history in America today, and why our country suffers from not having a better understanding of the past. If you honestly think that Bush and Lincoln are in any way alike I fear for the future of my country.
6 - Dave Nalle
Allen, I think the comparison that can be made is between the methods used by the two presidents. Both have shown a willingness to expand executive power and set aside the Bill of Rights to accomplish the goals which they think are in the best interests of the nature - be they right or wrong in plotting that course.
Dave