As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
Abraham Lincoln had a shrewd political sense that the intellectuals could never fathom. Politicians manufactured their own issues or recognized those forming issues to rise with in the public attention.
The most valuable special ability of a winning politician was, "to be able to raise a cause which shall produce an effect, and then to fight that effect".
Abraham Lincoln in Springfield Illinois, to T.W.S. Kidd
Volume II Page 376 Lincoln at War
Politics is always a series of waves. It is to not be washed out on the shore as public attention ebbs, but to know the public mood for the next wave and to mount that for the public to be part of this next movement, they had not anticipated.
Springfield court official Thomas W. S. Kidd recalled that he was “explaining the ‘Atkins Self-Raking Reaper,’ when Mr. Lincoln came up. He told me to proceed with the explanation, which I did, and he seemed to take quite a lively interest. At the close of the explanation Mr. Lincoln surprised me not a little by remarking in his peculiar emphatic manner, ‘Young man, I think you are just the one I am looking for,’ and without giving me an opportunity to ask for what purpose he wanted me, he said, ‘If you are through with the doctor and Uncle Peter Cartright, will you walk over to the state-house with me, I want to use you.’ I consented to go, remarking to Dr. Harrison, as I did so: ‘Doctor, I only know Mr. Lincoln as a Whig, but as the Whig party is dead, I suppose he will not be dangerous.’ He laughed and we started, but after going about twenty feet turned and said, ‘Ho, Doc! I hope our reaper friend will have better luck than some in this county who thought the Whig party was dead!'”
Some Presidents never have a wave. Some Presidents have so many waves they may pick and choose the ones most convenient for exploitation.
"Mr. Lincoln has from the first explained that he is the exponent of the national will. He has not merely recognized it."
London Spectator
December 1862
Nuff Said
agtG
