The one enormous difference between what Lincoln inherited and what Bush inherited is that Lincoln had the advantage of seeing the seeds being sown, the poisonous plant growing, and the harvest about ready. W got clobbered without the gradual build up. So in a sense, Lincoln was dealt a hand that he might well have expected; talk of secession was rampant by election time. On that point, I think W has had a harder task. But in the end, there are a lot of things that cannot be compared ... . Each man was certainly appointed by God for his hour -- for our country's sake.
I'm so glad W is behind the wheel.