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Home Archives for Abraham Lincoln
Social Media Buzz Cannot Be Safely Disregarded

8/18/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

Social Media Buzz Cannot Be Safely Disregarded

In today's fast-paced social media world, disengagement is simply not an option. Whether it's an independent author like myself monitoring what people are saying about my eccentric title character, or a large corporation with millions of dollars of profits on the line, there is no excuse to lose track of what's being said about your brand on Facebook, Twitter, or other outlets. In this way, business and marketing are a lot like democratic politics -- a prominent topic on this site. It doesn't matter if the buzz is true or not. Our famous 16th president Abraham Lincoln once said about statesmanship: "A universal feeling, whether well or ill-founded, cannot be safely disregarded." Despite what some satiric Lincoln memes might suggest, Old … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, History, liberty, National Politics Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, Alterian, buzz, infographic, marketing, reputation, social media, statesmanship, survey

How to Train Your Politician: Conservative Ed Hanks Urges Intentional Voting

1/5/2015 By Ben Leave a Comment

How to Train Your Politician: Conservative Ed Hanks Urges Intentional Voting

On December 20, 2014, I chatted by phone with Ed Hanks about his new book How to Train Your Politician: Intentional Voting as a Path to Tea Party and Constitutional Victory. Hanks, an acquaintance and Jefferson County conservative activist who has been one of Colorado's leading voices for Personhood, graciously shared a Kindle copy of his book for me to read prior our conversation. We talked in the wake of the lame-duck Congress passing the corporatists' dream bill, known as Cromnibus, fueling the fires of populist conservative discontent (including yours truly). A mounting frustration definitely brings a growing interest in the strategy Hanks endorses. Yet what I find most appealing about the book and its author is his historical … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, liberty, National Politics Tagged With: 14th Amendment, abortion, Abraham Lincoln, activism, administrative, Alexander Hamilton, amendment, Article V, authoritarianism, Ayn Rand, balanced budget, Barry Goldwater, Bill Clinton, Bill Owens, candidate, Colorado, conservative, Constitution, Cory Gardner, Cromnibus, Democrats, Ed Hanks, Education, Elizabeth Warren, Establishment, executive, Forrest McDonald, Free Markets, George Washington, government, Governor, gun rights, Hillary Clinton, human nature, initiative, Ivory Tower, John Boehner, journalism, liberal, libertarian, media, Personhood, philosophy, politics, pro-life, Rand Paul, Republican, rights, RINO, Ronald Reagan, Scott Walker, Secretary of State, social issues, socialism, state legislature, taxes, Tea Party, Ted Cruz, Thomas Jefferson, treasurer, William Safire

4/18/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

The Principled Politician Brings True Tale of Colorado Statesmanship to Life

It's been awhile since I've done any sort of book review. But having just completed Adam Schrager's The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story, it seemed an apt time to change that. Those who won't want to miss this book include students of Colorado history, fans of the World War II era (especially the home front), and anyone interested in a sadly forgotten inspirational story that seems foreign in today's all-too-jaded and polarized world of politics. As introduced to readers in The Principled Politician, Ralph Carr (1887-1950) -- Republican governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943 -- was a rare model of statesmanship. Fittingly, he held deep admiration and adulation for our nation's 16th president Abraham Lincoln. He recognized the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Book Reviews, Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, History, Random and Miscellaneous, World Events Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, absence, absolute, accessible, account, Adam Schrager, administration, admiration, adulation, all-too-jaded, Americans, ant-Japanese, book, book review, burdens, Carr Street, circumstances, citizens, Colorado history, commitment, constitutional rights, cost, demigod, devastating, disagreements, domestic terrorism, elected officials, engaging, era, essential, ethnic origin, ex-governor, exhibits, fans, fiscal responsibility, flawed, forgotten, fresh, frustrations, happen, History, home front, humane, hysteria, inspirational, intimately, invasion, Japanese-born, lessons, liberty, limited government, major theme, marble man, maxim, model, narrative, national origin, nationwide, originally researched, overreaching, paean, passions, Pearl Harbor, poignant, polarized, political career, politics, power, principles, public opinion, question, quirks, Ralph Carr, rare, recognition, refusal, Republican, respectfully, responding, sadly, sense of humor, statesmanship, steadfast, story, students, The Principled Politician, ultimately, vindicated, World War II, written

2/12/2009 By Ben 5 Comments

After Two Centuries: Reflecting on One of History’s Great Men, Abraham Lincoln

Update: Warner Todd Huston has a lengthier, more eloquent, and thoughtful piece up for your perusal. Today is the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. And I'd be remiss not to acknowledge the moment. Ironically, even as we would honor the day of his birth, Lincoln himself would dismiss all inquiries about his youth and upbringing on the Frontier as "the short and simple annals of the poor". A man of rare ambition, savvy, and statesman-like vision, the colorful and quasi-religious mythology about our 16th President misses the mark, but not by as much as it would with most historical actors we can study. Outside the God-man Christ Jesus there have been no perfect men, no flawless or superhuman men, who have lived among us. But … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Commemorative, History Tagged With: 1809, 1860, Abraham Lincoln, ambition, annals of the poor, anniversary, articles, birth, Black Power, books, Christ Jesus, comprehensive, Cooper Union Address, dogma, far left, far right, flawless, former Congressman, great men, historical actors, History, Illinois lawyer, insightful, logic, mythology, national eye, neo-Confederate, nominee, perfect, politically correct, Powerline, precision, President, pro-slavery, Republican, savvy, Scott Johnson, social forces, Southern faction, statesman, suggestions, superhuman, sweeping

1/21/2009 By Ben 3 Comments

On Best Behavior, Patriotic Opposition Rejects Obama-Lincoln Analogy

I don't have time to put down much original thought this morning, so here are three pieces I commend to readers on the Morning After the inauguration. First, the Denver Post's David Harsanyi eloquently asks the rhetorical question many of us have wanted to ask:Do all Americans truly have a yearning to fundamentally "remake" our nation? There must be a subversive minority out there that still believes the United States — even with its imperfections and sporadic recessions — is, in context, still a wildly prosperous and free country worth preserving. Some of you must still believe that politicians are meant to serve rather than be worshiped. And there must be someone out there who considers partisanship a healthy, organic reflection … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, General, History, National Politics Tagged With: "un-American", Abraham Lincoln, American Thinker, Andy Levy, apologize, Barack Obama, Bizarro flaws, compelling argument, Confederate Slave States, contrived imagery, counterproductive, David Harsanyi, Denver Post, differences, dissent, divisive, foreigners, free country, guidelines, healthy, historical scholarship, imperfections, inauguration, Jefferson Davis, Joseph Ashby, loyal opposition, morning after, organic, original thought, partisanship, patriotic, pieces, politicians, President, readers, recessions, rhetorical question, serve, souls, subjective, subversive minority, thesis, United States, unity, untenable, worshiped

12/1/2008 By Ben 5 Comments

Finding “Salvation” from Government Debt and Hope for GOP Brand

A good decade ago, in a college political science class, we read this essay penned by Harry Jaffa, with a key memorable passage:The end of the Cold War has also brought an end to the remission of the disease of moral relativism that is corroding the life of western civilization. It would certainly seem that the salvation of the West must come, if it is to come, from the United States. The salvation of the United States, if it is to come, must come from the Republican Party. And the salvation of the Republican Party, if it is to come, must come from the conservative movement within it. And the salvation of the conservative movement, if it is to come, must come from the renewal and reaffirmation of the principles of the American Founding, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, academic debates, alternative, American Founding, Claremont, Cold War, college, Colorado, conservative movement, constrained vision, cost-saving, Declaration of Independence, deficits, economic, environment, fiscal responsibility, fiscally conservative reforms, GOP, government debt, governments, Harry Jaffa, laboratories, mantle, moral relativism, New York Times, opportunities, party leaders, political, political science, Republican brand, Republican Party, Republicans, salvation, services, Soren Dayton, state governments, state level, statehouse, Straussian, The Next Right, tongue-in-cheek, United States, West, Western Civilization

11/16/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Okay, Barack Obama and I agree on “Team of Rivals” … So What?

For those who believe I have nothing good to say about our President-elect Barack Obama. He at least has some good taste in contemporary historical literature:It so happens that Obama and New York Sen. Clinton share a reverence for "Team of Rivals," Doris Kearns Goodwin's book about how Lincoln brought foes into his fold. Clinton listed it during the campaign as the last book she had read. Obama, clearly a student of Lincoln, spoke of it several times. Now past could be prologue. Obama is considering Clinton for secretary of state or another senior position, meeting John McCain on Monday to see how his Republican presidential rival might help him in the Senate, and sizing up one-time opponents in both parties for potential … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, History, My Life, National Politics Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, appointments, Barack Obama, breathless comparisons, Cabinet, Democrat, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Hillary Clinton, historical literature, Joe Biden, President-elect, presidential rival, Team of Rivals

10/27/2008 By Ben Leave a Comment

ObamaFraud and the Ongoing Motivation of the GOP Ground Game

There is a ton to catch up on heading into the election's final week: Palestra has the latest on vote fraud committed by Barack Obama staffers camping out in Ohio. Naysayers repeat the mantra that this fraud can't possibly affect the election, because it's on such a small scale. Focused so intently on potential direct impacts, they miss the point. The ever expanding, yet unknowable, scale of voter registration fraud has been part of feeding a public perception. Based on what we know about human nature and behavior, it will have some effect - how so, it's too hard to say. To further understand the concern, think instead about what this says: the bare minimum of electronic controls to cover his online donations, allowing for myriad kinds … [Read more...]

Filed Under: clean government, Colorado Politics, General, National Politics Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, anger, anonymous, assumptions, Barack Obama, Beldar, Colorado, credibility, Democrats, disparities, distortions, election, electronic controls, essay, Gateway Pundit, ground game, John McCain, journalist, margins of error, media establishment, Michael Malone, millions of dollars, nationwide, naysayers, Newsbusters, oblivion, Ohio, online donation fraud, overconfidence, Palestra, phone calls, polls, public support, reality, shenanigans, small scale, statistical sampling, volunteers, votger fraud, walking precincts, Zombie

9/23/2008 By Ben 1 Comment

Slow Joe Biden, the Gaffe-Making Gift that Just Keeps On Giving

One month ago, when we learned Barack Obama had picked someone even more gaffe-prone than himself to be his running mate, I said: Let Joe Biden speak for himself! Last week the 3rd-most liberal U.S. Senator Biden basically announced his intention to lose western Pennsylvania by saying "no coal plants here in America": Then yesterday, the self-professed high-IQ Joe Biden declared his monumental historical illiteracy to Katie Couric: Jessie Walker on Reason.com had the best retort:And if you owned an experimental TV set in 1929, you would have seen him. And you would have said to yourself, "Who is that guy? What happened to President Hoover?" Maybe the next thing we'll learn is that Abraham Lincoln telephoned Ulysses S. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, History, National Politics, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, British, Democrats, FDR, Great Depression, Herbert Hoover, high-IQ, historical illiteracy, Joe Biden, Katie Couric, liberal, no coal plants, surrender, television, U.S. Senator, Ulysses S. Grant, victory, western Pennsylvania, Yorktown

7/3/2008 By Ben 9 Comments

1861 Was Not 1776: An Essay

Update: An astute observer has corrected a factual mistake. James Madison wrote "much of" - not "most of" - the Federalist. Alexander Hamilton wrote more, though Madison wrote many of the key essays that frame the meaning of Union. My faux pas. The following is adapted and expanded from an email listserv essay I wrote recently, inspired initially in response to the following phrase someone had written: "The American Republic created by the founding fathers was destroyed by the civil war...." Here is my argument why libertarians should think long and hard before embracing a defense of the Confederate cause: Quite simply, the noble libertarian impulse to champion resistance to government encroachment on people's freedoms has led many … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, History, My Life Tagged With: "cornerstone" principle, "Peculiar Institution", 13th Amendment, 14th Amendment, Abraham Lincoln, Alabama, Allen Guelzo, American Burke, analogy, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, antebellum, antislavery, antislavery cause, civil libertarian, civil liberties, Claremont Review of Books, Confederacy, Confederate Constitution, conscription, Daniel Webster, Declaration of Independence, Deep South, Democrat Party, dictatorship, Dred Scott decision, economic nationalization, Emancipation Proclamation, federal government power, Fire-Eaters, Fort Pickens, Fort Sumter, Founders, Fugitive Slave Act, global holocaust, Great Britain, Henry Clay, historian, House Divided Speech, income tax, James Madison, Jefferson Davis, Jeffrey Hummel, John Calhoun, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Leviathan state, libertarians, Maryland State Legislature, neo-Confederates, nuclear bombs, Nullification Crisis, party platform, personal liberty laws, plantation slavery, popular sovereignty, pro-Southern, Progressives, racism, radical abolitionists, Republican Party, republican principles, right of revolution, Robert E. Lee, secession, Second Inaugural Address, slaveholders, slavery, South Carolina, states rights, statist, tariffs, Tennessee, Thomas DiLorenzo, Tim Sandefur, U.S. Congress, U.S. Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court, Unionists, Virginia, Western territories, Whig, Woodrow Wilson, World War II, writ of habeas corpus, Yankees

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About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

Recent Posts

  • Tips to Teach Kids to Set and Achieve Goals
  • The Christmas Music Countdown You’ve Been Looking For: 2022 Edition
  • Sleep Deprivation and Parental Controls: How to Ensure Your Kids are Safe from Media Exposure
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