I know many people in academics, and majority of them are on the left when it comes to politics. It is a fact that when history, humanities, and political science scholars and professors are surveyed as to who they believe is the best president in United States history they list Lincoln as number two, behind George Washington, but just ahead of Franklin Roosevelt.
Perhaps there is something to be learned from that. Was Lincoln more like Washington or more like FDR? Perhaps we should ask the left why Lincoln is so admired. By the way I expect Washington to drop out of the top ten as time goes on.
I know right wing people who put Washington first and Lincoln second, myself included. So what's your point?
Washington is number one IMHO and after him we could argue forever. As to Lincoln, he did what he had to do in a time of crisis, but as to his impact on future generations from any of his policies other than holding the Union together, I'd say the only one with a lasting impact was the Homestead Act which really created the middle class driven type of country we became. But even that had been proposed before he was in office, and only made it through congress because the slave power were no longer in congress. We do know that he supported it and encouraged its passage.
Looking at Lincoln, his entire first term was about putting down the insurrection. We really do not know what would have been had he been able to serve out his second term. But I do believe that Reconstruction would have gone much better than it did under the worst president until that time, Andrew Johnson. The next worse IMHO was Lyndon Johnson, but Obama may well be able to pass him before he's done.