Although President Obama's second inaugural address was a giant stinker, his mere presence was enough to send another thrill up Chris Matthews' leg. After Obama's under-whelming performance, the MSNBC host made an interesting comparison -- to Abraham Lincoln.
"[It] Reminds me of another second inaugural — Lincoln’s," Matthews said -- you know, because he was there, or something. "So much of Lincoln in that speech, the Gettysburg address to the second inaugural itself. I thought was interesting was an attempt to draw a balance. Of course, he’s a man of the progressive side, but, he tried to draw a balance there between a government rule by an elite and a government ruled by a mob, both being a problem."
WATCH:
Has Chris Matthews ever even read Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address?
Obama's address talked about striking a balance between Democrats and Republicans, rich and poor; Lincoln's address wrestled with the balance between God and man.
Obama's address was fodder for progressives and took jabs at Republicans; Lincoln's address preached about "malice toward none."
Obama talked about climate change, gay marriage and the sanctity of Medicare; Lincoln wrestled with slavery and God's will.
But hey, let's give credit where credit is due. There were some important similarities between the two yesterday. As NRO's Eliana Johnson notes:
The president did refer to “blood drawn by the lash and blood drawn by the sword”; his remarks were concise, much like the Gettysburg Address; and this was a second inaugural . . . just like Lincoln’s second inaugural. Lincolnian, indeed.
