In the deep south primaries last week Newt Gingrich needed to score a knock-out blow to see his campaign surge a third time to the top of the Republican leader board. His second place finishes in both Mississippi and Alabama, while admirable considering his lack of funds, were not enough and he has reached his "ebb tide." He is promising to continue on with a stated purpose of drawing enough votes away from Mitt Romney to prevent him from winning the required 1144 delegates prior to the August Republican convention. That is probably going to be more self-serving than it is helpful.
Ron Paul had some impressive second place finishes early in the campaign, but he has also played out. He isn't quitting, however, even though he is largely ignored as a serious candidate by everyone else. His supporters haven't given up either, but one has to wonder what their purpose is after the Missouri caucuses last Saturday. Ron Paul supporters were so rowdy that in one location some of them were arrested, and in many meetings they shouted down speakers and made such a disturbance that an intelligent discussion of the issues wasn't possible. Conservatives and Tea-Partiers were disgusted that they were unable to get their proposals into the debate. One has to wonder if the Ron Paul campaign has taken to implementing Occupy Wall Street strategies. So much for their conservative credentials.
That leaves Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney as the only two credible candidates left in the race. Santorum's victories in Mississippi and Alabama gave him momentum heading into the Illinois primary this week, but his hopes for a dash to the front were ended by a decisive Romney win. It is worth pointing out that between Santorum and Gingrich they beat Romney by more than a 2-1 margin in the southern states, but exit polls showed that Gingrich's supporters were evenly divided between Romney and Santorum as an alternate candidate, which does not bode well for Santorum. Romney's win in Illinois clearly puts him in the driver's seat.
In the meantime, at a fundraiser in Chicago last week, Obama mocked the Republican candidates. "Welcome to the Land of Lincoln," he said. "Maybe some of Lincoln will rub off on them while they are here." Actually, I'd be happy if some of Lincoln rubbed off on Obama.
Some of Lincoln like honesty. Lincoln was known as a man of his word, a man so honest that he would walk miles to return a borrowed nickel. Even his political enemies acknowledged his truthfulness. Obama promised to give us the most transparent administration in history, but it has been so un-transparent that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee gave it only a C- grade, and that only because small government agencies have been cooperative. Major cabinet level departments, Interior, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) were given failing grades. The Department of Justice has delayed turning over documents time and again in the investigation into the Fast and Furious debacle.
Obama himself has lied about his healthcare plan, abortion, gay rights, oil and natural gas drilling, the state of the economy; just about every time he opens his mouth.
Some of Lincoln like a knowledge of American history, the Christian influence of our Founding Fathers, and love of country. Lincoln knew well America's history and its founding documents, and was well able to articulate his mandate from the Constitution to preserve the Union. He also acknowledged the Christian God in every facet of American life, quoted Scripture frequently, and called America to days of prayer and Thanksgiving for God's aid and blessings.
Obama's ignorance of our history and hatred for our country was never more apparent than during his several apology tours and his denial of our Christian heritage. He has refused to participate in days of prayer and has insisted that Christian symbols be covered up when he speaks, but has been quick to honor Ramadan and quote the Koran. His suggestion that Muslims had anything at all to do with building America was so far off the wall he should have been laughed back into the first grade.
Some of Lincoln like respect for the Constitution and the rule of law. I know, I know. Lincoln is often accused of trashing the Constitution because he denied constitutional rights to several subversive citizens like Clement Vallandigham during the Civil War, and of laying the foundation for the big government we have today. The truth is, the Constitution allows for the suspension of Habeus Corpus during times of national crisis. I can't think of a greater national crisis than a civil war, and I hardly believe Lincoln had any idea how big and corrupt the government would become by his saving of the Union.
Obama, on the other hand, last Friday signed an executive order giving the president control over the entire US economy and all its resources in times of emergency. He has set himself up to become a dictator if he can get away with it, something neither the Founders nor Lincoln ever envisioned.
Some of Lincoln like a belief in the equality of all men. Lincoln believed that when the Declaration of Independence said "all men are created equal," it meant black as well as white. He saw slavery as a crime and a blight, and used the opportunity of the Civil War that the South brought on itself to end slavery. Then "with malice toward none, with charity for all," he set about to reunite the nation.
Obama has used class warfare and racism to divide the country as it hasn't been divided since the Civil War. Yes, there is a lot that the Republican candidates could learn from Lincoln; things like civility in public debate and working toward a common goal for the good of the country (no matter who wins the nomination). There is a lot more the current usurper of the office of the presidency could learn. It's a shame that he won't. It will be a bigger shame if America doesn't turn him out in November.
