Great Lincoln quote re: canceling presidential elections

[DBoon]

From the BBC:

Abraham Lincoln was urged by some aides to suspend the election of 1864 - during the US Civil War - but despite the expectation that he would lose, he refused.

"The election is a necessity," Lincoln said. "We cannot have a free government without elections; and if the rebellion could force us to forgo, or postpone, a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered us."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3885663.stm

So tell my why I have to read this from the British press?

Too bad I've already mailed my letters of outrage to my congress critters. It would have made a great coda.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. No better way for the terrorists to win

then to cancel the elections.

[Frances]

2. Abe Lincoln

has come up in several threads lately

Does anyone else get the feeling we're fighting the Civil War again?

And don't think I'm piling on my native south. If we win this election, John Edwards will deserve a lot of credit as will John Kerry.

[Wilber_Stool]

3. Abe Lincoln

Probably the most unqualified man to be elected President.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. Even if true he distinguished himself in office

as one of the greatest.

Meanwhile, Shrub certainly had the opportunity to do so being uniquely unqualified himself, yet....

[RoyGBiv]

10. And a Trial Lawyer!

:-)

[Killarney]

4. this is really scaring me

I really think they are going to do it. They're testing the waters right now to see how receptive/complacent the media take it.

[TexasSissy]

7. Frankly, I think it's a done deal, if * numbers aren't good come 11/1.

This is too, too scary to me. Something must be done. Something must be done about this crooked group that has hold of our country. Something must be done.

And if a middleaged moderate Democrat thinks this way, I'm sure that many others must.

To allow the Repubs to postpone the election (I don't care about terrorist threats - I don't believe this administration about anything anymore) is to allow a dictatorship to take over our country. And I won't sit idly by and watch this happen. Watch someone whom I don't trust take away my right to vote. This is unacceptable. Unacceptable.

[Abe Linkman]

5. Voting at precincts SHOULD maybe be banned. Here's what to do, instead.

Congress should immediately pass legislation requiring that voting for the 2004 elections should be done by mailing in a ballot...just like you do for your income taxes.

This would not only allow continuity in case of a so-called terror threat or attack, but it would also relieve Diebold of any potential criminal liability for rigging the vote results on their equipment!

[cheezus]

6. uh huh. until all the mail from poor areas gets "lost"

you think they wouldn't do it?

[aden_nak]

9. Faith in your carriers.

You certainly have more faith in your mail carriers than I do. I'm lucky if I get my banking statement every month.

[senseandsensibility]

11. My God,

This quote is perfect. It explains in patriotic terms exactly what is wrong with this "trial balloon" they're floating about election cacelations. Does anyone have any contacts in the Kerry campaign? They need to start using it. We all do. We need to start e-mailing, folks...Thanks, DBoon...great quote, as you can see, I'm a Lincoln fan anyway.:yourock:

[Ms. Clio]

12. Ha--the BBC reporter must read DU!

I posted this quote yesterday. :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1969965&mesg_id=1969965