Abraham Lincoln, the Internet and Fox News

I'm reading Dorris Kearns Goodwin's wonderful book, A Team of Rivals -- the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.

I just finished the chapter that covers the time from Lincoln's election as president in Nov. 1860 to his inauguration in March 1861. It's a four month period I've never read much about in learning about Old Abe.

What's remarkable is Lincoln's success during that time of holding his winning coalition of former Whigs and pro-Union northern Democrats together while not yet actually holding power. Consider what happened in the wake of his election: the deep south seceded, the Buchanan administration failed to take any type of response, and South Carolina seized Federal property. Meanwhile the border states, including Maryland and Virginia teetered on the brink of secession -- which would have cut Washington off from the North giving the South access to the nation's treasury and other assets.

To be sure, these four months were disastrous -- but it could have been so much worse. The border states could have left the Union. Lincoln's party -- the nascent Republicans -- could have splintered. Washington could have been taken. Lincoln may never have taken office. That things didn't go that far, well, south, is, argues Goodwin, to Lincoln's credit.

Thinking about this, it's amazing that Lincoln could do this from Springfield, Illinois without benefit of email, fax, phone or even the technical wonder of the day, the telegraph. Lincoln -- whose use of the telegraph would eventually help him win the war -- wouldn't communicate that way because it wasn't private -- and he was careful not to say anything publicly that would make the situation worse.

Instead, Lincoln kept things from collapsing by sending messages through intermediaries, private letters and personal meetings. He maintained a moderate, civil position during a calamitous time. It's a stunning achievement given what was going on in the country and without the aide of modern communication.

Or, perhaps, the lack of instantaneous communication and cable news is what enabled Lincoln's success. As cacophonous as the period was, imagine secession in this country had Fox news and Bill O'Reilly been around. Imagine the blog firestorm. Our modern communication favors the instantaneous and the extreme. Thoughtful and balanced doesn't earn many site visits or Nielsen ratings. Our politicians can rarely take a nuanced approach because they have to get to the next Sunday morning news show, send out another press release or get a video ready for You Tube. Moderation -- taking a step back, thinking before speaking or hitting "send" -- doesn't fit into this world very neatly. The slower pace of communication in the mid-nineteenth century may have enabled the moderates to keep their heads and maintain a centrist position, instead of goading them into rash action.

The moderate, restrained and nuanced Lincoln that held the north and border states together from 11/1860 to 3/1861 would have a much tougher time in today's world. Lincoln was a master communicator who skillfully used technology available to him to his advantage and no doubt would do so today. But it just seems that in today's firestorm any attempt for moderation would be consumed.