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.
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-1080p-25e55267afb9418ab98edc09de29aae7
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-e9bd4ae6249d454aa1fc72cac8023f98
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-3758bb06d456414b87d0e68f23c4de4d
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-1080p-d18bca54081549b992db6581234db58b
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-41e732dcdf7942809201ce72c2d8a1b1
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-9e549121591f42c9b3c35d4c73d6525b
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-1080p-e1072081d1374de3835f45ebe2e02160
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-d987adc744cf4a06b8f490514cab54c9
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-68fdd87dd5434412be5f284db9e12a1c
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-1080p-2b15444860c34b6aa0b5ae00660d5cce
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-096e1d58491d46e292414b517d581c46
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-c0151b7e02f849eda8db8d98a7b8312a
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-1080p-1c98ba3cc00e46f7abf81ad46f4ad877
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-b81b91af2d044975b26597541af5434d
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-0c5ead43fbfa40489362e22120a15502
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-1080p-cdcd201c0c094c5495649249a5592636
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-d14c957244d14294a94e5c0e0e26e2cd
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-1080p-2b15444860c34b6aa0b5ae00660d5cce
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-1080p-81830915bde041b7b6a72f7d67df03e1
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-5a68f270e0e7462090b06da0d6fef8ab
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-d44973d8079a41e894b0be7f350f0541
https://skfb.ly/oUOSG
https://skfb.ly/oUOSH
https://skfb.ly/oUOSI
https://www.forexagone.com/forum/questions-debutants/drtrg-se-fe-sfth-sefse-fesf-118712
https://www.bankier.pl/forum/temat_rssesef,66394385.html
https://forum.freeflarum.com/d/64041-dgrr-sef-g-yjsef-sef-aw
https://lifeisfeudal.com/Discussions/question/rr-sr-gfyjhsef-sef-d-rtgd
https://www.kooapp.com/koo/guest_ORN6JG/198bd5cd-0b5b-42cc-9071-0991274020dc
https://kbss.felk.cvut.cz/redmine/issues/7926
https://matters.town/kurangturuuu45/611773-drtg-rs-yjfgswed-sefesf-bafybeiak2zjutcwtlfsqkx54n7yvuawfcxogohjrc5a6eehuhid4rl65su https://forum.mush.com.br/topic/217538/dfths-erfsr-d5ytsef-esf https://jpn.itlibra.com/question?question_id=919 https://click4r.com/posts/g/16848786/dt-d-rtfyjaw-d-wad-awawd https://www.scoop.it/topic/drg-by-sandrpolia-gmail-com https://hackmd.io/turuuu45/Hyfir0vQC
https://baskadia.com/post/7o5td
https://pastelink.net/f212ua7u
https://paiza.io/projects/W6yoqa_XUriUzKckMmHq4g
https://telegra.ph/se-fgdrh-dtawf-efseg-05-19
https://jsbin.com/tuwaqanona/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/rse69Lyo/
https://tempaste.com/gBEtIsqhWz1
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-079c53fb235b4ecd95d24d660960abeb
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-faa1d887511d4b05b0cbb22f249a7673
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-dabd390a1d3f448c91726ad237cad8c4
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-cd1983ac434940b185c19531f6a1aae5
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-ec0ccf87f1634802ab63427d0ce79173
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-4c0cd15dd21d4755bd276309c8005c3b
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-15ac5779258b4c9e888fe106c7e93a19
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-a61fde487dec40d38c28a28c960a5fd1
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-8930f382c0a74b1ebb9fa77d411f290b
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/bloody-escape2024-fa9f8d67b7064eccad25315077de7924
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/bloody-escape-1080phd-2024-213f9fe8f19d4b54a82daebcf1af24d4
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/bloody-escape-20241080phd-17a268a3a5fc4200967c3276a8669d20
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/22024-d2c6fbe7b4b341ba9fa0c639ba7e8db8
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2-1080phd-2024-20064aaa556e489c8924060afaf6e53e
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2-20241080phd-c110dd0a5a49421d9b6cdf2e83eaa36a
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-f5a3a4019e8a4d53a0e1913ff91803f3
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-bea222b435d64768b8a1581084844919
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-bb09d26d45a54e38b7281e502369b242
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-59f720154d994cecb9782479c7c7cbc1
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-7c4468940884436c84fd1dbf1ed76bfd
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-f616a4297622450caf23dd00592155ec
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-71e15f76531a484f9b6556e0a7bfe646
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-2102ea176e7e4f60b818c4468ca77b50
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-0756fe1c0f50471fbe4135fe29db67cc
https://www.forexagone.com/forum/questions-debutants/fgyjh4etawsdftjftyjawdaeg-118583
https://www.bankier.pl/forum/temat_dfthe5sdgyk,66391663.html
https://forum.freeflarum.com/d/64021-dthe4tawdykr67uad
https://lifeisfeudal.com/Discussions/question/fthe5yasefjdrhws4y
https://www.kooapp.com/koo/guest_ORN6JG/b577c1c7-6683-42a6-a261-737b5dec8340
https://kbss.felk.cvut.cz/redmine/issues/7923
https://matters.town/kurangturuuu45/611495-vsdrty4w-dh-gsg4whu4e-bafybeibow52fnur6ofo6hcrxm2dxuuevkqwzq6acspakhkb7xtvpjjip7m
https://forum.mush.com.br/topic/217410/drhg34wsrgh4ydrha
https://jpn.itlibra.com/question?question_id=913
https://click4r.com/posts/g/16846473/drthge5udthdj5esfe
https://www.scoop.it/topic/fhnfdrhgdrhg4sys
https://pastelink.net/d8avu3wg
https://paiza.io/projects/pxuq_wt4GD3iAVYiPOXEag
https://telegra.ph/drhge5ySRGsy4s-05-19
https://hackmd.io/@turuuu45/BytlLuv70
https://jsbin.com/lisiborano/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/e6pmjsu1/
https://baskadia.com/post/7o3et
https://tempaste.com/t9Fv65pmpOk
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179726826032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179726838032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179726844032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179726856032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179726862032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179726874032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179727378032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179727408032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179727450032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179727474032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179727498032147
https://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122179727516032147
https://www.forexagone.com/forum/questions-debutants/fyth4rdeftdhswdawdsrgrg-118374
https://www.bankier.pl/forum/temat_drth4tgsef,66385269.html
https://forum.freeflarum.com/d/63855-fth4wrawdfdthyt45dr
https://lifeisfeudal.com/Discussions/question/ftyh4eseffyhj23edsrgf
https://www.kooapp.com/koo/guest_ORN6JG/bfcd5dd6-049c-4201-92e3-efd933c2b3e4
https://kbss.felk.cvut.cz/redmine/issues/7915
https://matters.town/kurangturuuu45/610423-gujr6w3esedcw3r-bafybeifr6fkh32dqof7xtoxatliq36urhtdpzngp3ngw5b6jhh6i7wqtkq https://forum.mush.com.br/topic/217134/fdthw34rsfred5gy https://jpn.itlibra.com/question?question_id=904 https://click4r.com/posts/g/16836468/dfy5esefrf6yhujsr43 https://www.bitsdujour.com/profiles/R2lQT1 https://www.scoop.it/topic/drge45tsef5hujw3a3g https://pastelink.net/s1ymaud8 https://paiza.io/projects/NjRTipdtl9ASShvxopo-iQ https://telegra.ph/drg3wetasfh5ddt6j-05-18 https://hackmd.io/turuuu45/S1Nzym8QA
https://jsbin.com/zilalelari/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/hcft501x/
https://baskadia.com/post/7no6t
https://tempaste.com/4WEjizy79nM
https://github.com/tarot-cuavena-3
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-1080p-66715b6f4498444cace21736bd4a94b7
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080p-055413cfdb4641bbb9967743ad959b33
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-5d8f821d9d3d46dd81f13c3fd458efaf
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-d39942f86a2e4b64b130f514f473e20e
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-52e71e7e9cbf49edb89a67696bcda28a
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-f8b30bed26da44e49a15a35a3712f87b
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-84b3be47280043f39fa3204b694898b4
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-8dbd395a29e44137bc91393d7e2ce660
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-08a4fc5b185045bd9669497f627ca3fa
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-fc2efe0a932240f895a50477a66fee4c
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-d586123fcace4a11976c6cbbe65f1d5d
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-49c2ff7a3db940a4afe05b038ff2738f
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/10-1080phd-2024-a68dbf6e84bf43958429967d2cf1fc27
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/10-20241080phd-503a92d117534f4baf9d92101ca7b721
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/102024-b119f3fa989b4df083420ba9b5642998
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-155d00d8640441c0b513debbe9747bb9
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-0528004d460e4d598c5c23ff0842e699
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-8eb07484f7ef48589f4f244aa24fc1f7
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1080phd-2024-4edee29ea1b74f1fadaf8bd85dec531e
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/20241080phd-a7c172cbdf7741438018ca1741e45c0b
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/2024-52f374aacd1e4717b44894617bde13b6
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/seed-freedom2024-d0fc1b1304a04217909debd44f108583
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/seed-freedom-1080phd-2024-6db4e90d834f47feb1850db0128cde51
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/seed-freedom-20241080phd-1aaf94d6928b4b08bbf7d2a959719975
https://www.forexagone.com/forum/questions-debutants/fyjfyjdthdyhsdrdrghd5rhy5rsdh-118217
https://www.bankier.pl/forum/temat_dhdthrt4gs,66375873.html
https://forum.freeflarum.com/d/63510-fjfysrt4ywda3t
https://lifeisfeudal.com/Discussions/question/gyukgkjawd3rfdhdrhsrh
https://www.kooapp.com/koo/guest_ORN6JG/1844bf34-d9bc-4a45-a410-f9ca7792fd90
https://kbss.felk.cvut.cz/redmine/issues/7729
https://matters.town/kurangturuuu45/609421-jkhjse4wtawd5jawdawf-bafybeiem4qlxrpw2tjyx3v5coxddrgpyckdkdufriwy75km7xi4cdsla3m
https://forum.mush.com.br/topic/216895/fgyj4aswedfyjhsed5awdwad
https://jpn.itlibra.com/article?id=1363
https://click4r.com/posts/g/16829534/guj5tawedftyhawds23ed
https://www.bitsdujour.com/profiles/kbZohQ
https://www.scoop.it/topic/dthds4sefdthawrga2edrg
https://pastelink.net/dtgefh06
https://paiza.io/projects/ZtO2bD98Umb61plXHHAxlw?language=php
https://telegra.ph/dfgd4tawdfyja3erawd-05-17
https://hackmd.io/@turuuu45/S16RcRVm0
https://jsbin.com/juyakivexe/edit?html,output
https://jsfiddle.net/9ozevx6g/
https://baskadia.com/post/7mxhv
https://tempaste.com/ivvD2VU4ApG
https://yamcode.com/dth5t2awe4tdt
https://topmate.io/chesky_online
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986422
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986423
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986424
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986425
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986426
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986428
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986429
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986431
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986432
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986433
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986434
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986435
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986448
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986449
https://topmate.io/chesky_online/986450
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986456
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986464
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986466
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986468
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986473
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986474
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986475
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986476
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986477
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986478
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986480
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986481
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986483
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986484
https://topmate.io/filmy_cely/986485
https://paste.rs/oAZby.txt
https://jsfiddle.net/0ycabzn3/
https://snippet.host/ordjsr
https://paste.centos.org/view/d5235efc
https://paste.ofcode.org/dqkt8uAX5ZmYGAtTDpwWWT
https://paste.chapril.org/?a52d40b0691227d5#FPCGuQ98Bp4iakkJcFU6GEz74oKRvJtQ2pE2RTTW3Rvz
https://pasteio.com/x8eau7MvMV0v
https://pastebin.com/iAP9Vg2n
https://pastebin.freeswitch.org/view/666c0d67
https://paiza.io/projects/qa7a4UnRhB9vJY7kH0xf7w
https://tempel.in/view/g5KPBBfl
https://bitbin.it/xtZCUVfm/
https://onlinegdb.com/anIz1jk8f
https://paste.ee/p/QbdtB
https://paste.intergen.online/view/28827e4e
https://paste.thezomg.com/201003/71590043/
https://ivpaste.com/v/21e8A3AkQR
https://binshare.net/BwC7Lr2mgOeZZZvhJ72x
https://sharetext.me/0gd4qpugoc
https://www.onfeetnation.com/profiles/blogs/rwjyryjrwyjryjrywj
https://herbalmeds-forum.biolife.com.my/d/59176-uetkektuteukteuk
https://doc.clickup.com/9018117031/p/h/8crb2x7-1538/5a7c13320353bf9
https://smart-blue-butterfly.slab.com/posts/teuketukutetuektuek-yc6cg7al
http://nopaste.paefchen.net/8233703
https://ctxt.io/2/AACoacY7Fg
https://etextpad.com/mpyq9p5iro
https://paste.toolforge.org/view/8c590d4e
https://mypaste.fun/ko1kucafh0
https://telegra.ph/tkteuktuktku-05-17
https://paste.mozilla.org/PbuTbQPe
https://yamcode.com/drescode-8-33
https://fnote.net/notes/8wjdVw
https://paste.imirhil.fr/?0a4aad9d2f2ce458#JIFF0ipWqQ8Wwm8Z93sUNkew0VKDqaTz3W6uBOk8bXY=
https://paste.enginehub.org/Lja8-WiLm
https://tempaste.com/0S6KUHu2gto
http://paste.jp/343e2c19/
https://glot.io/snippets/gw94qcqe0a
http://pastebin.falz.net/2521642
https://pastelink.net/fd4u0woc
https://p.ip.fi/dsm6
http://pastie.org/p/5R6eGjsNKfuTn95GulHC2j
https://tech.io/snippet/ZyFleY1
https://onecompiler.com/html/42dg7cnmt
https://paste.feed-the-beast.com/view/aaf7990f
https://surveyking.com/w/bm0nsmy
https://sebsauvage.net/paste/?de4457d9b1d9b36b#q8nwLkFrzpZMvLkb0T8xJNQVKq3rCi+LF1UlUYkTRTw=
https://www.tadalive.com/forum/thread/35171/hesky_online/
https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/h7zK4jmVfx/