Lincoln Discussion Symposium

As you know, the last year's controversy regarding Lincoln's heritage revisionism first points mostly to the far left fringes of the political spectrum, in the US and abroad.
My quick analysis would be this.
1) In today's repentance culture, the new progressive can't stand that a white male put the first corner stone regarding civil rights and justice as we know it today.
2) Lincoln was a white guy, but he came from the labor class. White Labor classes today are the most ignored and dismissed, when not loathed, by all aisles (despite the Trumps, Johnsons, LePen, Orban might at first sight seem to have reached to their struggles, it's mainly mere elective purposes tactics IMO) To summ it, those classes are "too white for the left and too poor for the right. That's how we get rebellion like the Yellow Vests in France (at least it's early days before they were taken over by the far left).
3) Lincoln had an hard childhood, and struggled hard to self made, which contraries the popular narrative of "systemic white privilege" ( although we can't evade white privileges in peculiar situations, we can't say a homeless white man or woman who dies of hypothermia is "enjoying privilege". ). So his story disputes repentance culture.
4) Lincoln wasn't a man who blamed his faults on others, he would never fit into the present victim society.

So what do you think of it? Let's discuss! (sorry for my limited syntax sometimes, it can be hard to write in English with all the thoughts rushing into my head in French ☺)

Emilie

Emilie, your post made me think back to a poll I saw in USA TODAY (one of widest circulated newspapers in the United States).

Several years ago that paper printed the results of an Abraham Lincoln poll on the front page at the bottom left corner of the front corner. If memory serves me correctly, the results were:

97% Approval

3% Disapproval

I found it almost incredible that one man would have such a high rating among Americans. I do not know how the poll was conducted, whether it was nationwide, or the size of the number polled. But I doubt any other American president could approach such a result.

(01-01-2020 05:59 PM)RJNorton Wrote: [ -> ]Emilie, your post made me think back to a poll I saw in USA TODAY (one of widest circulated newspapers in the United States).

Several years ago that paper printed the results of an Abraham Lincoln poll on the front page at the bottom left corner of the front corner. If memory serves me correctly, the results were:

97% Approval

3% Disapproval

I found it almost incredible that one man would have such a high rating among Americans. I do not know how the poll was conducted, whether it was nationwide, or the size of the number polled. But I doubt any other American president could approach such a result.

Wow it's incredible! For sure he had the approval rate of a dictator there!!!!

I thought this was interesting. I scanned this chart off the front page of the USA TODAY published on October 31, 2012:

(01-01-2020 06:09 PM)RJNorton Wrote: [ -> ]I thought this was interesting. I scanned this chart off the front page of the USA TODAY published on October 31, 2012:

Thank you for the document!

What do you think of my POW over the nowadays dismissal?

I am not sure what you are asking, Emilie, but I'll take a guess - you are saying Lincoln does not fit the mold of the type of person who would be electable nowadays given current trends and beliefs as to what the ideal candidate should be. In other words, Lincoln does not fit in with today's thinking as to what a "politically correct" candidate is.

Despite the above, I think Lincoln stands the test of time. I think I would go with a benevolent leadership style for Lincoln, as opposed to oppressive (authoritarian), participatory (democratic), or laissez-faire (hands-off). When there was disagreement among advisors and himself, his leadership style often involved telling a story that demonstrated his point. Lots of times this method worked and people admired and respected him for it. Lincoln possessed qualities of kindness and compassion combined with wisdom. Like George Washington, Lincoln demonstrated an extraordinary strength of character, but Lincoln's most unique style of leadership involved telling stories which explained his actions and influenced others to follow his lead.

Many say that Lincoln would not succeed in today's politics. His leadership style would not be considered "cool." He would fail in today's world because people have allegedly changed in what they want in a leader.

I would say I am not so sure. Making predictions in American politics is quite precarious. People can be certain of something, but then the opposite happens. Many, many experts predicted Trump had no chance in 2016, yet he won despite all the prognosticators who said he'd lose. Lincoln would be challenged in today's world, but I cannot say he would automatically lose and write him off. He just might surprise people.