Enough with the Lincoln comparisons already

It is quite a good thing for the president to be conscious of the example of Abraham Lincoln; to seek inspiration from it; and even to hope to emulate it to some lesser degree. It augurs well for his presidency. I don’t fault the President for favoring symbols that call to mind his most distinguished predecessor. I will commend him if he actually does employ a governing style consciously similar to Mr. Lincoln’s. I admired the way he conducted his transition. And I am immensely grateful for his graciousness to his defeated opponent. But, at the risk of appearing churlish, I do object to historians and pundits who seem so eager to invent historical parallels between these times and Lincoln’s or between this President and our sixteenth. They both hailed from Illinois. They are both tall and slender. I cannot think of any other obvious similarities.