Team of Rivals

I admit I was disappointed when Barack Obama announced his vice president selection. The governor of Virginia was my preference and it seemed to be a likely choice in terms of his interests and the demographics. Then I remembered that Obama is a big fan of Abraham Lincoln and he loved Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, Team of Rivals. In that book, Goodwin spells out the details of how Lincoln, a one-term congressman, won the nomination from other better-known candidates, largely because he was a great speaker and he refused to excoriate the men running against him. (Sound familiar?)

Then, when Lincoln was elected, he asked his former opponents to join his cabinet. Ever heard the aphorism, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."?

So, it looks as though Obama is emulating Lincoln, which is not a bad way to go. For more on Goodwin's book, click here.