Originally Posted by Ustwo

Please don't call me inane, it annoys me, especially when you are using a very short post to do so.

Lincoln's election was not the only factor in the civil war by a long shot, but had someone with more apparent southern sympathies been elected perhaps the bloodshed would not have been so great, and perhaps civil liberties would not have needed to been suspended.

Yes his leadership was inspiring during the war, but his inexperience meant he had to learn some things the hard way and the hard way was the cost of lives, 1000's at a time.

Interestingly if say Lincoln had prevented the civil war from happening, and made an agreement which preserved the union without bloodshed, I'm willing to bet less people would think of him as 'the greatest president'.