If Lincoln ran today in the Democratic primary, would he have a chance

to win. I know that he would not ever be a repuke in these times. He was too much a man of the people. I don't think he would make it as the party's candidate and he certainly would not have had a snowball's chance in hell of winning the presidency. (Suffered from depression. Had a crazy wife. Too tall, lanky and pretty ugly. And then there were the issues.)What do you think?

He ran against a split democratic party. Democratic party was split between the north and south over the issue of slavery and its abolishment and that was the only reason he won.

But I was thinking how far afield we have come in many ways in selecting candidates. Looks and intimate details of ones family life seem to be more important than character. In his corner were wonderful speaking skills, a great logical mind, a fabulous sense of humor and the ability to align himself with the average person.

Remember how much his wife was criticised for being a spendthrift and sort of silly.

nt

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190? That's too old to run for President.

Probably could have warned us not to trust a bush.

Even though he is best known for the Emancipation Proclaimation, he was a racist who thought of black people as "beasts." He didn't want them in the U.S.; he wanted to send them back to Africa after freedom because he believed that blacks and whites could never live in harmony.

People are products of the context of time in which they live. IF he had lived in the 20th century, he would have been a different person. The world is different, and he would be too, so there is no way to answer that question.

appearence and how much emphasis is put on that today, rather than of his policies and thoughts since they would have been shaped by the times.

To us, he seems to be a racist. Yet compared to the rest of society at the time, he was anything but. There's no way he'd hold those views if he was raised in modern times.

once VERY controversial. I think in a few years no right thinking person will see Gay rights as anything but normal and necessary. People are still arguing about women's rights so I'm sure that issue will be around for a while, but it has been accepted by all who are clear thinking.

But I'm not sure when.

nowadays, he'd be running on a socialist platform or as a Green.

n/t

Think about it...if he was around today, do you REALLY think he'd hold the same ideals that he did then? Of course not. His ideals were a product of the times. For example, his solution to the issues regarding African-Americans was (at least as stated in the Lincoln-Douglass debates) to ship them all back to Africa. Why is this? Because it was the ONLY plausible and politically acceptable solution at the time. Would he hold this position now? NFW. Think about what would have happened if Lincoln had lived long enough to read Marx.

One of Harry Turtledove's "alternate history" books has exactly this scenario in it. It's a good read.

Lincoln was a far-left, hard-core progressive. His positions, viewed today, are laughably conservative. Yet at the time, they were incredibly radical, to the point that his election precipitated a civil war, with the conservative states pulling out of the Union rather than stay with him at the helm of the nation. Additionally, he certainly "bent" the Constitution more than a little to keep the Union together. Given that, what on earth makes you think that Lincoln would be any LESS radically progressive today than he was back then?

not be a repuke. So maybe you are right, he would have been part of a less establishment group. The only part that I don't buy is that he really wanted to be elected so might have compromised for that.

Please.

make him electable?

He would of had protesters holding signs saying "No Blood for Cotton" in front of the white house. They would have said we should not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries (and in those days individual states were). But if he hadnt slavery would have lasted at least another 20-30 years.

What is that about?

We did have people arguing here a few weeks back that he was a war-monger dor "starting" the Civil War...

comparing bush and the Iraq situation to the Civil War. And by the way, we were not considered to be "countries". Texas came in as a counrty and gave up her rights as such when she did.

I misunderstood.... :spank:

some feedback. It seemed a little "conservativeish" to me. Could be wrong, have been a time or two before. (Ha-Ha)By the way, I am assuming the poster is male.

since everyone was fairly sure that once Lincoln came to power war could not be averted.

would consider him too moderate and be angry at his railroad money backers. His looks would be the smallest concern. He was made fun of aqt the time. Politics isn't dirtier now than it was then. Alexander Hamilton publicly accussed Aaron Burr of incest for cryin' out loud

I always liked Lincoln and considered him a flawed but great person. (Like another I could mention.} I especially liked his humor but even that not taken against the time is often quite racist. Thanks for your insight.