"Party of Lincoln" now more like "Party of Lincoln's Murderer."

[K8-EEE]

I'm reading a book about the Lincoln assassination and it's absolutely chilling how much the rhetoric in the writings of John Wilkes Booth are so Glenn Beck-ian, for instance, he was convinced that Lincoln was about to "declare himself King of America" and all would be living "under tyranny" etc. etc., just the kind of far-fetched persecution complexes mixed with conspiracy theories "states' rights" blah blah blah, it sounds like freeper shit!

Also he prays constantly and God is totally OK with the assassination because he does it for a good reason and blah blah. More or less the thinking of Dr. Tiller's murderer, that it's not "murder" if it's "righteous" and "Godly."

I just hope Obama has the best security team ever, with all the freeper types who hear God whispering all sorts of freeper nonsense in their ear every day!

Anyway, it's amazing how the "party of Lincoln" has turned out being more like Lincoln's killer than Lincoln!

[Grand Taurean]

1. True.

Side note: If I was given Lincoln's time in history, there would be no John Wilkes Booth.

[wyldwolf]

2. this point deserves a muli-page article or thesis

[FarCenter]

3. There has been an almost complete role reversal between the parties

The Democrats adoption of civil rights and the Republicans southern strategy are key elements in the role reversal.

Electoral maps of the late 1800s would be a mirror image of the last election. The Democrats had the solid south. The Republicans had the northeast and midwest and pacific states. Others were swing states.

[madrchsod]

5. lincoln was, i suppose, a populist...

[K8-EEE]

4. From JWB's diary; FR type rantings!

The 'National Intelligencer' must have been the Civil War era version of FauxNews?

Our country owed all her troubles to him, and God simply made me the instrument of his punishment. The country is not what it was. This forced Union is not what I have loved. I care not what becomes of me. I have no desire to outlive my country. The night before the deed I wrote a long article and left it for one of the editors of the National Intelligencer, in which I fully set forth our reasons for our proceedings.

After being hunted like a dog through swamps, woods, and last night being chased by gunboats till I was forced to return wet, cold, and starving, with every man's hand against me, I am here in despair. And why? For doing what Brutus was honored for. What made Tell a hero? And yet I, for striking down a greater tyrant than they ever knew, am looked upon as a common cutthroat. My action was purer than either of theirs. One hoped to be great himself. The other had not only his country's but his own, wrongs to avenge. I hoped for no gain. I knew no private wrong. I struck for my country and that alone. A country that groaned beneath this tyranny, and prayed for this end, and yet now behold the cold hands they extend to me."

[troubledamerican]

6. Sic Semper Tyrannus

[47of74]

7. I think Lincoln would've died of shame if he saw what happened to the party

I think Lincoln would have died of shame if he saw what had become of the party he helped found.