Link Banana

Malcolm Jones argues that because his effect on history was less inevitable, Abraham Lincoln was more important than his coeval, Charles Darwin.

Once in office, he becomes the indispensable man. As James McPherson demonstrates so well in the forthcoming “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief,” Lincoln’s prosecution of the war was crucial to the North’s success—before Grant came to the rescue, Lincoln was his own best general. Certainly we know what happened once he was assassinated: Reconstruction was administered punitively and then abandoned, leaving the issue of racial equality to dangle for another century. But here again, what Lincoln said and wrote matters as much as what he did. He framed the conflict in language that united the North—and inspires us still. If anything, with the passage of time, he only looms larger—more impressive, and also more mysterious. Other presidents, even the great ones, submit to analysis. Lincoln forever remains just beyond our grasp—though not for want of trying: it has been estimated that more books have been written about him than any other human being except Jesus.

Why on earth, one might wonder, compare the two men? Because, surprisingly, they were both born on February 12, 1809.

(via Slate)

This made me laugh for at least 45 seconds.

(via Matt Yglesias)

This completely pointless (and if memory serves, illegal), but I found Spock Lincoln rather amusing. Click the title for more.

(via Boing Boing)

Though the headline result of Gallup’s survey about what former presidents should be our new president isn’t too surprising, I was surprised that Mr. Clinton placed third overall. Also surprising: Mr. Kennedy was the second favorite among Republicans. Showing our short collective memory, anyone president before 1940 did rather poorly — with Mr. Lincoln doing the best among those more historic candidates.

(via The Page)