OK, your "War of Southern Agression" made me guffaw. Now THAT is funny!

(For our Canadian readers, people in the South never refer to "The Civil War" or even "The War Between The States" they ALWAYS refer to it as "The War Of Northern Agression")

You need to hunt down the opening sketch from Saturday Night Live from last week if you haven't already seen it (Dan Akroyd does a cameo). It had the Congressional Republicans congratulating themselves on holding fast against such an "unpopular" president as Obama... and man, it was funny as all get out!

LewDan -

Whenever I hear only one part of a speech quoted over and over again, it makes me want to read the whole thing (whether it's Martin Luther King or Lincoln or whoever). Because it's interesting to see the things most people have forgotten about the situation of the day when the speech was given. There are even some highly offensive parts in the Declaration of Independence that end up on the cutting room floor every July 4th when newspapers print it out.

That's what led me to write this article. Also, with all the people drawing parallels between Lincoln and Obama, I wanted to go back to the same time period in Lincoln's term and see what was going on.

-CW

I agree with both of you, but I think you're giving too much credit for honestly held beliefs. Chris is exactly right. The parallels with Lincoln are clear.

The admission of western territories into the union had, with the election of Lincoln, given the North control of Congress and the Presidency for the first time in American history. Slavery as largely a red herring. As Lincoln made clear, his election said nothing about the institution of slavery.

The real issue, then as now, was personal wealth, power, and prestige. Those who'd had it weren't about to give it up, or even see it diminished, not without a fight.

The South didn't secede over anything the Federal government had actually done. Then as now, they stoked their base on fear, fear of what might be done.

And then as now, it as really about the willingness of persons of privilege to destroy America if it would benefit them personally.

I've always regretted that the myth of Lincoln freeing the slaves obscured his real accomplishment in saving The Union. Because it makes us believe that with slavery abolished it couldn't happen to us.

But slavery wasn't the issue, the real issues still exist, and it IS happening to us. Once again there are those willing to destroy America to keep power and prestige. To ignore the open handed willingness of the President to work for the good of all, and instead attempt to instill fear in their partisans, to sunder any union, for personal gain.

Not principled opposition. Not moral objections. Not philosophical differences. But for personal gain. To gain and hold office and power. To gain and hold wealth and prestige. Personal gain, then, as now.

Perhaps it's not the perceptions of the culture warriors that are the problems.

Perhaps the heart of the real problem is those on BOTH sides of the political spectrum who would view fellow Americans as "enemies" that must be "defeated" rather than just fellow countrymen who simply have different opinions and values..

The reason *I* like Obama and voted for him was because he speaks for and to ALL Americans, regardless of their political beliefs or ideology.

It's like I said long before Obama was elected.

He is NOT a Democrat President. He is an AMERICAN President.

Michale.....

The trick to dealing with this sector of America is the one Lincoln discovered: surround them, outnumber them, and outlast them. Obama's outreach efforts may turn into a permanent campaign, but that is exactly what is needed here. He needs to keep talking, keep rallying the troops, and push his agenda through. The culture warriors aren't giving up without a fight, but he can defeat them.