Newspaper OpEd (2008)

Robert P. Watson

Lessons from Lincoln

Much has been made of the obvious parallels between Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln. Both men share the same adopted home state and a number of traits, such as being tall, lean, thoughtful, eloquent speakers, and gifted writers. Raised by women other than their mothers, both were criticized as inexperienced and entered office as relatively young men during critical moments in history.

But there are other noteworthy connections. Obama has been reading up Lincoln, talking to Lincoln historians, and peppering his speeches with Lincoln quotes. In fact, the theme of Obama's Inauguration – nearly two centuries after the day of Lincoln's birth – will be that which inspired Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural – "A New Birth of Freedom."

Obama has also staffed his cabinet with, to borrow the title of historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's book on Lincoln, a "team of rivals." Both Obama and Lincoln picked former rivals, such as senators from New York who became their secretaries of state, and both men showed they were unafraid to surround themselves with strong personalities and individuals who disagreed with them. What's more, such decisions were made not in order to, as the old adage suggests, "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Rather, these appointments were made because both men recognized that they needed a dream team around them in order to address the monumental problems they faced.

There is a lesson here. Lyndon Johnson probably had better raw political skills than any leader and Richard Nixon probably understood policy issues better than any president. Yet, both men were undone by their insecure, insular temperaments. They shunned debate, frequently confused the messenger with the message, and fired anyone who disagreed with them. Just like George W. Bush, their decisions were rubberstamped by a veritable echo chamber of "yes men," which ended up distancing them from the reality of the situation and undermining their presidencies.

The great presidents, like Lincoln, recognize that debate is healthy. Harry Truman, for example, had no use for "yes men" and, where presidents like Bush might fire or not listen to those who disagreed, Truman demanded debate and would fire those who did not disagree. George Washington brought both Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton into his cabinet despite the fact that the new nation was probably not big enough for the two great rivals. But they were the best and brightest.

Great leaders recognize that the best decisions are those that are treated like a healthy competition in the marketplace of ideas. And they are confident enough to surround themselves with strong opinions and individuals smarter than themselves. This has been a practice of Obama's throughout the campaign and is readily apparent in the team he has assembled for the White House.

Unlike Bush, Obama is inquisitive and introspective. He appreciates the lessons of history and seeks out a diversity of opinions and, as such, recognizes the complexity of the issues we face and the consequences of his decisions. But, there are two additional traits Obama shares with Lincoln and other great presidents. Although they are self-confident and ambitious, they showed respect for others and opinions that differed from their own and demonstrated genuine humility before the office, their rivals, and "we the people."

Like Lincoln, who forgave and embraced the South at the close of the Civil War, Obama captured a tone of humility and magnanimity throughout the campaign, but perhaps nowhere better than during his election night speech when he quoted the Great Emancipator: "We are not enemies but friends… Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection." Given the enormity of the many challenges he faces, Obama will need to continue to channel Lincoln… but he is off to a good start.