As we approach the 150th anniversary of the election of 1860, it's natural to wonder how Lincoln would fare in the age of modern politics. One can only imagine how the great man, who preferred using reason rather than emotion to persuade voters, would have navigated the current political landscape. Can you imagine him using focus groups, taking polls, and running attack ads? Just picture it-Lincoln, after implying that his opponent didn't pay Social Security taxes on a nanny that was here illegally, sent racy text messages to a young campaign staffer, and was in the pockets of teacher's unions, ends the ad with the words "I'm Abraham Lincoln, and I approved this message," spoken in a sharp, Kentucky backwoodsman twang that would grate on the ears of voters today like fingernails going down a chalkboard.
It's interesting to consider how Lincoln would fare in today's political climate, but to some extent it's a naive exercise, as he created key elements of it. For example, image-making is perhaps the most important component of modern politics, and Lincoln was a shrewd practitioner of the craft. Indeed, by allowing his people to market him not as an established railroad attorney, but the "rail splitter" during the election of 1860, Lincoln sent a clear message to the voters- that he was not afraid to role up his sleeves and confront the issues then tearing at the fabric of American democracy.
Perhaps Lincoln's greatest contribution to the practice of political image-making was his pioneering use of visual imagery. For example, he was the first president to make extensive use of photography, using that medium to portray himself as a resolute commander-in-chief during the dark days of the Civil War. Indeed, when looking at the picture of steely resolve above, one gains a new appreciation for the cliche "the medium is the message," and voters got the message-that Lincoln meant to win the war, preserve the Union, and bear witness to a "new birth of freedom," loud and clear.
