Doris Kearns Goodwin: Lincoln is a good model. But he didn't face 24-hour news
[Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln is published in paperback this week.]
Shortly before he wrapped up the nomination for president, Barack Obama was asked, with a clear reference to his chief rival, Hillary Clinton, if he would be willing to bring in everybody who could possibly help him, "even if his or her spouse is an occasional pain in the butt".
His answer was a resounding yes. "One of my heroes is Abraham Lincoln," Obama said. Lincoln "basically pulled in all the people who had been running against him into his cabinet because, whatever personal feelings there were, the issue was, 'How can we get this country through this time of crisis?'"
Lincoln, born 200 years ago tomorrow, had indeed created a most unusual cabinet: a team of rivals. The night of his election in 1860, he could not sleep. Before first light, he had made the decision that would define his presidency: to bring into his cabinet all of his chief opponents for the Republican nomination - William Henry Seward, Salmon Chase and Edward Bates. A less confident man might have surrounded himself with personal supporters, but Lincoln insisted: "We needed the strongest men of the party in the cabinet ... These were the very strongest men. I had no right to deprive the country of their service."
Obama's hint that he might follow Lincoln's example provoked widespread commentary as to whether a modern president could create such a team, and if he did, whether he could actually get anything done.
Some analysts argued that the nastiness of the interminable primary campaign, with its negative ads, contentious debates and personal attacks, had so hardened feelings that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for Obama and his team to move on.
Yet Obama proved true to his word, selecting Joe Biden as his running mate, Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state, and Bill Richardson (who later withdrew) as his commerce secretary. As competitors during the primaries, they had repeatedly questioned Obama's readiness for the presidency, provoking anger and frustration in the Obama camp. Obama himself however, refused to look back. "The lesson," he said, echoing Lincoln, "is not to let your ego or grudges get in the way of hiring absolutely the best people."..
Read entire article at Guardian (UK)
Shortly before he wrapped up the nomination for president, Barack Obama was asked, with a clear reference to his chief rival, Hillary Clinton, if he would be willing to bring in everybody who could possibly help him, "even if his or her spouse is an occasional pain in the butt".
His answer was a resounding yes. "One of my heroes is Abraham Lincoln," Obama said. Lincoln "basically pulled in all the people who had been running against him into his cabinet because, whatever personal feelings there were, the issue was, 'How can we get this country through this time of crisis?'"
Lincoln, born 200 years ago tomorrow, had indeed created a most unusual cabinet: a team of rivals. The night of his election in 1860, he could not sleep. Before first light, he had made the decision that would define his presidency: to bring into his cabinet all of his chief opponents for the Republican nomination - William Henry Seward, Salmon Chase and Edward Bates. A less confident man might have surrounded himself with personal supporters, but Lincoln insisted: "We needed the strongest men of the party in the cabinet ... These were the very strongest men. I had no right to deprive the country of their service."
Obama's hint that he might follow Lincoln's example provoked widespread commentary as to whether a modern president could create such a team, and if he did, whether he could actually get anything done.
Some analysts argued that the nastiness of the interminable primary campaign, with its negative ads, contentious debates and personal attacks, had so hardened feelings that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for Obama and his team to move on.
Yet Obama proved true to his word, selecting Joe Biden as his running mate, Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state, and Bill Richardson (who later withdrew) as his commerce secretary. As competitors during the primaries, they had repeatedly questioned Obama's readiness for the presidency, provoking anger and frustration in the Obama camp. Obama himself however, refused to look back. "The lesson," he said, echoing Lincoln, "is not to let your ego or grudges get in the way of hiring absolutely the best people."..