I have been paying catch-up this week, but laughed when I saw Jon’s subject line and link. The Lincoln part does not annoy me, but those he is in company does.
I read today Obama’s two speeches on Lincoln. The progressives have used Lincoln to their own purposes, and Obama is no exception. As it pertains to Obama’s use of Lincoln, it seems to me that Lincoln had more on his plate, than Obama–he
was a war president and knew not a moment when the nation was
completely at peace. But, there is something vulgar about Obama’s
connection his mission of unity (for spending) versus Lincolns
understanding of Union–which was the dedication of a nation to an idea.
Obama likes unity for unity’s sake. He wants an effectual government, not a government dedicated to a noble end. This could be why he considers the Founding of America as ocurring in 1787, not 1776. Obama’s speeches are remarkably unexceptional, though delivered beautifully. One such example of his unexceptional rhetoric is the repreating lines (in his inaugural) from the movies like 1936s Swing Time (see below). I am not so sure his rhetoric is such that it will inspire Americans to soar beyond Lincoln to the progressive future he imagines For Lincoln, the Republic would be great if it remained dedicated to the idea of Human Equality rooted in nature. Obama (Wilson, FDR, LBJ) reject nature and hence the ground of good government.
