A few times ago I watched a CNN documentary re 1860 presidential race. Pretty interesting with, among commentators, Clinton campaign guru John Podesta.
They recounted the Republican Convention in Chicago's wignam. And they said that at first, Seward was the favorite and Lincoln had only for him the Illinois delegates. So his staff tried, as stated, to play influential games. They stormed the hall with paid ordinary citizens as "delegates" who cheered Lincoln and took all the seats of regular delagations in the Wignam. For their admission, they were given tickets which were counterfeit.
Questions?
As I know, Lincoln himself didn't attend the convention and stayed in Springfield and aides came regularly to him to report how things were going in Chicago.
So, did he ordered the "fake delegates" manœuvre to ease himself the nomination? John Podesta thinks so.
It's weird given the fact Lincoln usually didn't play dirty politically, since the James Shields stuff. Although it was not proper fraud, but more "influence play" as the fake delegates didn't actually vote, but instead changed the general convention's mood by building a momentum for Lincoln, so it was just "a little trick" it's nontheless troubling.
Did Lincoln ordered that? Maybe because before he lost twice to Douglas and didn't wanted a third loss in a row? Did he gave the order to campaign staff to recuit those "fake delegates" or did the staff in Chicago acted by themselves?

(12-08-2019 03:59 PM)Mylye2222 Wrote:  A few times ago I watched a CNN documentary re 1860 presidential race. Pretty interesting with, among commentators, Clinton campaign guru John Podesta.
They recounted the Republican Convention in Chicago's wignam. And they said that at first, Seward was the favorite and Lincoln had only for him the Illinois delegates. So his staff tried, as stated, to play influential games. They stormed the hall with paid ordinary citizens as "delegates" who cheered Lincoln and took all the seats of regular delagations in the Wignam. For their admission, they were given tickets which were counterfeit.
Questions?
As I know, Lincoln himself didn't attend the convention and stayed in Springfield and aides came regularly to him to report how things were going in Chicago.
So, did he ordered the "fake delegates" manœuvre to ease himself the nomination? John Podesta thinks so.
It's weird given the fact Lincoln usually didn't play dirty politically, since the James Shields stuff. Although it was not proper fraud, but more "influence play" as the fake delegates didn't actually vote, but instead changed the general convention's mood by building a momentum for Lincoln, so it was just "a little trick" it's nontheless troubling.
Did Lincoln ordered that? Maybe because before he lost twice to Douglas and didn't wanted a third loss in a row? Did he gave the order to campaign staff to recuit those "fake delegates" or did the staff in Chicago acted by themselves?

Again, I am not a die-hard student of Lincoln's politics, but what I have read seems to place the blame on his campaign staff. P.S. They were doing what the mainstream media in the U.S. does now... just saying.

(12-08-2019 04:31 PM)L Verge Wrote:  

(12-08-2019 03:59 PM)Mylye2222 Wrote:  A few times ago I watched a CNN documentary re 1860 presidential race. Pretty interesting with, among commentators, Clinton campaign guru John Podesta.
They recounted the Republican Convention in Chicago's wignam. And they said that at first, Seward was the favorite and Lincoln had only for him the Illinois delegates. So his staff tried, as stated, to play influential games. They stormed the hall with paid ordinary citizens as "delegates" who cheered Lincoln and took all the seats of regular delagations in the Wignam. For their admission, they were given tickets which were counterfeit.
Questions?
As I know, Lincoln himself didn't attend the convention and stayed in Springfield and aides came regularly to him to report how things were going in Chicago.
So, did he ordered the "fake delegates" manœuvre to ease himself the nomination? John Podesta thinks so.
It's weird given the fact Lincoln usually didn't play dirty politically, since the James Shields stuff. Although it was not proper fraud, but more "influence play" as the fake delegates didn't actually vote, but instead changed the general convention's mood by building a momentum for Lincoln, so it was just "a little trick" it's nontheless troubling.
Did Lincoln ordered that? Maybe because before he lost twice to Douglas and didn't wanted a third loss in a row? Did he gave the order to campaign staff to recuit those "fake delegates" or did the staff in Chicago acted by themselves?

Again, I am not a die-hard student of Lincoln's politics, but what I have read seems to place the blame on his campaign staff. P.S. They were doing what the mainstream media in the U.S. does now... just saying.

Yes you're right. It wasn't fraud, it was playing influence. Yes the blame might be placed on staff. Another Proof of Lincoln fair play was he sent a telegram saying he would not deal federal positions in exchange of delegates.
In the documentary, Podesta was laughing at the tickets story.