One Hundred and Fifty Years Ago On This Day

[bobabode]

These words were spoken by President Lincoln at Gettysburg.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

[donquixote99]

Best speech ever made.

[piece-itpete]

We were very 'lucky' to have him at the right time.

Pete

[Zeke]

This is not a denigration but I often believe that Lincoln is overwrought.

Any reasonably competent leader would look down, see that he has a relatively weak hand, but know that the only manner in which to preserve the nation is to move all in.

1. He gets away with it.
2. He gets killed.

Suddenly, he's a Top Five President.

Again, not knocking but I believe we lose some candor due to his manner of death. (Similar occurred with Kennedy.)

Am I the only person who thinks this?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Zeke

This is not a denigration but I often believe that Lincoln is overwrought.

Any reasonably competent leader would look down, see that he has a relatively weak hand, but know that the only manner in which to preserve the nation is to move all in.

1. He gets away with it.
2. He gets killed.

Suddenly, he's a Top Five President.

Again, not knocking but I believe we lose some candor due to his manner of death. (Similar occurred with Kennedy.)

Am I the only person who thinks this?

I tend to agree with you, only I couldn't see any percentage in me saying anything.

But since you brought it up.

Chas

[JJIII]

Apparently Mr. Obama feels somewhat that way also.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archive...d-tomorrow.php

[piece-itpete]

He may not be the indispensable man that Washington was. He also might have been though.

Look at his predecessor. That said they're all hyped almost like a national religion.

Great link John, thanks!

Pete

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by Zeke

This is not a denigration but I often believe that Lincoln is overwrought.

Any reasonably competent leader would look down, see that he has a relatively weak hand, but know that the only manner in which to preserve the nation is to move all in.

1. He gets away with it.
2. He gets killed.

Suddenly, he's a Top Five President.

Again, not knocking but I believe we lose some candor due to his manner of death. (Similar occurred with Kennedy.)

Am I the only person who thinks this?

The death was a trauma that created a massive sense-of-loss and veneration-reaction. Same seen with Kennedy.

But I think Lincoln had political chops that Kennedy never dreamed of, a gift of eloquence of very rare quality, and at bottom a profound human decency that actually justifies the veneration, even if it didn't directly create it.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by JJIII

Apparently Mr. Obama feels somewhat that way also.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archive...d-tomorrow.php

Consider this imaginary conversation:

"Hey, look at that fine red dog."

"Well, he may be a red dog, but he don't hunt."

The doubt is not about the redness, but about what it means, see.

Similarly, Hayward is trying to hang a whole thesis on Obama's "may" indicating doubt about 'self-evident,' when the point was the contrast between 'self-evident' (true) and 'self-executing' (not true). Hayward's dog don't hunt, I fear.

Further, he's smart enough to know it, so I must question his sincerity.

[JJIII]

My post was in reply to Zeke and Charles "on Obama’s skipping out on the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address today."


(Bolded from the link.)

That's all.

Originally Posted by Zeke

This is not a denigration but I often believe that Lincoln is overwrought.

Any reasonably competent leader would look down, see that he has a relatively weak hand, but know that the only manner in which to preserve the nation is to move all in.

1. He gets away with it.
2. He gets killed.

Suddenly, he's a Top Five President.

Again, not knocking but I believe we lose some candor due to his manner of death. (Similar occurred with Kennedy.)

Am I the only person who thinks this?

Originally Posted by Charles

I tend to agree with you, only I couldn't see any percentage in me saying anything.

But since you brought it up.

Chas

Originally Posted by JJIII

Apparently Mr. Obama feels somewhat that way also.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archive...d-tomorrow.php