Wish you could vote in a real good President?

Entire term was during wartime, had to put up with protesters, Lady Spies, scallywags, profiteers, foreign interlopers, and the Irish! And not to forget his wife!!!!All this without the protection of the Secret Service! Wish I had a bumper sticker that proclaims "Lincoln in '08"!!

John C July 22, 2008 1:59 pm | Link

Oh, the above picture is of our very own Lincoln, Mr Bob Costello of the 27th NJ

John C July 22, 2008 2:01 pm | Link

I think everyone should decide NOT to vote. I wonder who'd get put in if that REALLY happened? Show that the American People are fed up and want someone who will really make a difference and not just grandstand and talk BS to manipulate the vote.

FED UP July 22, 2008 2:03 pm | Link

It's too bad Ron Paul doesn't look like Mitt Romney...

FED UP, I said that very same thing to John C. at our last happy hour. I'm tired of picking the "lesser of the evils" as opposed to actually feeling good about who I'm voting for. Unfortunately, I don't think a vote "boycott" would ever happen.

Calico696 July 22, 2008 2:20 pm | Link

Lincoln was an interesting dude. He was apparently quite a depressed unhappy guy. He would'nt dare carry any blade for fear of harming himself. In particularly bad instances friends would keep watch on him. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200510/lin...ical-depression

"Unfortunately, I don't think a vote "boycott" would ever happen."
It would if everyone stopped thinking that way! I've always voted the lesser of two evils. This year I'm done and I'm voting my conscience. Voting is the ONLY way where the public can make a stand and I'm tired of voting for the people that were hand picked in the first place to continue the current policies.

I like Jesse Ventura's suggestion - every ballot should have "None of the above". Wouldn't that be a hoot! Wish someone would put up a NoneOfTheAbove.com website and take a survey of the countries population to see what would happen if people really did vote "None of the above".

I don't like Michael Moore at all, but he did do something pretty funny back before he was a hotshot. Moore set up an election campaign in Morristown for a ficus plant in his office. He actually WON. More people showed up to vote for the ficus than they did for the other candidate.

Here is an article about it:

http://www.commondreams.org/news2000/0426-09.htm

Pretty funny.

jen July 22, 2008 7:04 pm | Link

Re: Ron Paul, ianimal-- AMEN! Too bad packaging (image) is so important.

Hey John C you can get your own bumper sticker made and desin it yourself for about $13.00.

www.magnattack.com

I read Doris Kearn's Goodwin's book called "Team of Rivals" about Lincoln and his cabinet, and I can't rave enough about it. the guy was just sheer utter brilliance all the way through.

The way that he fought the war, the way he handled infighting among his team, the way he dealt with that weasel, General George McLellan, who was supposed to be in charge of the entire army. Lincoln was never less than a gentleman.

I would be depressed too if my son died in the next room while I was busy waging the bloodiest war in the history of the world. His mother died when he was very young, and his very poor father left him and his sister alone all winter in the woods of Kentucky (or was it Indiana) when he was just 7 years old. He grew up to become a talented lawyer and politician just by studying law books on his own. Talk about rags to riches. Well, even when he was in office, he wasn't very rich. If he had lived, we would all be better off today.

Spielberg is going to do a movie based on Team of Rivals with Liam Neeson as Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd. Not much else is really known, because he is still making a different film. It's been years in the making, but hopefully, we will finally have a decent cinematic portrayal of the man. "Young Mr. Lincoln" in the 1930's was basically Henry Fonda in a Lincoln Costume.

EB July 23, 2008 9:28 pm | Link

who were the "lady spies"?

EB July 23, 2008 9:29 pm | Link

I understand Lincoln may have suffered from 'Marfan syndrome" which not only caused his somewhat odd features, but also would have helped caused the depression. Dealing with Mary Todd didn't help either. From what I understand, she was not exactly a supportive type.

Phil D July 30, 2008 5:13 am | Link

Bring back Ronnie ..................

Two of the most famous of the Civil war Lady spies were Belle Boyd and Elizabeth Van Lew! Boyd was arrested at least 6 times for using her "charms" to seduce secrets from Union officers in Washington. She also got invited to many functions in the White House. Rumor had it that Mary Chestnut of Charleston SC (famous for her diary) supplied info on the forts around the harbor to federal authorities.
Now we know what was under those flowing dresses!

John C July 30, 2008 9:59 am | Link