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February 11th, 2009
10:06 PM ET
Why Lincoln?
You've studied President Lincoln in school; you hear about him on our show; you see him on the five-dollar bill. Some of you will even have to memorize the Gettysburg Address in high school (I think I did it for extra credit).
One of the facts that surprised me about the Civil War president was that he neither wanted to go to war, nor did he hate the South afterward; he encouraged Southerners to stop fighting and rejoin the union quickly.
Well, the U.S. is marking the 200th anniversary of the 16th president's birth. Today, Lincoln remains one of the most popular presidents - if not THE most popular president - in American history. Why do you think this is, so long after he led the country?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Abe Lincoln went through arguably the toughest time in our country's history. He decided to not only be against slavery, but to do something about it facing one of the strongest opposition of history. To have done that and to have succeeded is absolutely amazing.
Lincoln did a lot of memorable things for America, and he may have encouraged and moved some people. He had some injuries and we've heard he had some problems too. But Lincoln ignored them and made wise decisions. He looks unique with that dark beard and hair and students have to learn more!
I think it's probably because of the Emancipation Proclamation. He added a big stepping stone to freeing slaves.
We know basically that he did a great kind of things. Unification of North and South, the victory of civil war...But hey FDR lead a more big war and won it. So why is Lincoln is more popular?
HE CARED ABOUT PEOPLE.
Some books wrote at first he didn't cared about African-Americans. He only wanted the states to be united. But by some reasons he started to consider about slaves.(I think his wife forced him to.My mom says the same thing;care about people.)and that led to freeing them. That's why he is THE MOST POPULAR P(resident) of USA.
Because he freed the slaves and helped stop the civil war and was the greatest president in U.S history
I like his hat.
He looks like Mr. Brown...
His beard is very attractive. I just want to curl up in it and go to sleep.
I think Lincoln represents the American Dream. He came from humble beginnings and rose to lead our nation. He worked to make America better for all people, regardless of their skin color.
I think that he did so much for our country, even was asassinated, and the only source of repayment was to honor him. He loved our country so much, I think that's why we still honor him 200 years later.
I thinh that Lincoln is an important president because he help ended the Civil War
He helped lead our country through the difficult times we were having. He brought our country back together. If not for Lincoln, America wouldn't be the country it is today.
I think that Lincoln is way more important than obama for now. Obama has only been in office for a little while and shows little importance so far. If he can get us out of the economy struggles than maybe he could be considered greater but until then....
I think that Abraham Lincoln was more than a president to our country. He was like a father. He gave his life for our country and he deserves recognition for it. He loved all, white, black, Northerner, Southerner, he loved us and we should honor him for that!
I think Lincoln is still famous because he put an end to slavery.
He led our country through the Civil war. That makes him a great leader that derserves all of our respect.
I think he's so famous beacuse of his beard, and because he ended slavery.
lincoln was a great person. he was a nice person who always thought of others and i am glad that we have a day for him and not every president. he stopped slavery. i think he is the most important president in american history. he was the president in the civil war.
Abe lincoln was a great man he did lead his country through the war. He deserves more respect then people can give to him
Because Abraham Lincoln lead the country through a hard time.
Abe is the popular one now, but remember Obama is in office now. he will soon be the one remembered after his death. Abe was a good president and all, but he will soon be old news...
i think that Lincon lives on. If he had not not been shot i think that he would have made a great president to come. He did a lot for America and i bet he could have done more.
I think Abraham Lincoln is still so famous after all this time because he ended slavery. He was also president during the Civil War. If it wern't for him, we could still have slavery and injustice in the United States.
I think he is popular because now blacks are treated fairly and he was a great man. People look up to other people of importance and I think is a symble of peace and iportance.
I think what makes him one of the most popular presidents is the fact that he came from an ordinary family. Lincoln didn't have that political connection that so many president nominees now of day have. But Lincoln sought out to make a difference. Lincoln saw the potential this country had and he knew that we could get there. At the end of his term Lincoln had a huge impact. He united this courntry which led to this being one of the best places to live. That is why Lincoln is one of the most popular presidents in history.
He is still popular today because he achieved so much during his presidency. He freed the slaves and he went to war even though he didn't want to, but he knew it was the only way to save the union.
I think Lincoln was remembered so fondly was because he was a great man! He did so much to help others. He was an amazing president and one of my favorites
We are proud of what Lincoln did and admire him. We wish we could have fought for him talk to him.
I think he has been famous for so long because of the interesting way he died. I mean being assinated in a theater is kind of weird and also all the things that was behide his assination. I think he was also famous for his speech at Gettysburg. If you ask anyone they could tell you "four score and seven years ago".
because he got shot in the middle of getting blacks equal rights?????
Wow 200 years is a loooong time! I think that it’s cool that we still celebrate his birthday after all of these years. He did sooo much for us when we were president. I think the main reason why we are still celebrating his birthday is because he led us through some of the biggest hardships of our time. Or in his case, his time. Woohoo we get to celebrate the big 2-0-1 next year! 😛
Lincolns Rocks!
Um wow lincoln was sure a great guy and he deserves all the attention he gets...I cant belive he is already 200 years old !
he helped are country through one of the toughest times it has ever been through , the civil war! he was truley an amazing prez.!!!!!!!!
I LOVE YOU LINCOLN
I think everyone still favors Lincoln because he did what he said he was going to do and more or less the fact that he was opposed to war. Our world, let alone our country, is full of so much hatred and war and it is sickening! I myself am one who believes in world peace. Although the Civil War was going on during Lincoln’s presidency, a lot of America was at peace and they believe in Lincoln and believed that he would be a great president. To this day, war is still a big issue, and it needs to be resolved. I think if Lincoln was still alive, there would be no war and America, at the least, would be at peace. (Hey that rhymes!!!)
Happy B-day Lincoln!!!! :O 😛 😀 I love the fact that he was a great leader and lead us through the civil war and he is very good at that I guess!!! And OBAMA is so cool too he is a very brave man for entering the president spot at this time I just hope he will make the right choices and will help us!!!!! Lincoln is 200!!!!!
I think every one liked Abe Lincoln as a president like he has a monument statue type thing in Washington D.C. he wasn’t afraid of the civil war he was a great president and I think we should always remember him. since he was such a great president of the u.s.a.
Because he told the truth. He was the nicest president and people really like him.
P.S. your the only people that can make news so interesting
i think a rod should get fired for lieing to everyone especially after all these years. Didnt someone else get fired for lieing to the congress.
He changed the world better then any other president did. He cared about the black people and did something to stop the whites and blacks from hating each other. He was the best president ever in history and deserves all the fame and glory.
carl
my birthday is today also
I think that Abraham Lincon is one of the most loved presidents because he got all the slaves freed before he diedd.
Well i supose because he was a great leader, he was differnt. he was the odd puppy of the bunch and america fell for his kind dispostion, and gentle nature. the way he paved the way for the future. i wonder what he might have done if was given more time....
i think that it is becuase he has a big hat, or mabye because he has a nice beard.
well i think he is because he was a real character
I think Lincoln is remembered because he was a great president who led our country the right way. He was a courageous man and he is still remembered today because of that.
in my opion lincon is the best prez ever
He is a funny character to see just walking around. That would be funny to see.
I think that he is so popular because he did so many things. First you are constantly reminded of him because he is on the penny and the five dollar bill. Second because there is a children’s toy called Lincoln Logs. Finally because he was assassinated before his term was up. The many things that Lincoln did gave him a long lasting legacy.
Linkon was the most popular of president. He stopped the fighting of the southerns and he made them rejoin the union quickly.
I think that it is a bad thing because he is one of the best baseball players in the world. But that makes me think that he was just on steroids the whole time and it is just a really bad rep for him. I also think that it is horrible to take steroids because then it is like cheating.
President Lincoln was a smart prez. He did not want to fight with anyone unless he absolutely wanted too. He also wanted peace. Who doesnt!?! Lincoln also knew what was right and what was wrong. He stood up for what he believed and didnt let anyone tell him different.
I think President Lincoln is still popular because he was in the Civil War. He is also is popular because he was assassinated and he has the Lincoln memorial.
i think he is still so popular even after this long of a time period because he did so much for the country. he was also was a very amazing man and one of the most remembered presidents.
i think it's because he was a great leader and a good man
I would say he is still in our minds because he lead the union towards the civil war and freed the slaves from disaster.
I think it is cool that he stopped war within a country. I like it.
I think Lincoln is still popular because a lot o people still remember him from his great accomplishments in his history of being a president.
I think that we still celebrate Lincoln today because he was a great leader and he has changed the world. He is also a very smart man who deserves to be respected
I think that he was a great president. And if he wouldn’t have gotten shot he would be a great president
I think that he is so popular because he did so much for the country and he was killed before his term was up.
He did not want a civil war because when he was President he freed all the slaves in the southern states. He was a good leader and a great man.
tried to stop the war but did not succeed. He also freed the slaves witch was a humongous change. I think Abraham liken is the most popular president because ha did not want to fight. He also freed the slaves.
I think he is still very well because of what he did when he was president. I think he should always be remembered cause he was an good president.
I think that Abe Loncoln is rememered becuase of how equal he was. He was an amazing man who did good for our country. He didnt get mad at the south which is honerable. Ha freed slaves which i think is amazing because it was so hard. He should be aTHE MOST remembered president.
why did he have to get killed
I think that Abe was a great president for many reasons. First, he freed slaves which was probably hard. Second, he didnt get mad at the South and invited them to join the union. Third, he was so honest and did everything he could for our countrty. He really was an amazing president.
one reason is help this country and second he lead the counrty in hard times but the most important thing is that he stood up for what he believe 😀
I think Lincoln was a great president. He helped early America through one of the most difficult times in history. If the power of the presidents was in someone else’s hands the United States might have broken apart.
I thought Lincoln was a great president. He changed the world by freeing the slaves. Also we was honest.
I think that A. Lincoln was an awesome president; I know that I could have never done that. He had to help stop the states from fighting, because we work so hard to get them. Also, he had to help out our country during the Civil War, like finding soldiers, supplying them with food and supplies. This probably caused a finical crisis. And also he’s honest Abe, a great President.
I think he is still popular and still in our minds because he was a good man and a good leader.
I think that Abraham Lincoln was a very good president. He is an awesome president because he helped with the slaves in the south. That is a very important because blacks and others wouldn’t be were they are today if they didn’t have Abraham to help them.
So he is very important and he is worth every penny!
Before he died they used to say " The United States are" but after he died they said " The United States is." He sacrificed himself for his country and thats the biggest thing he can give.
The reason I like Abraham Lincoln is because he freed slaves.
I think he was a great president because he freed slaves and did many other important things for the United States.
I think he has become so popular later on becaus the way he lead the country and the way he thought about stuff is so much different then people these days who just think war will settle everything, and in the end it just causes more problems.
He did many things to make our country what it is now. There isn't slavery, there isn't south hating the north, all that's done and over with because of Lincoln, imagine what our country would be like if he was not president, things would not be like they are now.
I think Lincoln was such a good president because he was liked by both the north and then south and he was one of the very few president that deeply cared about our country.
Abe lincoln is an historical character that has always intrigued us because of it's deep spirituality, a lot of Presidents in the USA have been great but good old abe is one of the best.
He freed blacks, HE RULES! duh.....
I think Lincoln is a well-liked president by the people of today because he did not want war and today having the war in the middle-east that no one wants makes us like him because he wanted union and peace
Man! Abe Lincoln rocks! They shouldTOTALLY have a day for him! He is almost as cool as Carl Azuz!
Lincoln is my fav president. He was an important person to our history. think about it he didn't want war,slavery and he wanted the south to join the north. THE MAN IS A HERO TO EVERYONE. even if they don't ike him. He'll always be a hero to us all.
HAPPY B-DAY TO LINCOLN^^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I CANT BELIEVE LINCOLN IS 200!!!! YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT'S OLD!! AT LEAST HE SPENT SOME OF LIFE DOING HIS POLITICS AND CARING FOR OUR COUNTRY!!!!!!!! ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS LIFE WELL SPENT!!!!!!!
I'm Japanese and what I know about Lincoln is only that he made an end of the slavery.
PS
I always enjoy this podcast to study U.S. and Englsih.
I think that the biggest reasons he is so popular are his assassination and the fact that he freed the slaves plus he just had an all around good heart. He came from humble beginnings and became one of americas most beloved icons. 🙂
happy birthday to you happy 200 and happy birthday day other prez!!!!!!!!!
Licoln was my favorite president. He did so many good things for or country. He was so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought that was really funny how that guy dressed up as LIncoln and went to that store. That is so funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish I owned a cool hat like Honest Abe. That would be awesome!! Awww...makes me sad. 🙁
I think that it is super cool that the year we get to celebrate Lincoln, who ended slavery for African Americans that we have an African American president get elected for office. WOA!! Creepy, I know!! Coincidence?? Or did Abe up in heaven have something to do with it??
president lincoln just freed the slaves and he was our tallest preident
but yet he was a honest abe smart and had 2 kids now those are some great things to and he should never be foregotten
I think that lincoln is so popular with other people is because he let slaves have freedom from the south and he is also peoples icons for having a great heat and to be able to do lots of great things to make this country better.
Honest Abe did play an important part in abolishing slavery and all, but we don't know if he actually DIDN'T like slavery. Maybe he did it because of economic reasons. I mean, the South had slaves as workers. And since their workers were nothing but slaves, they didn't have to pay them. Therefore they had a ton of money left, while the North, being against slavery and all, had to pay for their workers. So Abe started the Civil War in order to equalize each sides cash. We don't know if "Honest" Abe did it cause he wanted freedom for blacks or if he did it for equal economy.
I can see why Barack Obama admires him. He was a great man who went through probably the toughest time in American history. GO ABE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lincoln did not free the slaves....but he supported them
I think that Lincoln is remembered because he was "honest."
HE FREED THE SLAVES, and DUDE!!!!!!!!!! HE IS OLD!!!!
Liclon was our sixteenth president and it has been 200 years scince he was. I think we shouldgive our appretiation to liclon .
Lincoln is probally the most famous president because he is an amazing man! Lincoln believed in equality, and that trait is unforgetable!
President Lincoln went through one of the toughest times of our nation.
He was a peace maker. Everything he did was for the best of our country, and he is still comemmorated today for being an amazing politician and leader.
I think the reason he is so respected is because of what he did and how he handled things. During the civil war, he acted as a bridge between the north and the south. He didn't want to go to war, believed in human rights (he ended slavery after all), and when the south rejoined the US, he didn't lash out at them. He realized that the way to build a strong country was to unite the people, not divide them.
He also wasn't a filthy rich president from a big city, he grew up in an average family. I think it's neat that he was able to rise to Presidency through his morals and ideas rather than his place in society.
But I think the biggest factor that makes Lincoln one of the most famous and respected presidents in US History is the fact that he believed in human rights and equality. As President Jimmy Carter once said, "America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way around. Human rights invented America." I think that Lincoln proved this, and I think people see that in him.
Abraham Lincoln was type of formula to the United States of America.
He wasen't a simple president.
I think that he remains one of the most popular presidents because he had to make a major decision and that decision influenced what our country has turned out to be today. I mean just think about it if there was no Lincoln slavery would still be going on today (maybe), and the Gettysburg Address would never have been given. Can you imagine a Mount Rushmore without Lincoln? I can't. He also may remain popular because of all of the things that commemorate him and his entire being like his birthday, this year was his bicentennial.
Lincoln is still extremely popular because he was a great president. He stopped slavery. He sewed our nation back together, and his memory lives on because all over America there are reminders of his existance. On Mt. Rushmore, the five dollar bill, the penny,
the Lincoln monument, and in every classroom what he did is taught to all of America's children.
I like him he is a pretty cool dude with hat and all.
People have realized that he did a lot of for our country and that this country would probably be nowhere without him! (-;
p.s. The hat is WAY cool! (-;
Do not question President Lincoln. He was a great man who did much good for this country. He is a hero of mine along side Neil Armstrong and Gil Grisham
First of all I think you’re very ignorant about the whole situation in regards to Lincoln and the civil war. First of all, the south succeeded due to what the vast majority of southern felt was the repeal of states’ rights. Mainly in regards to popular sovernty in the territories and also liberal Yankees who wanted slavery abolished regardless of knowing anything about it (uncle tom’s cabin). 2nd, Fort Sumter was attempting to be resupplied in confederate territory, so they viewed that there presents was a threat to national security and were therefore fired upon.
Abraham Lincoln saved the nation, freed the slaves, and wanted peace not war. If i was in the nation that he once ruled, i think i would want his birthday to be a holiday.
He was honest, brilliant had a good sense of right and wrong, and forced enimies to work together to make the dream team of the time. He brought about radical change and led a country through a long and bloody war. Whats not to like?
Lincoln was a great president!
I Love Abe.
He Was thee Best Prez. Eva.
Hehe
Lincoln was a great president and that is what we need to remember.
I think President Lincoln is remebered becaused he did what a president never did, or is going to do. he was right to never lie. he always spoke the truth because that was what he felt was right.
hes the best, i wish he was here to lead us through the economic crisis.
i think Ab was a very good man and he proofed that you don't need to go to school for every little thing and you can teach yourself and still be very successful so all you people that are against home schooling use this as a perfect example
I think the real question is, why not Abe? He did a lot for our free country including the end to slavery. So as long as I am in school I have NO problem learning about the rememberable president:)
I think he is still popular for the things he did for African Americans and on the subject of his death.
I think its for what he did for the African Americans. Also, for the way he was murdered in the Fords Theater.
I think LINCOLN was and still is a great president.Number one because the war back when he was president was for a good reason.Number two because he handled most things peacefully unless it really was worth a war over.And number three President Obama speaks about him very often in most of his speeches.And last but not least my great grandmother was born on his birthday!:)
I think Lincoln was chosen to be our president because the way he held is ground. (Well at least thats what i have read in books.) He stood up for somethings that no one would stand up for, he was against slavery and fought for the right of people. Now that is amazing. He, I would have to say is a hero to this nation and someone i look up to and someone other people look up too.
President Abe is honored appropriately for all of his acheivements.
He saw the equality of all people and wasnt afraid to express it. He was strong when people didnt agree w ith him and he helped them through.
This is a good idea and i wish we had a national day for this. Some people use cussing like a drug, and it can be addicting. some of my friends think that swearing is addicting and should be used lightly, but when it comes down to it, it just makes you look like a jerk. Its not cool to swear, so dont do it!
I think he is still the most famous president because he freed the slaves, and even though he fought against the south, he still helped rebuild thir economy. I think he was a very outspoken president that believd in peace, non-violence, and non- slavery. even though he got those things though, Booth shot him, and i think that that also made him famous, as the first president to be assasinated.
omg honest Abe ! What's not to love about this man. he was sincere, honest, loved peace, and was friendly. He didn't like the fact of having and owning slaves so the sweetheart made the Emancipation proclamation and that was great of him to do that. He was non-violent and the first assassinated president ! Clearly this man was a BEAST and it'd be great to have something to honor him even more(:
I think he is still the most famous president because if he were not there, people would still be slaves. President Lincoln was a great man because he believed in peace and non-violence.