In one of my classes as a guest instructor at a local High School, I asked a question, as I always do. I asked who was the first President of the United States of America. One young man braved his answer and responded: “Wasn’t it Abraham Lincoln?”

I have found that some students actually come off with that as their honest answer. Pardon the pun. Honest Abe. Abe wasn’t the first President. Far from it. George Washington was number 1! Lincoln did honor and look up to George Washington. I say look up to, even though they were actually both about the same height.

We think of Abe Lincoln as a tall, bearded, and deep voiced man. He was tall, and he did grow a beard after a young lady said to him he would look better with one. However his voice was high pitched, piercing, and even shrill. That was not a very fine attribute for a politician. But then there was no radio or TV.

To Abe’s benefit though, his voice was one that carried well in those days of open aired speeches and gatherings. He could be heard clearly from hundreds of yards away while his opponents often faded away. Abe was also a supremely talented speech writer and took great care to speak so the crowds could understand his message.

We get the pleasure of watching a political debate on Television tomorrow night. I wonder which candidate will come of most like honest Abe?