There were superficial reasons—when he thundered on the political scene at the Democratic Convention in 2004 and then rode on the wave of that thunder to his election in 2008—to compare Barack Obama with Abraham Lincoln. There was the Illinois connection, for instance, and the gifted orator connection, and the “new birth of freedom” connection. Add to these the evident high esteem, even reverence, held by Obama for that towering mentor of his spirit, and it is easy to link the two of them. But what about things deeper than the surface?
A sobering intimation arose in me, in the wake of the euphoria following Obama’s election, that if the similarities between him and Lincoln did, in fact, go deeper, then it would most clearly be revealed if adversity, not smooth sailing, is what he would meet, if failure, not success, is what he would have to deal with. For it was the manner in which Lincoln met adversity and failure which taught us the most.
It is safe to say, six years later, that adversity indeed is what Obama has faced, along with the failure to achieve much that he had hoped to achieve. We now know with dismaying clarity how white-hot is the determination of a sizable minority that this President utterly fail, that his major healthcare achievement be gutted and that his every new proposal be obstructed.
The point here is not to argue politics and policies. The point is to bring the memory of Abraham Lincoln to bear on the present presidency, to see what it might tell us about the character of Barack Obama.
If anyone knew adversity from the beginning of his presidency, it was Abraham Lincoln. Even before he took office, seven Deep South states had seceded because he had been elected. Though he would not, because constitutionally he could not, touch slavery where it already existed, he made it clear, as did the Republican platform he ran on, that he would do everything in his power to prevent its extension. And then on the very day he was sworn in, he received a telegram about the crisis brewing at Ft. Sumter in Charleston Harbor that could inaugurate civil war. Adversity from the start, and few, if any, pleased.
Listen to Frederick Douglass, himself one of Lincoln’s harshest early critics:
“Reproaches came thick and thin upon him from within and from without, and from opposite quarters. He was assailed by abolitionists; he was assailed by slaveholders...Viewed from the genuine abolition ground, Mr. Lincoln seemed tardy, cold, dull, and indifferent; but measuring him by the sentiment of his country, a sentiment he was bound as a statesman to consult, he was swift, zealous, radical, and determined.”
Another of his early critics from the Left, Harriet Beecher Stowe, at first lamented Lincoln’s tardiness, coldness, dullness and indifference, but over time came to see deeper.
“Lincoln is a strong man, but his strength is of a peculiar kind...It is the strength not so much of a stone buttress as of a wire cable. It is a strength swaying to every influence, yielding on this side and on that to popular needs, yet tenaciously and inflexibly bound to carry its great end.”
Fast forward to Barack Obama. While his most vituperative critics are on the Right, the Left has hardly been kind to him when he has compromised on so much, delayed acting on so much, seemingly vacillated on so much. Assailed from both sides certainly fits, as does wire cable, swaying and yielding this way and that, yet tenaciously holding to the great end of a more just and compassionate nation.
But we haven’t yet touched what to me is the biggest thing, the thing that reveals character at its deepest. Breadth of vision and strength of will are indeed essential, but so too are capacity for empathy and kindness of heart. We go back to Abraham Lincoln for perhaps the purest expression.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all...What I deal with is too vast for malicious dealing...As I have not felt, so I have not expressed any harsh sentiment towards our southern brethren. I have constantly declared, as I really believed, the only difference between them and us, is the difference of circumstances. I have meant to assail the motives of no party, or individual; and if I have, in any instance (of which I am not conscious) departed from my purpose, I regret it.”
He didn’t just talk it, he lived it. No wonder Abraham Lincoln is loved by so many.
And no wonder many of us still stand back amazed at Barack Obama, yes, partially for his vision that our country must return to being of the people and not of the corporations, and yes, partially for what he has managed to achieve despite entrenched opposition, but equally for how he is responding to his failures, for how he is not responding in malice to the unrelenting disparagement heaped upon him. Will he continue to live according to the values which Lincoln not only espoused but lived? We of course don’t know, as disillusionment has been known to spring like a brigand from the bush. But if six years of testing have not found Obama wanting, if he has neither returned rancor for rancor nor stopped tenaciously fighting for what he believes, we may have here, I submit to your consideration, the real McCoy, meaning a worthy carrier of the spirit of Abraham Lincoln.
Even though Maya Angelou addressed the following to her sisters, may each of us, in her or his heart, hear the exhortation from this phenomenal woman, who has just left us but whose spirit will never leave us, never to disown either our sweetness or our steel.
“Women should be tough, tender, laugh as much as possible, and live long lives. The struggle for equality continues unabated, and the woman warrior who is armed with wit and courage will be among the first to celebrate victory...You keep your sweetness always but inside that sweetness is a ball of steel.”
May your brothers as well as sisters be listening, Maya. May Barack Obama be listening. May each citizen not only of America but of Earth be listening for the sake of the only family. In our darker moments may we neither give up nor lash out. May we hold to sweetness without relinquishing the wire cable, the steel ball. May we listen to Abraham Lincoln from the wings urging us to allow ourselves once again to be touched by the better angels of our nature.
Your comment was posted successfully! Thank you!
Looking for a simple weight support solution? Lipovive combines powerful natural extracts to help enhance fat metabolism, reduce cravings, and support daily energy without harsh side effects.
https://www.morningstar.com/news/accesswire/1138075msn/lipovive-reviews-shocking-2026-report-what-doctors-are-finally-admitting-about-this-based-fat-loss-formula
http://dlm.fflch.usp.br/sites/dlm.fflch.usp.br/files/webform/mini_relatorio_discente_2021_ita/sid/CitrusBurn1Secret-gh3va.pdf
https://dlm.fflch.usp.br/sites/dlm.fflch.usp.br/files/webform/mini_relatorio_discente_2021_ita/sid/CitrusBurn2Secret-cv4na.pdf
https://dlm.fflch.usp.br/sites/dlm.fflch.usp.br/files/webform/mini_relatorio_discente_2021_ita/sid/CitrusBurn3Secret-kl5ba.pdf
https://dlm.fflch.usp.br/sites/dlm.fflch.usp.br/files/webform/mini_relatorio_discente_2021_ita/sid/CitrusBurn4Secret-qw4bz.pdf
https://dlm.fflch.usp.br/sites/dlm.fflch.usp.br/files/webform/mini_relatorio_discente_2021_ita/sid/CitrusBurn5Secret-zc7ma.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/GLP.1.Supreme.Slovakia/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.slovakia/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.slovakia.recenzie/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.kapsuly.slovakia/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.kapsuly/
https://www.facebook.com/events/837086112771979
https://groups.google.com/g/glp-1-supreme-slovakia/c/pSzsu-RFSqU
https://thenutritiondeal.blogspot.com/2026/04/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews-is-it.html
https://glp-1-supreme-slovakia.blogspot.com/2026/04/glp-1-supreme-kapsuly-slovakia.html
https://sites.google.com/view/glp-1-supreme-slovakia/
https://colab.research.google.com/drive/14hhEWx97qNIyWbSOcL4T2lPwIng4Ec8I?usp=sharing
https://hackmd.io/besttopsupplement/GLP-1-Supreme-Kapsuly-Slovakia https://hackmd.io/besttopsupplement/GLP-1-Supreme-Slovakia
https://scribehow.com/viewer/GLP-1_Supreme_Kapsuly_Slovakia_Oficialnetm__Stoji_to_za_ten_humbuk__u3D1iVZqSKWpYEPNSeH84A
https://scribehow.com/viewer/GLP-1_Supreme_Slovakia_Oficialnetm__Naozaj_sa_to_oplati_vyskusat__Uw6QDh0_SZaNmD5p28qt9A
https://in.pinterest.com/pin/884957395546600454/
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Slovakia
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Kapsuly_Slovakia
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo2pst9y0aqo01w6abr0ghiy
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo2pw4zy0aon01vgbu4la6xc
https://www.facebook.com/GLP.1.Supreme.Spain/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1supremespain/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1supremespainresenas/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1supremecapsulasspain/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1supremecapsulas/
https://www.facebook.com/GLP1SupremeFrance.Fr/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1.supreme.france/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1.supreme.france.avis/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1.supreme.gelules
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1.supreme.gelules.france
https://www.facebook.com/GLP1.Supreme.PL.Poland
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.poland/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.poland.recenzje/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.kapsuki.poland/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.kapsuki.poland.recenzje/
https://www.facebook.com/GLP.1.Supreme.Italy/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1supremeitaly
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1supremeitalyrecensioni/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1supremekapsukiitaly/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp1supremekapsukiitalyrecensioni
https://www.facebook.com/GLP.1.Supreme.Hungary/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.hungary/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.hungary.vlemnyek/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.kapszulk.hungary/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.kapszulk.hungary.vlemnyek
https://www.facebook.com/GLP.1.Supreme.Czechia/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.czechia/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.czechia.recenze/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.kapsle/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/glp.1.supreme.kapsle.recenze
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Czechia
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Kapsle_Czechia
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo2t1spp0b6v01w6g4h9guai
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo2t5eqf0b1h01vgcmkk3p60
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Italy
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Capsules_Italy
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo2hbro609lv01w6f0a60m4a
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo2hd71b09fn01vqcx4y8se9
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Poland
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Kapsulki_Poland
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo1hwaxy06iz01w6ap6p0o6n
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo1hy7iq06ht01vgdvnl2127
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_France
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Gelules_France
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo19tias05ox01vq53ftc8py
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo19uz2705qf01wyh0avamlk
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Spain
https://www.grepmed.com/GLP_1_Supreme_Capsulas_Spain
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo1dvba3064m01vq1tg08cn5
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo1dx90b066a01wybihw8c48
https://www.facebook.com/EvaxatropinGummies.Get
https://www.facebook.com/groups/evaxatropinmaleenhancementgummiesreviews/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/evaxatropinmaleenhancementgummies.site/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/evaxatropingummies/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/evaxatropinmaleperformancegummies/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1612009066697754
https://groups.google.com/g/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-site/c/mdsZBTy4CPw
https://thenutritiondeal.blogspot.com/2026/04/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies.html
https://evaxatropingummiesreviews.blogspot.com/2026/04/evaxatropin-male-performance-gummies.html
https://sites.google.com/view/evaxatropin-gummies-review
https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1y1KCAlUlAgzezfYTl07W_XYuxkKvfOJf?
https://hackmd.io/besttopsupplement/Evaxatropin-Male-Enhancement-Gummies https://scribehow.com/viewer/Evaxatropin_Male_Enhancement_Gummies_Unbiased_Complete_Consumer_Report_With_Reviews_Complaints_And_Findings_21_April_2026__E9_CT43JTE-QRLkc812YIg https://scribehow.com/viewer/Evaxatropin_Gummies_Does_It_Really_Work_For_Men__7BcT0wFzTUKseurD_1G34g https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189588/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-does-it-really-work-for-men https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189589/evaxatropin-gummies-honest-review-with-benefits-side-effects-ingredients-results-timeline https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189590/evaxatropin-male-performance-gummies-amazon-reviews-price-benefits-ingredients-where-to-buy https://a19c9b93.godaddysites.com/ https://evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-reviews-and-comp-2.jimdosite.com/ https://eventprime.co/o/evaxatropin_gummies https://www.eventcreate.com/e/evaxatropingummies https://besttopsupplement.itch.io/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies https://contra.com/community/mZIRCiEW-evaxatropin-gummies-official-reviews-and-benefits https://www.commudle.com/users/bfdce1711b87ea294edebb8d246f2b91 https://in.pinterest.com/pin/884957395546699994 https://www.grepmed.com/Evaxatropin_Male_Enhancement_Gummies https://www.grepmed.com/Evaxatropin_Gummies https://www.grepmed.com/Evaxatropin_Male_Performance_Gummies https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo77z4di0boa01wy3u04196q https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo7807mz063m01vgg3at2g9q https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo7819un063r01vg9xwy5rey https://shaveiceshaveice.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=90897&sid=f32691d63cd0e0508453ea0134d14706 https://forum.motoshkola.od.ua/threads/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-official-tm-is-it-worth-the-hype.236358/ https://leetcode.com/discuss/post/8012215/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-off-2ze1/ https://wanderlog.com/view/dyzbncfqcv/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-official-is-it-worth-the-hype/ https://forums.planetdestiny.com/threads/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-official%E2%84%A2-is-it-worth-the-hype.79640/ https://social.neha.net.in/article/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-official---is-it-worth-the-hype https://profit.ly/user/GutLiteGummies/blog/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-official---is-it-worth-the-hype https://blogs.bangboxonline.com/posts/evaxatropin-male-enhancement-gummies-official-is-it-worth-the-hype https://mewe.com/post/show/69e62904fb0cb771b4be5fc8 https://gettr.com/post/p3zbvg26585 https://www.facebook.com/SecaFarmsCBDGummiesWebsite https://www.facebook.com/groups/seca.farms.cbd.gummies.reviews.2026/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/seca.farms.cbd.gummies.website/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/seca.farms.cbd.gummies.get/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/seca.farms.cbd.gummies.site/ https://www.facebook.com/events/982774547780574 https://sites.google.com/view/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-site/ https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1PAoefB72EwFogCXyimlX1jM750RuZwDf? https://hackmd.io/besttopsupplement/Seca-Farms-CBD-Gummies
https://hackmd.io/@besttopsupplement/Seca-Farms-CBD-Gummies-Reviews
https://www.grepmed.com/Seca_Farms_CBD_Gummies
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo72fnap0b6s01wy8cr9ejiz
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo72hdrj0b7401wyd4bu3o72
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11190959/ep5-5-uncut-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11190960/2-rebirth-ep30-31-30-31-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11190962/the-scarecrow-ep2-2-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11190964/blood-vs-duty-ep13-13-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189649/ep3-3-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189653/ep4-4-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189654/ep8-8-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189655/ep23-23-uncut-ver
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189656/ep24-24-uncut-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189658/ep1-1-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189659/ep2-2-uncut-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189660/ep1-1-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189661/ep7-7-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189662/ep10-10-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://pastelink.net/7o0jt3vg
https://paste.enginehub.org/THlwt8zHV
https://notes.io/ebqmd
https://forums.siliconera.com/threads/vsfest.160532/
https://scrapbox.io/safstesty/www.researchhub.com%2Fpaper%2F11190959%2Fep5-5-uncut-hd-2026
https://friendpaste.com/7BBZ7AMtyAbkjTWEHKSd9M
https://paste.thezomg.com/436940/67400551/
https://telegra.ph/bdgfsetey-04-21
https://diendannhansu.com/threads/bdsgseesy.927650/
https://chobaolam.vn/threads/vzsfest.871988/
https://tooter.in/nistya/posts/116440447287454204
https://lebanonhub.app/posts/948960
https://atdcp.com/posts/31369
https://www.mymeetbook.com/post/1360778_https-www-researchhub-com-paper-11190959-ep5-5-uncut-hd-2026-https-www-researchh.html
https://prasatnas.com/posts/270772
https://rentry.co/ayfmacrk
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189649/ep3-3-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189653/ep4-4-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189654/ep8-8-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189655/ep23-23-uncut-ver
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189656/ep24-24-uncut-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189658/ep1-1-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189659/ep2-2-uncut-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189660/ep1-1-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189661/ep7-7-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189662/ep10-10-uncut-ver-hd-2026
https://www.facebook.com/SecaFarmsCBDGummiesWebsite
https://www.facebook.com/groups/seca.farms.cbd.gummies.reviews.2026/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/seca.farms.cbd.gummies.website/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/seca.farms.cbd.gummies.get/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/seca.farms.cbd.gummies.site/
https://www.facebook.com/events/982774547780574
https://groups.google.com/g/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-us/c/GHNdJTZpq-c
https://thenutritiondeal.blogspot.com/2026/04/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews-is-it.html
https://secafarmscbdgummiesus.blogspot.com/2026/04/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-amazon-reviews.html
https://sites.google.com/view/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-site/
https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1PAoefB72EwFogCXyimlX1jM750RuZwDf?
https://hackmd.io/besttopsupplement/Seca-Farms-CBD-Gummies https://hackmd.io/besttopsupplement/Seca-Farms-CBD-Gummies-Reviews
https://scribehow.com/viewer/Seca_Farms_CBD_Gummies_Unbiased_Complete_Consumer_Report_With_Reviews_Complaints_And_Findings_21_April_2026__opWuKErDROCuut-NCURv0w
https://scribehow.com/viewer/Seca_Farms_CBD_Gummies_Key_Facts_About_Its_Composition_Usage_Ingredients_and_Benefits__NkAVpVINThyl2l4JW1Ksrw
https://scribehow.com/viewer/Seca_Farms_CBD_Gummies_Officialtm__Is_It_Worth_the_Hype__Q45ADtupStagqlwTYWy2Cw
https://scribehow.com/viewer/Seca_Farms_CBD_Gummies_Official_Reviews_and_Natural_Ingredients__wrGwzPhEQDm1zpYIV1tjxg
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189480/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-amazon-reviews-price-benefits-ingredients-where-to-buy
https://www.researchhub.com/paper/11189482/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-official-reviews-natural-ingredients
https://seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews-and-complaints.jimdosite.com/
https://eventprime.co/o/seca_farms_cbd_gummies
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/secafarmscbdgummies
https://besttopsupplement.itch.io/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews-complaints
https://contra.com/community/OTd4Gio0-comprehensive-reviews-and-feedback-on-seca
https://www.commudle.com/users/405bdaeed5e046e0751643b8b109e5df
https://in.pinterest.com/pin/884957395546697269
https://www.grepmed.com/Seca_Farms_CBD_Gummies
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo72fnap0b6s01wy8cr9ejiz
https://open.firstory.me/story/cmo72hdrj0b7401wyd4bu3o72
https://shaveiceshaveice.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=90886&sid=5af478806f225e8584c93d48904c5a61
https://forum.motoshkola.od.ua/threads/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews-complaints.236083/
https://leetcode.com/discuss/post/8008319/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews-complaint-t61i/
https://wanderlog.com/view/rzewnbkyfc/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews—complaints/
https://forums.planetdestiny.com/threads/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews-complaints.79551/
https://social.neha.net.in/article/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews—complaints
https://profit.ly/user/GutLiteGummies/blog/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews—complaints
https://blogs.bangboxonline.com/posts/seca-farms-cbd-gummies-reviews-complaints
https://mewe.com/post/show/69e60548fb0cb771b4a224ff
https://gettr.com/post/p3zbr0ia193