"Let us strive on to finish the work we are in,

to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
--Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Adress, May 4, 1865

"It serves us then to reflect on whether that element of Lincoln's character, and the American character - that aspect which makes tough choices, and speaks the truth when least convenient, and acts while still admitting doubt - remains with us today."
--Barack Obama, Remarks at the Opening of the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library April 20, 2005


The similarities between Barack Obama and Lincoln have been examined in depth by a variety of different media outlets. Whether theirs is a comparison of political convenience or a real and uncanny set of circumstances and beliefs, it has certainly become an issue. But some thins are just plain fact: both come from relatively economically disadvantaged backgrounds: a log cabin for Lincoln, a small apartment raised by a single mother for Obama. Both took advantage of the educational opportunities afforded them. For Lincoln this meant a lifetime of voracious reading. For Obama, it meant finally understanding the importance of education as a young man and a decision to embrace his studies. Both came from the western-most reaches of the US at the time: Kentucky for Lincoln, Hawaii for Obama. Both ended up in Springfield, Illinois. They even announced their intentions to run for president within yards of each other, separated only by a few yards and a century and a half.

Both began the run for president as relative unknowns, inexperienced statesmen ready for the challenges of the presidency. Each has several years in the Illinois state legislature together, and each has a handful of years in national politics.

Both have critics that say they were or are not ready to lead the nation, but in both cases, America understood the times required exceptional leadership.

Here is a passage from a The Daily Gazette for the City of Davenport on November 13, 1860:
"[The Republican Party] was defeated but not disheartened. The necessity for the existence of such a party became more apparnt as the administration of Buchanan progressed, and its repeated infamies shocked the sensibilities of an intelligent and patriotic people... It presented the name of Abraham Lincoln for the presidency-- a conservative man, an honest man, a man fully qualified for any position in the republic, and most peculiarly adapted to take the reins of government at this time of great agitation and peril."

Replace "Republican" with "Democrat" and "Buchanan" with "Bush," and you get a fairly accurate representation of current governmental trends.

Recently, Katie Couric asked the presidential candidates what books they would bring with them to the White House. Each had a good answer. Senator Clinton said she would bring a copy of the Federalist Papers, as well as a copy of the Constitution. Senator McCain chose Smith's The Wealth of Nations. But one answer stood out. I quote it here:

Sen. Barack Obama: "Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals. It was a biography of Lincoln. And she talks about Lincoln's capacity to bring opponents of his and people who have run against him in his cabinet. And he was confident enough to be willing to have these dissenting voices and confident enough to listen to the American people and push them outside of their comfort zone. And I think that part of what I want to do as president is push Americans a little bit outside of their comfort zone. It's a remarkable study in leadership."

There it is. Both Obama and Lincoln are the kinds of politicians that come along once every century: confident enough to listen to dissenting views, but unafraid to make the decisions necessary.

Back in 2005, Barack Obama wrote an interesting piece in Time Magazine about Lincoln (What I See in Lincoln's Eyes). More specifically, Obama writes about the final portrait of Lincoln, taken just a week before his death. In it, Obama reflects on Lincoln's life and its impact on his own leadership. "In Lincoln's rise from poverty," Obama writes, "his ultimate mastery of language and law, his capacity to overcome personal loss and remain determined in the face of repeated defeat--in all this, he reminded me not just of my own struggles. He also reminded me of a larger, fundamental element of American life--the enduring belief that we can constantly remake ourselves to fit our larger dreams."


This is the photo of which Obama is writing, the photo that, in his words, "alters tragedy into grace." Through it all, Lincoln smiles.