An early morning GOOD MORNING!!! to you all! Yup, another early morning, 6am meeting. No big when your whole life has been early mornings. I guess I get bored sleeping in…maybe.
Technically Talking Tuesday Ed-vise today. Cause it’s TUESDAY…Technically!
Driving to Seaside this past President’s Weekend and listening to podcasts. Yes, I got the new phone to work.
History professor out of UT-Austin was on the Lex Friedman program: Jeremi Suri. He recently wrote a book Civil War by Other Mean: America’s long and unfinished fight for Democracy.
And he had some GREAT discussion points.
One that he brought up was legacy planning. Odd that he would touch on planning for the future when talking about Presidents.
He pointed out that many of the “Great” leaders fail to plan for the future. Lincoln was no different.
See, during the Civil War, Congress gave Lincoln full blown War Powers. That meant that Lincoln could do pretty much whatever he wanted to do as the Commander in Chief. He didn’t need to ask Congress for anything. He simply did it. Makes it A LOT easier to fight a war that way.
Lincoln had all kinds of ideas for the future of ‘Murica. Lots of ideas on how to deal with the South and their so called “Peculiar Institution.” And, with War Powers, he could make it happen. Because, with War Powers, he was basically The King.
However, he did not plan for when he was no longer around. He failed to plan for his legacy. Probably because he was a bit busy with a major war and a bi-polar wife. Add to that his own bouts of depression.
Lincoln had chosen an absolute moron as his Vice President. A drunk from Tennessee named Andrew Johnson. The ONLY President impeached AND removed.
Everyone (except Lincoln…maybe) knew that Johnson was a moron. Everyone hated the guy. I mean here is a Southern Democrat, who the Northern delegates hated because he was a slave loving Southern Democrat. The Southern Folks hated him because he wouldn’t succeed from the Union. So, to sooth his hurt feelings, he drank…A LOT. He was drunk at his inauguration.
But Lincoln felt he was a “unifier” so he made him his VP.
Well, Lincoln didn’t know he was going to be assassinated. So, he went to the play at the Ford Theater WITH his full War Powers, power. John Wilkes Booth shoots him in the head and Lincoln dies the next day. The little thing in the Constitution for succession puts the VP in charge should the President become dead. The VP takes the power that the President had at his passing.
So, Technically Speaking, Lincoln gave Johnson full blown War Powers to pardon all of the traitors from the Confederacy. Sort of the equivalent of if Truman had pardoned Hitler and his crew.
And THAT, my friends is why the South has a misguided belief that they will “Rise Again.”
I’m just saying
That’s it for today. Be the person a stranger will do CPR on. Check in on each other and remember Jesus always did…CROSS FIT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA…the abs baby!
Peace
Ed-vise 