Obama urges Americans to follow Lincoln

President Obama spoke on Thursday, Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, calling on Americans to follow Lincoln's example. He said Lincoln didn't seek revenge against confederate soldiers after the war, knowing this was the only way to heal the nation. Obama compared the division in the country then to today, with republicans giving almost no support to the stimulus plan. Obama has given many tributes to Lincoln; he began his campaign in Lincoln's hometown, used the same train-route Lincoln did to the innaguration, using Lincoln's bible, and and more. Both men were great communicators, had independant advisors, were lawyers who served in the Illinois legislature, had short Washington careers, 'inexperienced', and became president. Obama is one of Lincoln's biggest admirers, a black man following in the footsteps of the great emancipator. Some say it's risky for Obama to compare himself to this great man, but today he simply said Lincoln was a man who faced a crisis and succeeded. I don't think Obama could have chosen a more worthy historical icon than Lincoln to try to bring our country together. In my opinion, Lincoln was our greatest president who made the biggest impact on our country. He not only reunited the north and south but also ended the most horrific piece of our past, slavery. It may be that Obama is setting the bar high with comparisons between the two, but I think that by doing this he is giving people hope, and he is setting a precident for himself to be the greatest president he can be. Hope has been the biggest message in his campaign. I wonder how Lincoln would feel, and what he would say, if he could see how far our nation has come since he ended slavery. He never could have imagined that in less that 200yrs a black man would be taking the oath of office on his bible, and that across a grand marble monument to Lincoln himself watched across the mall. I think he would be suprised at the success of the civil rights movement, and honored that all of this success was ultimately due to him. The simularities between Obama and Lincoln are incredible. Without one we wouldn't have the other. I hope Americans and politicians listen to Obama and follow in old honest Abe's footsteps. If history is right, I think following in those footsteps will lead us out of anything, even this recession. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29159686/