Politics

Chuck Todd: Obama aide says there would be slavery if Lincoln governed today

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
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On Monday’s broadcast of “Morning Joe,” NBC News correspondent Chuck Todd relayed an impression from an Obama aide who said, given the state of the modern Republican Party and the gridlock in Congress, President Lincoln would not have been able to abolish slavery if he tried to today.

Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” has apparently made a considerable impact on the Washington, D.C. establishment, having been regularly cited by political commentators since its release last month. And according to Todd, it looks to have made an impression on the White House as well.

“You’re going to like this,” Todd said. “So, I threw the Lincoln analogy at a close aide to the president last week, and he said, ‘You know, with this Republican — with the way politics of Washington are today, there’d still be slavery. Lincoln wouldn’t have been able to navigate the polarization between the media between this…’ It was an interesting and depressing observation from this very smart White House aide.”

(h/t Real Clear Politics video)

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Jeff Poor