Obama, Lincoln & High Souls

Much is being made of President-elect Barack Obama’s appointment of powerful competitors to his cabinet. The comparison is to Abraham Lincoln and specifically to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, “Team of Rivals, The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”.

But dare we hope that the comparison goes further? Not just that Obama is secure enough to share power with some of his toughest rivals but that he’s also as magnanimous as Lincoln? Obama does appear to be immune to petty jealousies and resentments – magnanimity’s first definition. But does he live up to the Oxford Dictionary’s three other definitions, is Obama “great in courage… high-souled, lofty of purpose”?

We don’t know yet. But, the telltale signs are good: Simply entering the Presidential race requires courage, Obama’s call to tackle big, long simmering challenges in a bi-partisan way demonstrates lofty purpose. But whether or not Obama is “high-souled” I believe will depend on how he leads -- not just America but the world.

Abraham Lincoln based his political philosophy and his presidency on the fundamental, Constitutional idea that “all men are created equal”. From that flowed a set of governing principles that led inevitably to the end of slavery and the extension of liberty. Equality before the law is so lofty, so high-souled that it withstood monumental bigotry and The Civil War.

What is Obama’s great idea? Change, civil discourse and pragmatic problem solving -- yes of course, but it also seems to be empathy, even magnanimity to one’s adversaries, thus the appointment of Hillary Rodham Clinton as Secretary of State. If Mr. Obama continues to reach out this way he may legitimately be compared to Lincoln. He would gain consensus for real progress halting climate change, reforming healthcare, even overhauling entitlement programs. One can even hope for a true reduction in the terrorist threat because such a President, a person who is magnanimous to our enemies could change minds globally.

Magnanimity is the ultimate soft power, a power that candidate Obama hinted at when he said he would be willing to meet with enemy leaders without condition. This is the kind of courage and lofty purpose that can broker real peace in the mid-east, the kind of high-souled being that squelches the fires of hate that are fanned by Islamic radicals.

Of course Obama’s adversaries, including his new Secretary of State, have called him naïve. All those who demonstrate goodwill to their enemies are accused of this. But it is only magnanimous leaders such as Lincoln, who wield both hard and soft power who change history for the better.