BOOK REPORT: “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin

The Political Genius of our Greatest and Most Humble President

For some reason it’s hard for me to imagine Abe Lincoln as a political genius. In my mind he’s a homely, humble man from a neighboring state who happened to be President when the Civil War broke out, and got lucky in saving the nation from its greatest crisis.

But according to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, one of the keys to unlocking Abraham Lincoln is to appreciate his intense political ambition, and his skill. He WANTED to be President. He thought he COULD become President. Most audaciously, this one-term congressman who had twice lost races for the US Senate thought he SHOULD become President. In his own estimation, he had the leadership and conviction the country needed.

History has vindicated Lincoln’s ambition. But in her book, “Team of Rivals: The Political Ambition of Abraham Lincoln,” Kearns Goodwin explains how he got it done.

The book focuses in on Lincoln’s personal and political abilities. Winning the first Republican nomination at the 1860 convention in Chicago was no mean feat, given that Lincoln entered the convention a distant fourth. He smelled weaknesses in the all the other candidates and knew if he could position himself as everybody’s second choice, he had a chance. He won on the third ballot.

But he was just getting going. Lincoln understood that the best chance America would have at staying married was to organize his political opponents into a “team of rivals” that represented the broadest swathe of American voters. So, the men he defeated at the convention—Salmon Chase of New York, Edward Bates of Missouri, and William Seward of New York—became his first cabinet appointees. Other controversial appointees followed. Soothing these giant egos enough to join his team, and aligning them in the cause of the age, might qualify as one of the most heroic political acts of American history. But it worked—both nationally and personally. To a man, they all admitted to underestimating Lincoln at the start. And they all recognized his profound personal and political gifts in their eulogies following his death. Some wept for days.

Kearns Goodwin makes no effort to apply Lincoln’s leadership to today’s political climate. (Although President Obama said reading it was one of the reasons he decided to reconcile with his rival Hillary Clinton, inviting her to be his Secretary of State.) But there is an obvious contrast to make between the leadership we see today in Washington, and Lincoln’s. During times of intense crisis, it is tempting to try to consolidate power by relying on sycophants and yes-men. (As a religious leader, I know the urge.) But Lincoln’s cause was unity, and he knew that to bridge the great divisions tearing the nation apart, while also ensuring freedom for slaves, would require vigorous debate among the nation’s smartest leaders. He trusted his own abilities to both foster that debate and organize his team into a coherent whole that would ultimately execute his decisions.

This took humility and self-confidence that is frankly missing in the words and actions of so many of our leaders today--both inside and outside politics. Frankly, Abraham Lincoln is just a better man than most of our leaders are. And we are worse for it. In fact, it was widely understood that with Lincoln’s death his successor, Andrew Johnson, would not have the character or skill to deal fairly with the South, and that tensions would linger and burn. They still linger, and they still burn.

Even now we need Abraham Lincoln. Or at least ones like him.

Finally, a more personal note. Maybe the most touching part of “Team of Rivals” occurs a couple years into his Presidency. The war was raging and Lincoln was still finding his footing. Due to the incompetence of his military generals, the North was suffering massive and surprising losses, and people were doubting the President’s abilities. Thoughts of replacing him at the upcoming election were being actively considered. It was a dark time.

Then, tragically, his son Willie dies. In Washington, from typhoid fever.

His wife Mary is disconsolate, and perhaps suffers a mental break. Lincoln is beside himself with grief at this sudden loss of his beautiful boy. His other son Tad is also sick with typhoid. He recovers but must face the future alone, without his best friend. All of Washington pauses for a moment and weeps for the Lincolns, before it is generally understood that everybody must now go back to work. To save the country.

I know the feeling. Having lost our son almost one year ago, I’ve been balancing the twin responsibilities of leading an organization during a time of genuine crisis and—at the same time—coping with a most intense emotional pain resulting from the most devastating loss that can be thrust upon a parent.

There are differences. Lincoln’s loss was sudden, ours was slow. Lincoln was leading a nation during a war, I lead a church during a pandemic. My wife is coping better than it seemed Mary did. But I do find comfort in the example of a man who was able to cope with the unimaginable while also saving his own beloved nation from self-destruction.

May God give all of us that same strength, and skill.

-MRH