This week I read a section in my book about Lincoln as he was growing up in his young adult years. Lincoln after a series of failed debts in New Salem, became a successful legislator in the Illinois state legislature and a very respectable practicing lawyer. One of Lincoln's friends is quoted as saying "he could write out a speech... and then repeat it word for word without any effort on his part"(Guelzo 84) to show how much of an amazing memory he had. This skill seems to have helped him out a lot in later years, as he could recognize faces and dates to help put people at ease. It also furthers the theme that there was a lot more to this man than most people think of, and he really was quite the intellectual. His choice to pick being a lawyer as a career was also an interesting choice, due to his rather humble roots. "To truculent Democratic yeoman and workers, this made lawyers appear as the secret trades union of the markets, bemystifying honest farmers and urban workingmen and winning enormous fee"(Guezlo 96). This quote on the other hand shows how the average person, as they do now, despises lawyers and sees them as confusing and unnecessary. Lincoln on the other hand wanted to further and support the law, and being a lawyer is the most common occupation for politicians.
One of the most interesting parts I found was how the book describes Lincoln as a religious skeptic. Lincoln frankly said "My father was a member of the Baptist Church, but I am not"(Guezlo 116). This seems very different from the person we think of as president. It seems even more unlikely that a person who had said that could be elected to the presidency. Even now there is only one person in Congress who openly says he does not believe in God. Lincoln himself realized this problem and and admitted it was "a tax of considerable per cent. upon my strength throughout the religious community"(Guezlo 116). He was however not a complete atheist, but instead more of a religious skeptic. It is extremely impressive that he managed to still get election to the Illinois State legislature with this type of handicap, and is really a testament to his amazing political expertise.
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It seems that Lincoln was a great politician from the start, so it's no surprise he became a favorable president. But I disagree with you saying that we think of the president as having religious beliefs. I've never thought of the president with those words in my mind. I don't see how it's unlikely that one who is not completely devoted to religion could be elected. The government definitely is not and should not be about citizens' beliefs and faith, but about establishing strong laws and policies for the country.
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