Lincoln and today's politics

[David Lockmiller]

(03-04-2017 09:18 PM)Lincoln Wonk Wrote:  

(03-04-2017 08:43 PM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  

(02-08-2017 10:21 AM)Lincoln Wonk Wrote:  I saw this piece in The Hill that uses Mr. Lincoln as an example for today's politics. Wanted to share it:

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/un...y-politics

I do not agree with the conclusion reached in this article:

“We should recall Lincoln's confidence in American democracy as we wade through today's political warfare. Now as then, our country on the other side of the smoke may evolve into a new national consensus that tests us while also making us stronger.”

The big difference is that Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States, then; Donald Trump is President of the United States, now. And, as Democratic vice-presidential candidate Senator Lloyd Bentsen said to Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator Dan Quayle in response to Quayle comparing himself to John F. Kennedy: “Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.”

Hi David,
I wanted to share it because I thought it thought-provoking, not because I agreed with it. But it does put the current discord in perspective -- we got through a war that killed 700,000 Americans and we'll probably get through this together if all try to see things from the other fellows' perspective.

The following is a quote in today's Washington Post from Peter Wehner, who was the top policy strategist in George W. Bush’s White House:

“We have as president a man who is erratic, vindictive, volatile, obsessive, a chronic liar, and prone to believe in conspiracy theories. . . . And you can count on the fact that there will be more to come, since when people like Donald Trump gain power they become less, not more, restrained.”

Washington Post: "Wiretapping allegations accomplished what Trump wanted – but may backfire bigly"

By James Hohmann March 6, 2017