Lincoln on The History Channel Last Night-Oh, the Contrast

[Cary]

The man faced the true struggle of the ages and was able to frame that issue with prose that was truly poetic. By contrast the so-called "war against terror" is, as Gore Vidal said, like declaring war on dandruff.

Lincoln's knowledge of war was limited, so what did he do? He cracked books on the subject. He had a clear vision as to how the war the war should be waged and went through generals until he found one who would fight. When did Bush ever crack a book about anything?

Lincoln sought out bad news, took it in, and dealt with it. One commentator said that great presidents do this while mediocre presidents run and hide from bad news.

People went to the White House and if they were able to reach Lincoln, they reached him and he would help them.

And on and on. What a fraud Bush is. And how stupid are we Americans?

[ComerPerro]

1. Lincoln and Bush are like polar opposites

Bush, a wealthy child with a life of privilege, he did everything in his power to either die of an overdose, end up poor and homeless in a gutter, or be put in prison for life for repeatedly driving under the influence or defrauding investors in one of his many failed businesses. And yet somehow he managed to fail his way into the presidency.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Big differences is that Lincoln learned from his failures

I think he did because he had to pay for his failures, including two bankrupt businesses. There were times when he didn't have more to his name than the shirt on his back, but he never stole (even during desperate times, he kept money that the governement failed to collect when the New Salem post office closed so that when they finally called for it years later, he had the exact amount and original coins to give them), and he always had dignity and honor. Bush, by never having to pay for his actions, became a disaster and has placed disaster on our country.

[Cary]

4. Not to mention ripping off Harken Energy shareholders. . .

for $10 million in an Enron type scheme, or shaking down the owners of the land that would become the Texas Rangers' stadium.

[ComerPerro]

5. Lincoln's failures were just a part of life

Bush's failures were just a result of incompetence and laziness, with a splash of alcoholism and drug addiction.

Lincoln had actual obstacles to overcome.

Bush had everything handed to him on a silver platter, and still managed to screw things up beyond comprehension.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. And Lincoln actually served during the Black Hawk War`

He was elected captain of his company, an honor which he later said meant more to him than any other election. He also admitted that he never shot a Sac, though he did lose blood from mosquito bites, and did have to bury the dead when his company came upon the remains of a massacre.

[MarianJack]

6. bush Cracking Books?

Does "My Pet Goat" count?

Also the occasional "Sports Illustrated" and "Hustler" may be included!

[schmuls]

7. This excellent program also explained how Lincoln went into a

deep depression over the loss of human life and agonized over every death. I can't even imagine that * even thinks about the deaths of our men and women much at all. How could he when to him the constitution is a god-damned piece of paper He is just too stupid to know that by saying that he is totally disrespecting every person who has ever died for our country. Can you imagine Lincoln calling the Constituion a God-damned piece of paper?

[Cary]

8. Went into a depression from about 40 to 45 and was steeled by it,

instead of drinking his way out and claiming that God spoke to him.

[Cary]

9. I have been pondering this on my trainride to work.

I am amazed at how amazed and awestricken I always am whenever I study Lincoln. I did most of my studies of him when I was in College. Those were Reagan years and I thoroughly disliked Reagan. But I didn't draw the comparisons then as I do today.

What strikes me most are Bush's attempts to rationalize the war in Iraq. There are so many other Bush policies that will be viewed in the rearview mirror with disdain, such as Bush's squandering of Clinton's surplus and the neglect of the tragedy in New Orleans. But his failure to articulate any rational and consistent justification for his war, when compared to Lincoln, is simply stunning and mind blowing.

Remember that the South started the war, and slavery was truly an issue that wasn't going to go away. Of course Bush hasn't linked Iraq with WMD, nor with Al Qaeda. And Bush started the war against Iraq.

I keep thinking of Bush referring to himself as "a war President." I can only imagine the warped notions that must traverse the empty corridors between his ears. Can he truly think he's on par with Lincoln?

[MarianJack]

10. bush On a Par With Lincoln?

In his little pea brain, HELL NO!

bush probably looks at Lincoln's virtues as weaknesses. After all, GOD wanted bush to be king of all he surveys, and he has legions of ass kissing yes men who constantly tell him how brilliant he is!

To bush, Lincoln could NEVER be the glorious leader that HE is! :puke:

And the media remains complicit. :crazy:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. I sort of wish Lincoln's ghost

would come and haunt Bush, but knowing the Shrub he'd just shrug off any warnings Lincoln's ghost could give him.

[hedgehog]

12. Out of curiousity, how much was new information for you?

I'm in my 50's, and I grew up knowing a lot about Lincoln's childhood. I was startled the other day to realize that my kids know very little about Lincoln. How much on the show last night did you hear about for the first time?

[Cary]

14. Very little of it was new.

I took 300 level (which were graduate level) history courses in college--"America in the Age of Jackson" and "The Civil War and Reconstruction." I had Robert Johannes as my professor and he was marvelous. I have been to D.C. and the Ford's Theater. There is quite a bit here in Chicago. I have studied this period of history on and off over the years.

But you know how it is. You move onto other things and it is good to revisit from time to time. Yet there are always new perspectives and nuances that at least I don't recall considering.

In this particular case I was simply struck, and frankly saddened, by the contrast between Lincoln and Bush.

[rasputin1952]

13. I saw that last night, and I was truly impressed with the

way Lincoln and those around him were expressed.

An infinitely complicated man, who was surrounded by tragedy his entire life, but rose to every occasion that presented itself. For the GOP to call itself the "Party of Lincoln" may be technically correct, but there is not ONE of them that could possibly be seen as "Lincolnesque". In fact, I can only see two possible presidents that could fit that mantle, Teddy Roosevelt, and FDR, and both of them lack some of the qualities Lincoln had.

[Cary]

15. Don't dismiss Washington so easily.

There is always something in being first.

[rasputin1952]

16. Very true...He set the stage and ensured we would not have a

"royal" takeoff.

Washington had his foibles as well though...:)