As we prepare to witness the historic inauguration of Barack Obama this month, historical comparisons are perhaps inevitable. Indeed, the president-elect himself has encouraged them by choosing to appropriate two potent symbols of a previous inauguration, that of his presidential idol, Abraham Lincoln.
As has been widely reported, President-elect Obama will be using the burgundy velvet-covered Bible used by Lincoln at his first inauguration in 1861. In addition, the president-elect will replicate the last leg of Lincoln’s inaugural train journey to Washington from Springfield, Illinois, where Obama launched his presidential campaign almost two years ago. Lincoln’s 1861 journey took twelve...Read more