Wit and Wisdom of Abe Lincoln, by Arnold Kunst

Arnold Kunst, author of Lincoln 365, gave his first Lincoln speech in high school, and has been fascinated by him ever since.  He has an MA from Ireland in history and was a teacher and school administrator before doing the speaking circuit.  He has been giving a variety of versions of his talks on Lincoln to different audiences.  This book is a series of humorous short stories and quotes from Abraham Lincoln, one for each day of the year, along with a similar quote from some other authority for comparison.

He began by relating the economic storm raging over our country over the past several years, to the need for strong effective leadership skills now.  He believes that Abe Lincoln was the best leader our country has ever had, because of his having overcome personal adversity and then bringing the country out of its severe and seemingly hopeless problems and divisiveness.

In 1858, in a series of 7 debates with Sen Douglas, the Senator accused Lincoln of being two-faced; Abe replied, “If I had a face better than this, don't you think I'd be wearing it?”  He was very skilled at deflecting attacks against him by using self-deprecating humor.  Lincoln won the Illinois Senatorial election by 4000 votes, but Sen Douglas was returned to the Senate.  (Senators were appointed by the state legislatures then, with the popular votes being a beauty contest.)  Only 2 years later, Lincoln was elected President of a bitterly divided country ready to explode into convulsions of Civil War.

Winston Churchill said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.”  Mr Kunst urged us to study the life of Abraham Lincoln for learning successful leadership traits.  Lincoln wasted no time in self-pity, a trait seen in losers.  After his loss to Sen Douglas, he said, “I felt like a boy who stubbed his toe.”  (Stuff happens, as they say today.)  We don't always get what we want or deserve.  Keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, as Rudyard Kipling said.

Mr Kunst reviewed the many problems facing Lincoln after he became President.  War soon broke out as many Southern states seceded, and there were repeated battlefield reverses as Union generals appeared much more timid than their Confederate counterparts.  One entire regiment from Illinois mutinied, as that state itself considered seceding.  Money to pay for the war and its preparations was woefully inadequate.  Gen Lee moved his forces north and invaded Pennsylvania, where a decisive battle at Gettysburg finally turned in the Union’s favor.  On that one day, battlefield deaths on both sides were about as many as US combat deaths in the entire Vietnam War.  (Lincoln's brief but memorable Gettysburg Address afterward is still quoted today.)

Throughout all of this, President Lincoln kept his vision and his sense of humor.  With prevailing economic difficulties, there were many job seekers approaching him.  When the death of the Postal Inspector was announced, a man walked up to Lincoln and said, “The Postal Inspector just died; okay if I take his place?”  Lincoln replied, “Yes, if it's okay with the undertaker!”