{"id":8771,"date":"2017-02-16T03:33:59","date_gmt":"2017-02-16T03:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=8771"},"modified":"2017-02-21T06:03:51","modified_gmt":"2017-02-21T06:03:51","slug":"five-lessons-trump-could-learn-from-lincoln","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/five-lessons-trump-could-learn-from-lincoln\/","title":{"rendered":"Five lessons Trump could learn from Lincoln"},"content":{"rendered":"

Donald Nieman<\/a>, Binghamton University, State University of New York<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

How will Donald Trump observe Presidents Day? <\/p>\n

Will he have the inclination or take the time to read about or reflect on the qualities of our greatest leaders? <\/p>\n

Given how busy Trump is issuing executive orders, fighting with the judiciary, managing the scandal surrounding the dismissal of his national security advisor, becoming acquainted with world leaders and tweeting, the answer is probably no. <\/p>\n

As a historian who has studied presidential leadership for decades, perhaps I can save him some time by suggesting a few things he might learn from the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n

Lesson 1: Grow a thick skin<\/h2>\n

Lincoln was more reviled than any American president<\/a>. The opposition press<\/a> described him as a \u201cfungus from the corrupt womb of bigotry and fanaticism,\u201d a \u201cworse tyrant and more inhuman butcher than has existed from the days of Nero\u201d and \u201ca vulgar village politician<\/a> without any experience worth mentioning.\u201d Even Lincoln\u2019s now-classic Gettysburg Address was derided<\/a> as a display of \u201cignorant rudeness.\u201d<\/p>\n

These attacks stung, but Lincoln refused to take the bait. \u201cNo man resolved to make the most of himself, can spare time for personal contention,\u201d he wrote<\/a>. \u201cStill less can he afford to take all the consequences, including \u2026 the loss of self-control.\u201d Lincoln realized that getting into the gutter would diminish his stature, distract the public from important issues and burn crucial political bridges. \u201cA man has no time to spend half his life in quarrels,\u201d he advised a political ally<\/a>. \u201cIf any man ceases to attack me I never remember the past against him.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Trump doesn\u2019t dial back his attacks \u2013 which so far have included invectives against Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Madonna, John Lewis, Charles Schumer, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, a growing list of federal judges and the CIA \u2013 he will appear more petulant than presidential.<\/p>\n

Lesson 2: Engage your critics strategically<\/h2>\n

Lincoln occasionally responded to critics \u2013 but always civilly, always strategically. <\/p>\n

When, in 1862, Republican editor Horace Greeley charged that Lincoln\u2019s unwillingness to end slavery sabotaged the Union war effort, Lincoln replied in a public letter. He had already decided to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, but gave the impression that he was agnostic on the matter. With respect to slavery, Lincoln told Greeley, his policies would be dictated by what best served the Union cause. By tying his position to preserving the Union, Lincoln laid groundwork for making his ultimate decision more palatable to the many Unionists \u2013 in the North and the border states \u2013 who supported slavery. He did so without insulting Greeley and other abolitionists and concluded his letter by emphasizing common ground<\/a>: \u201cI have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men every where could be free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump has yet to absorb the lesson that in the world of presidential communications, less is more \u2013 especially when the less is carefully crafted, strategic and cultivates those whose support is needed. For Trump, that means the majority of Americans who didn\u2019t vote for him<\/a> and who have given him the lowest approval ratings of any incoming president in modern times<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lesson 3: Be informed and ask questions<\/h2>\n

Aside from a brief stint as a militia volunteer in the 1830s, Lincoln had no military experience. Nevertheless, he was a war president and helped to develop the grand strategy that crushed the Confederacy. <\/p>\n

How did he do it? By reading extensively on military strategy and tactics and meeting frequently with his secretary of war and generals, asking them questions and discussing military operations. He spent countless hours<\/a> in the War Department telegraph room, reading and sometimes responding to telegrams from the front, and often visiting armies in the field. While he gave the generals wide latitude, he remained curious, focused, well-informed and critical to the Union\u2019s military success.<\/p>\n

To develop effective policies on the issues he cares about, Trump must become better-informed. He should demand briefings on key issues from a variety of experts (especially those who oppose him), read them thoroughly and ask questions. Rather than glibly promise<\/a> that Republicans will quickly repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with a plan that expands coverage, lowers costs and increases choice, he should learn about the complexities of health care and the inevitable trade-offs involved in replacing the ACA. Raising hopes only to dash them in fairly short order<\/a> is neither good leadership nor good politics.<\/p>\n

Lesson 4: Adapt, change and grow<\/h2>\n

Consider Lincoln\u2019s position on slavery, race and citizenship. Lincoln opposed slavery, but he established restoration of the Union \u2013 not emancipation \u2013 as the Union\u2019s war aim. <\/p>\n

When he became president, Lincoln knew few African-Americans, probably saw them as inferior to whites and occasionally told racist jokes. As president, he listened to and learned from abolitionists who were among his most outspoken critics. They included radical Republican Sen. Charles Sumner and African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass, whom Lincoln collared after his Second Inaugural Address to ask his opinion of the speech. Critics of slavery helped Lincoln understand how emancipation and enlistment of black troops would undermine the rebellion, leading him to embrace emancipation and reframe the Union\u2019s war aims to include liberty as well as Union. Abolitionists also helped him understand that African-American citizenship was essential to make the war\u2019s promise of \u201ca new birth of freedom\u201d a reality. In a speech delivered three days before his death, Lincoln embraced the radical position that blacks who had served in the military or were literate should have the right to vote<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Trump comes to office with an understanding of issues that reflects his campaign rhetoric. He cannot hope to leave this country better than he found it unless he listens to critics as well as supporters on a wide range of issues. Let\u2019s start with terrorism. He may have proposed a Muslim ban<\/a> during the campaign, but now\u2019s the time to develop a nuanced view of Islam at home and abroad and listen to national security experts<\/a> who understand the perils of targeting Muslims<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lesson 5: Use words carefully<\/h2>\n

Lincoln had less than a year of formal education, yet he was among our most literate presidents. A voracious and eclectic reader, he appreciated the beauty and power of language and used his understanding to become a formidable writer. In the age of the telegraph, presidents communicated with the nation through the written word \u2013 speeches, open letters and state papers published in the press. <\/p>\n

Lincoln worked hard to become a writer. As president, his precision and eloquence enabled him to make the case for the Union and the unimaginable sacrifices its preservation required. Lincoln defined the war as a \u201cpeople\u2019s contest,\u201d a struggle to vindicate the efficacy of America\u2019s founding principle \u2013 the right of people to govern themselves. His formulation of the principle evolved from the 1830s through his presidential addresses and achieved its most powerful expression in the Gettysburg Address. Skillfully weaving together emancipation and self government, he explained to a war-weary public<\/a> that their sacrifices would forge \u201ca new birth of freedom\u201d that assured that America\u2019s founding principle \u2013 \u201cgovernment of the people, by the people, for the people\u201d \u2013 would \u201cnot perish from the Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Trump enjoyed vastly more formal education than Lincoln, he is neither a reader<\/a> nor a writer. He connects with supporters who find his barroom-like riffs \u201cauthentic\u201d and honest<\/a>. But as a candidate who lost the popular vote decisively, he must reach beyond his base to succeed. To do so, he must use language more precisely and persuasively. Should he continue to issue poorly crafted policy statements \u2013 such as his Jan. 27 executive order banning entry to the U.S. by residents of seven predominantly Muslim nations \u2013 he will spend his time walking back his positions<\/a>, defending ill-conceived actions in court<\/a> and undermining confidence in his competence<\/a>. If he continues to appeal to fear and narrow self-interest rather than forge a vision rooted in shared values and aspirations \u2013 as did Lincoln, FDR and Reagan \u2013 his presidency will fail and the country will suffer. Here again he should listen to Lincoln, who appealed to \u201cthe better angels of our nature\u201d in the face of secession and imminent war.<\/p>\n

If Trump wants a reset that will help him \u2013 and the country \u2013 succeed, there is no better guide than POTUS 16.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Donald Nieman<\/a>, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Binghamton University, State University of New York<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

This article was originally published on The Conversation<\/a>. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Donald Nieman, Binghamton University, State University of New York How will Donald Trump observe Presidents Day? Will he have the inclination or take the time to read about or reflect on the qualities of our greatest leaders? Given how busy Trump is issuing executive orders, fighting with the judiciary, managing the scandal surrounding the dismissal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":8772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[1992,991,479,1917,714],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8771"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8771"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8773,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8771\/revisions\/8773"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}