Who Was More Important: Lincoln or Darwin?

• Reply
• Report Abuse

Posted By: leebe30@yahoo.com @ 06/30/2008 11:32:19 AM

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: xzxzxzxzx @ 07/02/2008 1:49:32 PM

  The person of Jewish ancestry who???s come closest to becoming president is Democratic 2004 nominee John Kerry, who, not to sound like Goebbels here (too late?), had a father born to former Jews. There was also 1964 Republican nominee Barry Goldwater, again with a father of Jewish ancestry. In both cases their Jewish ancestors had converted to Christianity well before they were born. The self-identified Jew who came closest is Joe Lieberman, Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 2000.
  The closest anyone of Middle-Eastern descent has come to the presidency is probably Ralph Nader, a Christian Lebanese, who ran on third-party tickets in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
  
  The African-American who???s had the best shot at the presidency would have to be the half-Kenyan Barack Obama. Obama is also the first person of Muslim ancestry to have had a shot; his father was born Muslim before becoming an atheist.
  
  The closest ???traditional??? African-American, i.e. one descended from slaves who lived here, might be Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who, though she may never run, is certainly already the highest-ranked such person in our nation???s history (Colin Powell is of Jamaican ancestry). It could also be Jesse Jackson, who ran in the Democratic primaries in 1984 and 1988.

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: xzxzxzxzx @ 07/02/2008 1:48:47 PM

  The Greek-American who???s come closest was either Michael Dukakis, Democratic nominee in 1988, or Spiro Agnew, Nixon???s vice president, who would have become president on Nixon???s resignation if he hadn???t himself resigned a year earlier. Both were, interestingly enough, the sons of immigrants.
  
  The Danish-American who???s come closest (this one???s obscure) was Lloyd Bentsen, Dukakis??? running mate.
  
  The Norwegian-American who???s come closest was Vice President and 1968 Democratic presidential nominee Hubert Humphrey. Second closest was Vice President and 1984 Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale. Other Scandinavian countries, like Sweden or Finland, I don???t think have ever had a serious contender.
  
  I don???t think there have been any serious contenders of Spanish or Portuguese ancestry.
  
  The person of Jewish ancestry who???s come closest to becoming president is Democratic 2004 nominee John Kerry, who, not to sound like Goebbels here (too late?), had a father born to former Jews. There was also 1964 Republican nominee Barry Goldwater, again with a father of Jewish ancestry. In both cases their Jewish ancestors had converted to Christianity well before they were born. The self-identified Jew who came closest is Joe Lieberman, Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 2000.
  The closest anyone of Middle-Eastern descent has come to the presidency is probably Ralph Nader, a Christian Lebanese, who ran on third-party tickets in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: xzxzxzxzx @ 07/02/2008 1:47:47 PM

  John Kennedy was Catholic and Irish-American, Herbert Hoover was part-Swiss, and there have been a few Quakers and the like, but basically, America???s presidents have been men from a small band of the world: the Protestant countries of Western Europe.
  
  (One small pseudo-exception to that rule is that, according to this page, many of our presidents, including the current one, have some lineage from Huguenots, the French Protestants. Yes, Dubya has some French blood, amazingly enough.)
  
  Even among those who have run unsuccessfully for president, it???s been the same fairly standard set of ethnicities. Which isn???t to say that there haven???t been attempts and near-misses over the years from people from the rest of the world, as my memory plus some help from Wikipedia put together???
  
  The woman who???s come closest so far would have to already be Hillary Clinton, the current Democratic front-runner; the next-closest was probably Geraldine Ferraro, Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 1984.
  
  The Italian-American who???s come closest is probably already Rudy Giuliani; the next-closest would again be Ferraro.
  
  The closest a Polish-American has come to the presidency was Ed Muskie, who ran in the Democratic primaries in 1972, losing to George McGovern (he lost momentum after he reportedly cried during a campaign speech, which, if you can believe it, was at one time considered a liability.)

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: summer4077 @ 06/30/2008 1:40:41 PM

  I'm not trying to stir the pot here or anything, but Lincoln wasn't exactly against slavery. He said that he would have done whatever it took to keep the country together--if that meant allowing slavery, he would do it. The Civil War was over a lot more than just slavery. Namely, State's Rights i.e. a state's sovereign right to create and enforce their own laws on certain things. Anyway, not saying Lincoln wasn't an extremely intelligent, great leader, because he was. Has anyone else seen that email that's been going around?
  
  "You have two choices for president:
  
  The first one has one of the longest lines of political experience in
  history. He is exceedingly popular in congress. He was a soldier who
  volunteered to defend the United States in the Navy.
  
  The second one has no real political experience outside of Illinois. He
  is tall and lanky with big ears. He even lost a few of his first attempts
  at gaining political office. He is an excellent speechwriter and orator.
  He is a good attorney and has a successful law practice.
  
  So which one would you choose?
  
  This is a trick question because both were already Presidents of the
  United States. The first one is the 15th President of the United States,
  James Buchannan. He is the President who mired us in the Civil War by
  declaring the action illegal but doing nothing when the south decided to
  seceed from the Union. He is largely considered by historians as being
  the worst President in American history.
  
  He was followed by the other man who became the 16th President of the
  United States: Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln is credited with the
  end of slavery, the end of the Civil War, and unification of the nation.
  He became president at a dark time when our country was deeply divided
  over very polarizing issues. He had no experience in Washington prior to
  his Presidency. He is widely considered by historians as one of the best
  Presidents in American History."
  

  • • Reply
    • Report Abuse

    Posted By: THE RAVEN @ 06/30/2008 6:13:34 PM

    You're exactly right. As I said above, lincoln could not have cared less about black people. The Civil War was not over slavery. Any moron that says that is merely displaying their ignorance, and lack of education. The Civil War was an economic war. The south believed that the north was trying to tell them what to do, and ruin their way of life. The north is was no better. Some, many don't know that there was slavery in the north, too. Less than the south, yes, because of the land and climate--but they were not the black's friends.

    • • Reply
      • Report Abuse

      Posted By: xzxzxzxzx @ 07/02/2008 1:41:46 PM

      Thats horse sh t. Lincolns ideology's changed with time. He said what he had to say at a time but kept forcing the issue. Please read more books on Lincoln and his family. I am tired of people trying to change history. Next people will say Lincoln was a slave owner. At that time slavery meant money. He (Lincoln) made comments about slaves being less but his character and self understanding changed him and the country