The president had been propelled to the nation's highest office, having had no executive experience and only the briefest of tenures in Congress. He instantly found himself in charge of a crisis far graver than anything he had anticipated while campaigning. His opponents showed themselves to be implacable enemies.His allies often turned on him as well. He's too much of a compromiser, some said. No, he's too radical, said others. He struggled to chart a middle course that would keep a governing coalition together.
Plans went awry. He made mistakes. His popularity waned. At the polls, he saw his party suffer dismaying defeats. By all accounts, his was shaping up as a failed presidency.
Yeah, I'm talking about Abraham Lincoln. Have you read "Team of Rivals"?
Joel quickly protests that he is not comparing Barack Obama to Abraham Lincoln, of course.
Also, happy anniversary, Joel! Finally I know where boodle comes from. And thanks for the link back to your post on Hunter S. Thompson. Missed that when it first ran.
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