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February 2008 Commentary
For the ages; but not for now?
 Richard G. Biever
Senior Editor
Could Lincoln have survived today’s media feeding frenzy?
Abraham
Lincoln was many things to many people … the greatest president, the
Great Emancipator, savior of the Union, Honest Abe, a martyr to
freedom. Poet Walt Whitman pined, “O Captain, My Captain” upon his
death. Some go as far as to see him in a Christlike way: he sacrificed
himself for the nation’s original sin of slavery.
To others, he was a tyrant who ignored the Constitution and usurped the rights of states.
Lincoln’s
200th birthday is next Feb. 12, but his bicentennial celebration begins
this month. As the nation re-examines Lincoln in detail over the next
two-plus years, we should also re-examine the political process today.
For
while Lincoln was so many things to so many people, one thing he
probably would not have been had he been born more recently is a
contender for the White House.
Despite his intellect,
incredible oratory prowess, quick wit and self-deprecating humor,
Lincoln’s gangling 6-feet-4 frame and homely looks wouldn’t sell well
on TV. And if by chance it did, the buzzards in the broadcast media who
feast on character blemishes like carrion would swoop in on Lincoln as
well.
Lincoln was media saavy for his day and probably could have weathered assaults on the political front. But opponents and the media probably would have focused their attacks on Lincoln’s bouts with depression — and the tears he shed both in public and private.
What
kind of media coverage with psychoanalysis and innuendo about mental
weakness would we hear 24/7 today if we knew how deeply Lincoln grieved the
death of his favorite son Willie? After Willie’s death in 1862, Lincoln
visited the tomb of the 11-year-old — not once, but twice — to gaze
upon the boy.
How many modern-day candidates would have their
careers destroyed if stories of them suffering such profound grief came
to light?
Before the New Hampshire primary early last month, a
simple show of emotion once again became an issue. (And we just thought
the war, the energy crisis and looming recession were the big issues.)
Media types question: is it OK for a presidential candidate to cry in
public? It was the lead story on the morning network shows and
discussed all day by pundits on cable. The answer most leaned to was
generally “no.”
Lincoln’s courage and fortitude were revealed
daily in the struggle that was the Civil War. But he was also a man of
great compassion. He shed tears. I’d be more concerned about a
stone-hearted president who didn’t weep over the death of a son … or
the deaths of thousands of soldiers sent to battle. Or one who wept
only if the current polls showed the public wanted a cry for the
cameras.
I look forward to the Lincoln bicentennial celebration
because Lincoln has much to teach us still — including lessons on
humanity, compassion and tolerance.
While we don’t want an
unstable, amoral or crooked person in the White House, we’ve created a
world that revels in revealing slight personal imperfections. We snoop
them out, then blow them out of proportion. We pay too little attention
to ideas, ideals and skills.
Until we disenthrall ourselves,
as Lincoln might say, from this paparazzi mentality, we’ll see fewer
people like him rise to such political prominence. Lincoln may belong
to the ages, but sadly, it seems, a person like him doesn’t much belong
in our political climate today. And that should make us all weep for
our future.
Go to a package of stories about Lincoln’s bicentennial
Written By: eceditor
Date Posted: 1/25/2008
Number of Views: 347
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