Lincoln vs. Obama
19 January 2009
–by Mike Murray
You remember that old grade school assignment, don’t you – the one that required you to “compare and contrast?” Students were asked to “compare” the ways in which two persons, events, concepts, etc. were similar, and also to “contrast” the ways in which they were different.
On the occasion of tomorrow’s 44th U.S. Presidential Inauguration, Team Obama is working hard to persuade people the world over that Barack Obama is the second coming of Abraham Lincoln. Is he really? Let’s compare and contrast.
Abraham Lincoln didn’t really become Abraham Lincoln (that is, one of the most beloved figures in American history) until he first served one full term as president, was elected to a second one (against long odds), presided over the most contentious war in our nation’s history, and preserved the Union. And, oh yes, there was that one other accomplishment: he put an end to slavery.
Barack Obama? He has so far managed only to get himself elected. Once. And he has yet to serve even a single day in office. But that glaring fact is lost on his intoxicated supporters. They imagine strong comparisons between Lincoln and Obama. Sober minds instead see stark contrasts.
Barack Hussein Obama – as he will tomorrow refer to himself (you were racist if you did so only a few short weeks ago) – achieved electoral victory with the help of suspect voter registrations and questionable fundraising practices. More egregiously, he was assisted by a highly partisan mainstream media.
Abraham Lincoln? He was conversely assaulted by the press in his day. Reporters, columnists, editors – all wrote that he was “stupid.” Political cartoonists portrayed him as an ape. (It seems that it has ever been thus: media snots heaving playground insults at Republicans. Were today’s “journalists” around during the 1860s, they’d be skewering Lincoln – rather than singing his praises.)
Then there is the matter of oratory. Some believe Obama to be a gifted writer / speaker – as Lincoln certainly was. Others, not so much. In point of fact, it is difficult to assess Barack Obama’s true ability. Because he borrows so liberally from other authors (often without attribution) it’s impossible to know exactly whose words he’s asking audiences to digest.
With Lincoln, there was never any doubt. When he was quoting someone else, he said so. And when he spoke in his own voice, listeners and readers (throughout the ages) have been impressed by his wisdom – every bit as much as they’ve been inspired by his prose.
Finally there is the matter of humility. When Barack Obama speaks, his ego is fully on display. From the exaggerated delivery of his dramatic pronouncements to the grandiose backdrops employed by his handlers, everything is overblown. The Sermon on the Mount was delivered with far less commotion (and far less hype) than is a typical Obama speech.
Not so, Abraham Lincoln. While reciting his Gettysburg Address (a tribute to fallen soldiers that eventually came to be regarded as one of the finest speeches in American history) for example, Lincoln quietly spoke these words: “The world will little note nor long remember what we say here…”
It was Lincoln’s humble way of reminding those assembled that it was not the long-winded puffery of celebrity speakers that should be honored; it was, instead, the supreme sacrifices of ordinary citizen-soldiers – who lay silent in their graves.
Lincoln’s speech in 1863 was initially panned. Reporters deemed the 272-word presentation to be too brief. They also considered it to be weakly delivered and lacking in rhetorical splendor. They had kinder things to say about the lengthy, lofty speech made by Edward Everett. (It seems that journalists have always been suckers for hyperbolic presentation.) To his credit, Everett could see what members of the press could not. He remarked at the event’s conclusion that Lincoln had more effectively expressed the sentiment of the occasion in two minutes than he had in two hours.
Lincoln was ultimately proved wrong about one thing: the world did eventually note – and has long since remembered – his thoughtful words at Gettysburg. And because he is now properly appreciated, legions of politicians routinely try to co-opt his legacy.
And none tries harder than Barack Obama. If you’ve failed to notice the numerous schemes by Obama and his supporters (including many within the media) to present him as a modern-day reincarnation of Honest Abe, you’ve been living under a rock.
The myriad attempts to associate the two men are not intended to honor Lincoln. They are instead thinly veiled attempts to exploit his memory for political gain. It is not for Lincoln’s sake that many politicos today try to link him to Obama; it is for Obama’s (and for his party’s).
From campaign events held in Illinois, to highly publicized visits to the Lincoln Memorial, to re-created whistle-stop train rides, to scads of speech references, every ham-handed stagecraft gimmick imaginable is being trotted out in an effort to transfer the affection that America feels for its most beloved president to its newest one.
Abraham Lincoln was a man who moved mountains. Barack Obama is a man who has (so far) accomplished considerably less. Lincoln had to contend with an extremely hostile press corps; Obama is currently worshiped by his. Lincoln spoke in his own voice; Obama, in others’ (often, in Lincoln’s). And, if he didn’t initially possess it, Lincoln ultimately acquired humility. Obama has yet to discover it.
Lincoln’s character was forged in a crucible of fire. It was tempered by extreme events over which he presided. What made him great was his determination to do what he perceived to be the right thing, despite intense political opposition, despite a firestorm of media criticism. That he was able to persevere under such trying conditions is remarkable, and forms the foundation of his sterling reputation.
Though far less daunting than were the ones that confronted Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama will also encounter challenges. Lincoln acquitted himself well; Obama just might, too. We won’t know for sure until he is truly tested – until gale-force winds are in his face, rather than at his back.
Barack Obama could one day achieve that which he so desperately covets: favorable historical comparison to Abraham Lincoln. But he’ll have to earn it. And so far, I see mostly contrast.
Copyright © 2009 Michael F. Murray. All rights reserved.
