Where Have All the Lincolns Gone?

How does one know they've made an impact on history? A 19 foot marble statue in your honor is a good start. Abraham Lincoln has become a mythical figure in our society; he is one of the few historical characters Americans bother to revere. The 150^th anniversary of the Civil War got me thinking: where have all the Lincolns gone?

I know, I know, there can only be one Lincoln. But what happened to those noble politicians who made decisions on a grandiose scale. During Lincoln's time there were many: Henry Clay, William Seward, and Stephen Douglas to name a few. Somehow, the American politician morphed from these giants into -- well -- Donald Trump! During the 2008 presidential campaign much was made of candidate Obama's regard for Abe. The president even used Lincoln's bible to be sworn in. He mimicked Lincoln in his initial decisions, appointing political rivals to his cabinet as did Lincoln. President Obama compromises, some say to a fault, with opponents. It is important to note, Lincoln would have accepted the existence of slavery, so long as it did not spread to the western territories. But in your heart of hearts, friend or foe, do you believe President Obama will be immortalized in marble?

The sad state of affairs is as such that it's not possible to have another Lincoln. It should be; we have ten times the population, and we are the most highly educated civilization in the history of the world, but our political landscape remains barren of the likes of "The Great Emancipator." First, Washington is run by special interests. Imagine the army of lobbyists that would have marched into Lincoln's office on the behalf of slavery. The heck with military rebellion, the Confederacy would have been better served fighting with lawyers than bullets.

Secondly, we don't have the attention span for a Lincoln. Between television, iPads, iPhones, text messaging, Facebook, Twitter, email, etc., it would be tough sitting through the hour and a half rebuttal to the one hour original argument, which was customary in the Lincoln-Douglas debates. I'm writing this article, and I've checked my inbox and Facebook twice while writing, and yes I feel guilty for getting distracted. Politicians have no need to articulate positions because ironically, the 24 hour news cycle has no time for articulated positions. In fact, it seems the less articulate you are, the more press you receive.

Finally, our political framework will no longer support a Lincoln. When Abe was elected to Congress he spoke in front of a packed chamber with visitors to boot. Today, congressmen orate to an empty chamber, and check C-Span's ratings for indicators of interest. In the day of Lincoln politics was fluid and politicians proposed progressive legislation. Trivia: what political party was Lincoln from? Answer: he was first a Whig, then a Republican. How many politicians could stay in the game if they didn't bow to their party's platform? The current struggle over the budget shows the absurdity of our government. We call the likes of Paul Ryan and President Obama brave for having the courage to create a budget; never mind that the former is the chairman of the Budget Committee and the latter is the president. Imagine the fits of laughter this would bring from the man who presided over a Civil War.

In the end, we share one similarity with our American cousins from 150 years ago. We wonder, as did they, what the future holds for America. Abe Lincoln helped that generation find its way. Look around and ask yourself, who will be our Abraham Lincoln?