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If you need any more proof that supporters of Bush and his war are desperate, look no further than David Brooks' Sunday column in the New York Times. Since they are no longer capable of arguing this war on the merits, they're now apparently engaged in a bizarre game of rhetorical one-upmanship where they compete to see who can, with a straight face, slip the most ridiculous pro-war spin past their editors. Brooks' column represents a new low -- or high, depending on your point of view -- in which he seems to be comparing George W. Bush to one of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln.
On its face, the comparison of George W. Bush to Abraham Lincoln is absurd. But those who take the time to look a little deeper will find that there are some eerie parallels between the two. Perhaps David Brooks isn't so far off the mark after all. Consider the following:
Influence of Lincoln on Bush
Lincoln was the first Republican US President, so it should come as no surprise that George W. Bush considers him to be an important influence on his presidency. For example, it has been said that Bush's claim to be a "uniter, not a divider" was inspired in part by Lincoln's famous speech where he said that "a house divided against itself cannot stand." In fact, Bush likes to claim that his favorite presidential quote of all time comes from Lincoln: "Be excellent to each other. And party on, dudes."
Service during periods of civil war
Lincoln was president during the United States Civil War, perhaps the greatest crisis in our nation's history, during which he almost single-handedly preserved the Union and freed the slaves. George W. Bush is also serving during a civil war, except that it is in Iraq, and the crisis was almost single-handedly created by George W. Bush himself.
Childhood in log cabins
Most American schoolchildren know the story of Abraham Lincoln, who was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. But very few people know the inspiring up-by-the-bootstraps story of George W. Bush, whose family owned a vacation "cabin" built from logs of pure 24-karat gold, which were coated in plaster and then painted brown so they would look like regular wood. The cabin was the idea of Bush's great-grandfather, who needed a secure place to hide the family's wealth during the Great Depression.
Debates with guys named Douglas
During his unsuccessful run for US Senate in Illinois in 1858, Abraham Lincoln rose to national prominence when he faced-off against incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas in a series of debates on the issue of slavery and the future of the nation. Likewise, George W. Bush is remembered by the brothers of Yale's Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity for his role in the "Tastes Great-Less Filling" debates of 1967-68 against his fraternity brother Douglas "The Moose" Johnson.
Endearing nicknames
Abraham Lincoln, who once walked a a long distance to return a penny to a customer from his country store is known as "Honest Abe." He was also known as the "Rail Splitter" and the "Great Emancipator." George W. Bush, an undistinguished half-wit who would have likely spent most of his life drunk or stoned in a gutter somewhere if he didn't have the same name as a previous president who also happened to be his father, is occasionally referred to as "That Fucking Moron" or other colorful nicknames.
Similar rankings on Greatest Presidents lists
Abraham Lincoln is routinely listed near the top of the list of Greatest Presidents of All Time. Similarly, George W. Bush is routinely listed near the top of the lesser-known Inverted List of Greatest Presidents of All Time.
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