Abraham Lincoln: The Anti-Bush

[SemiCharmedQuark]

Went to Springfield this past weekend. I did all the Lincoln stuff. Lincoln has always been my favorite president, probably my favorite historical figure of all time. Looking at his home, reading through his speeches again, I found myself sighing and realizing just how far we've come since the day he was elected in 1860.
Lincoln was a real "common man". He came from humble origins and knew how to do real work. Bush fakes it. If he ever did a real days worth of farm chores I'd die of shock. Both Lincoln and Bush were "religious" but only Lincoln chose to use religion to include rather than exclude. You have Lincoln who was self educated, a self made man. You have Bush GIVEN the best education and he squandered it anyway. You have Lincoln thinking long and hard about a war and going ONLY when it's the only option (see second inaugural address) and then there's Bush... Most visibly, you have Lincoln's self written speeches. They are beautiful, coherent and moving. Then you have Bush who can't even read a teleprompter.

[David Dunham]

1. Excellent points. Ever notice that Kerry looks somewhat like Abe

[olddem43]

5. Not only looks like him, he will be tied with Abe for tallest Pres.

at 6'4".

[skygazer]

2. He also managed to be 'sensitive'

while running our most catastrophic war. He always viewed the southern states as part of the country and wanted to get the war over and welcome them back into the fold. His assassination was the worst thing that could have happened to the south because it brought forth highly restrictive reconstruction policies that he would not have agreed with. His philosophy was to 'let 'em up easy' as he said.

His first inaugural address when he pleads to "the better angels of our nature" and the Gettysburg Address are some of the most beautiful words ever written.

[tom_paine]

3. Well to be fair Bunnypants is the OPPOSITE of MOST Great Americans

Most Great Americans = Self-Made
Bunnypants* = Has Earned NOTHING on his own, would BE NOTHING but for his name

Most Great Americans = Courageous
Bunnypants* = Cowardly

Actually, your posts sums it up quite nicely, but then Totalitarian Scum like the Busheviks have little in common with Greatness, except for Evil Greatness, like Hitler whom the Bush Family laundered money for in the 30s and 40s.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

4. When I sat in the room at Gettysburg where he wrote the address

and I went to see Ford's Theater and the boarding house where he died, they felt like sacred places. Maybe that sounds dumb, but that's how it felt.

I have a book of his speeches and read them all the time when I wake up at night. He was such a clear-minded person and explained things so well.

I have never waded completely through the Lincoln-Douglas debates, but have dipped in and out of them. Imagine that today! I wish. I wish we at least had what Britain has when Tony Blair has to answer all those questions, that would have eliminated Bush from even thinking about it, why can't we have those?