Abraham Lincoln was considered by the Eastern elite and the press to be a Western bumpkin limited both in intellect and knowledge. He also was thought to lack gravitas and maturity.

George Bush is considered by the Eastern elite and the press to be a Western bumpkin limited both in intellect and knowledge. He also is thought to lack gravitas and maturity.

Lincoln had won his first term with a minority of the popular vote, after a bitter election and an aftermath marked by constitutional tension.

Bush won his first term with a minority of the popular vote, after a bitter election and an aftermath marked by constitutional tension.

Lincoln, a relative novice in politics, assembled an "all-star" Cabinet with people such as Seward, Stanton, and Chase, Washington hacks considered intelligent, if evil, by national opinion. Many people believed he was entirely controlled by these Cabinet officers.

Bush, a relative novice in politics, assembled an "all-star" Cabinet with people such as Powell, Rumsfeld, and Cheney, Washington hacks considered intelligent, if evil, by national opinion. Many people believed he was entirely controlled by these Cabinet officers.

Lincoln had expanded the law enforcement powers of the Federal Government, and the threat to civil liberties was a major grievance of the Democratic Party.

Bush had expanded the law enforcement powers of the Federal Government with the Patriot Act, and the threat to civil liberties was a major grievance of the Democratic Party.

Lincoln thought that an activist Supreme Court was a major source of the nation's problems. He was unwilling to enforce the Dred Scott decision except as narrowly as possible.

Bush thinks that an activist Supreme Court was a major source of the nation's problems. He is unwilling to enforce the Roe v. Wade decision except as narrowly as possible.

Lincoln had been remarkably successful in dealing with a war that looked very bleak in his first year in office. By 1864, the Mississippi Valley had been conquered, as had Tennessee from Memphis to Nashville to Chattanooga.

Bush has been remarkably successful in dealing with a war that looked very bleak in his first year in office. By 2004, Afghanistan and Iraq had been defeated.

The war bogged down, however, in the election year of 1864. Sherman's army was slogging through sparsely populated counties in Georgia towards Atlanta, fighting for each inch of ground against a wily opponent who constantly retreated but never gave him a distinct victory in battle. Grant's army was fighting large, inconclusive battles in Virginia and settled down to a stalemate outside Richmond after incurring casualties on a scale far beyond that of the first part of the war.

The war bogged down, however, in the election year of 2004. Casualties were higher than in 2003, with no apparent results. There were no clear victories, and it seemed as if the war was going nowhere.

Lincoln's Democratic opponent, McClellan, was a war hero who, however, had probably done the war effort more harm than good by his defeatism.

Bush's Democratic opponent, Kerry, was a war hero who, however, had probably done the war effort more harm than good by his defeatism.

The Democratic Party wanted to give up and surrender the North's gains to the South because the war was too costly in money and lives. It was prepared to abandon the North's friends in the South-- in particular, the blacks who the Republicans wanted to liberate and who fought in the Northern armies. It would have welcomed multilateral negotiations involving the French and British, who hoped to see an independent South and a return to normal economic relations, as well as a weaker United States.

The Democratic Party wanted to give up and surrender Iraq because the war was too costly in money and lives. It was prepared to abandon America's friends in the Middle East-- in particular, the Kurds, the pro-democracy forces in Iraq, and perhaps the Israelis. It would welcome multilateral negotiations involving the French and Russians, who would like to see a Baathist Iraq and a return to normal economic relations, as well as a weaker United States.

McClellan, however, was a War Democrat, much more warlike than his party. Indeed, it was not clear what he would do differently from Lincoln. Mainly, it seemed he claimed he was smarter and more sympathetic to human suffering, and would carry out the same general policy but better than Lincoln could.

Kerry, however, was more warlike than his party. Indeed, it was not clear what he would do differently from Bush. Mainly, it seemed he claimed he was smarter and more sympathetic to human suffering, and would carry out the same general policy but better than Bush could.

It was widely thought that Lincoln had no chance of winning the election.

Some people think that Bush has no chance of winning the election.

Lincoln was accused of being a butcher, careless of soldiers' lives. Yet he had massive support among the troops, and the Republicans tried to facilitate military voting while the Democrats tried to block it.

Bush is accused of being a butcher, careless of soldiers' lives. Yet he has massive support among the troops, and the Republicans try to facilitate military voting, something Democrats tried to block in the last election.