Just 23 Percent Of Americans Think Abraham Lincoln Would Be A Republican Today

[Mayhem]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/abraham-lincoln-poll_n_4305179.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

The 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address has given rise to plenty of conjecture about how it might play in modern times. We've already speculated about how modern media might cover the speech -- now, an online YouGov poll finds Americans think President Abraham Lincoln's partisan affiliation also might be somewhat different if he was alive today.

Just 23 percent of Americans say that Lincoln would be a Republican today, while 32 percent think he would be a Democrat and 19 percent say he'd be an independent. In a separate question, 23 percent said he'd be a tea party member.

Majorities in both parties tried to claim Lincoln for themselves -- 62 percent of Democrats said he'd be one of them, while 55 percent of Republicans predicted he would remain in the GOP.

Disagreements over the Civil War also continue. Opinions were almost evenly split about whether the war was more about slavery or states' rights, with a clear partisan divide: Democrats said "slavery" by a 54 percent to 30 percent margin, while Republicans said "states' rights," 56 percent to 34 percent.

The poll also found that some Americans could use a quick history primer. While 70 percent could correctly identify the opening words of Lincoln's speech, only 58 percent of those polled knew he was a Republican. Twelve percent incorrectly identified him as a Democrat, while 8 percent mistakenly thought he was a Whig or Federalist, and 23 percent were unsure.

It should also be noted that it took him 3 minutes to get his point across. Definitely not a characteristic of today's Republicans.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

I think he would be a Libertarian. He seemed to be willing to accept the good of both sides. He certainly would have been pro gun, and expect people to work for a living...but willing to help those that needed it, if they truly deserved it. Just my thought.

 

[Jack Davenport]

He probably wouldn't be wearing a stovepipe hat and neck beard or read by candle light either.

 

[lurkingdirk]

He probably wouldn't be wearing a stovepipe hat and neck beard or read by candle light either.

I dunno, he might be a hipster.

 

[Jack Davenport]

I dunno, he might be a hipster.

:1orglaugh

I've had never seen as many hipsters as I do in DC so you may be right.. The hipster bars are fun.

 

[lurkingdirk]

 

[Deepcover]

Lincoln would probably be an Independant today. Maybe centre-right who knows.

 

[explodingseman]

the republican party of his time was refered to as the redical rebuplicans and does not have a tie to the current republican party- NO CONNECTION it went out of existence.

Current rep party shares only a name- think Lincoln would have been a cold war warrior.

 

[Elwood70]

I think he would be a Libertarian. He seemed to be willing to accept the good of both sides. He certainly would have been pro gun....

Before or after the assassination attempt?


In order to fully explore the "If Lincoln were alive today" question - seriously - I think we'd at least have to agree on a scenario, with the appropriate suspension-of-disbelief. Namely, did he survive the attempt on his life, or was the whole plot discovered and foiled before he ever made it to the theater?


No, I'm not drunk...or high.

 

[Rey C.]

When Lincoln was a Republican, Republicans were all about the republic... res publica. Now you probably can't find a Republican who even knows what that phrase means or what its origins are. The Republican party has been taken over by, or at least heavily influenced by, people who as often as not actually oppose the republic and believe in movements that do or did support the destruction of the Union... the republic. And this, not the destruction of slavery, was Lincoln's primary goal in crushing the traitorous southern rebellion. Now we have neo-confederates calling themselves "Republicans" and them calling anyone else, who doesn't agree with their extremist views at least 99.9% of the time, RINOs.

No "true" Republican (that wants to avoid being called a RINO) these days believes in the profound social and political concepts that Lincoln spelled out in the Gettysburg Address. 300 words that made the "United States" go from being a plural noun to a singular noun. Before: "the United States are..." After: "the United States is..." Truly amazing. But no, he certainly wouldn't be/couldn't be a Republican. And I doubt he'd want to be a Democrat either. National politics in the U.S. is pretty much devoid of deep thinkers these days. The people would just be confused by what they'd say anyway. Better to just have lunkheads telling the sheeple what they want/need to hear.

 

[mikexmoran]

I wonder what % of the folks in the poll actually read much about Lincoln.

 

[wdoall]

let's not forget Lincoln was pro-labor and signed legislation to start the first labor unions in this country the Republican Party today is trying their damndest to destroy labor unions and put the working man back as slaves as they intend

 

[Jack Davenport]

When Lincoln was a Republican, Republicans were all about the republic... res publica. Now you probably can't find a Republican who even knows what that phrase means or what its origins are.

Yeah you're right. NO Republican would have any idea what the phrase meant, especially those that had the opportunity to sit through 2L classes that covered latin phrases or who encounters such phraseology in just about every aspect of their career .

Perhaps you should reflect on why people that used to respect you, now feel that your condescending attitude has contributed significantly to the deterioration of discussion around here.

I actually am hoping more for res publica restituta. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[bahodeme]

I doubt very seriously any of the earlier presidents would belong to any of the current political parties. Also since the current elections are more about sound bites and who "looks" presidential, I doubt if Lincoln or some of the other presidents would be elected today.

 

[Rey C.]

let's not forget Lincoln was pro-labor and signed legislation to start the first labor unions in this country the Republican Party today is trying their damndest to destroy labor unions and put the working man back as slaves as they intend

Yes, I think this would also be a (huge) problem for him in the current GOP - with the neo-Confederate presence being another.

Perhaps you should reflect on why people that used to respect you, now feel that your condescending attitude has contributed significantly to the deterioration of discussion around here.

Thank you, BC. I'll certainly keep that in mind. Say, I don't suppose your name has come up when member behavior has been a topic of discussion, has it? :dunno:

 

[mikexmoran]

...well yeah, so long as the races didn't mix....and so long as they didn't serve as jurors.

Today, he would be viewed as a racist. However, pulling him out of the 1800's and dropping him in today's time probably would never happen. So today's Lincoln would probably have less racist views or mask them better.

 

[Johan]

I don't know to wich political party Lincoln would be a member if he was alive but Fox News, the Tea Party and people like Will, georges or Philbert would surely call him a libtard

 

[lurkingdirk]

However, pulling him out of the 1800's and dropping him in today's time probably would never happen.

Really? You think?

 

[Occam'sTweezer]

I just realized the hopeful potential for the word probably

 

[SystemError]

blue use to be red and red use to be blue these two parties flip at about the same rate as the Sun changes is magnetic pole, Lincoln and for that matter a vast majority of our founding father if alive today would probability not be involved in the politics of the day as we now now it!!