Everybody misunderestimated him. Seward even sent him a memo intimating Lincoln should delegate power to run the government to him, because Lincoln couldn't handle it.
Of course, after a year or so everybody looked around, noticed what he'd accomplished in that year and said, "Wait, what?"
What is even more interesting is that even his greatest rivals, like Seward, generally became loyal supporters as they got to know him.
Everybody misunderestimated him. Seward even sent him a memo intimating Lincoln should delegate power to run the government to him, because Lincoln couldn't handle it.
If they had read any of his speeches prior to that time, they would realize this was no average mind. This man was exceedingly Brilliant. He could write with an eloquence that I have seldom seen matched elsewhere in History, let alone among his contemporaries.
And now is the time to mention my theory about "Brilliant Presidents." They screw things up utterly. If you look back at the history of our Presidents, I dare say you will notice that all of them who were considered "Geniuses" were the ones that made the biggest mess of things, Obama and Clinton being but the latest examples.