Obama Channels Lincoln in Campaign Against Islamic State
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Abraham Lincoln did it when he inspected troops on Civil War battlefields. Lyndon Johnson flew to Vietnam to stand with soldiers. And George W. Bush donned a flight jacket during the Iraq war and landed on a U.S. carrier to declare “Mission Accomplished.”
Projecting a sense of command has always been an important ingredient of presidential leadership, particularly during military missions. The images don’t guarantee success; they do convey grit.