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A Lincolnian Speech For Obama

When Newsweek editor Evan Thomas is not comparing Obama to God ? ? I mean in a way Obama?s standing above the country, above above the world, he?s sort of God? ? he?s doing about the same thing, comparing him to Lincoln:

It is the season to compare Barack Obama to Abraham Lincoln. Two thin men from rude beginnings, relatively new to Washington but wise to the world, bring the nation together to face a crisis. Both are superb rhetoricians, both geniuses at stagecraft and timing. Obama, like Lincoln and unlike most modern politicians, even writes his own speeches, or at least drafts the really important ones?by hand, on yellow legal paper?such as his remarkably honest speech on race during the Reverend Wright imbroglio last spring.

Thomas goes on to report that when Obama chief strategist David Axelrod saw a draft of a victory speech the day before the election (Obama?s own yellow legal pads must have been misplaced), he sent it back to the speechwriter with instructions that

Barack wants to lean into bipartisanship a little more. Even though the Democrats have won a great victory, we should reach out and be humbled by it. Figure out a good Lincoln quote to bring it all together....

The speechwriter, Jon Favreau, looked to Lincoln?s First Inaugural and chose: ?We are not enemies, but friends ? Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.?

Now that Obama has governed for a year, and not only leaned but fallen completely away from bipartisanship ? all relevant negotiations are among Democrats alone, behind closed doors ? I think lifting from another famous Lincoln speech, slightly modified, is in order. Honoring the increasing pile of Democratic casualties of his policies, a pile that will surely grow larger after the midterm election, Obama could draw inspiration from Lincoln?s consecration of the Civil War dead at Gettysburg as he begins to organize his campaign for re-election.

I can almost hear him now attempting to rally his troops in ACORN, SEIU, and the Democratic caucuses of House and Senate, urging them to keep Hope and Change alive, to take increased devotion to the cause for which those casualties gave the last full measure of devotion, that we highly resolve that those retired or defeated Democrats did not sacrifice their seats in vain and ?that this nation, under God and me, shall have a new birth of freedom ? and that government of the Democrats, by the Democrats, for the Democrats, shall not perish from the earth.?

Full post as published by Discriminations on January 07, 2010 (boomark / email).