The country was divided, and there was no effective leadership anywhere in the government.
I read the following quote earlier today, but not in today’s newspaper, not on a blog, not even from a book whose focus is on today’s issues. And as I read it, I thought that this quote could very easily apply to America today, it could in fact be a quote from today’s newspaper or blog.
The truth is, this quote came from a book I am reading about President Lincoln and leadership. This quote describes the crisis of a divided United States when Lincoln first took office in 1861.
archival project 
I deeply, most profoundly, and most regretfully inform you that this quote doesn’t come close to applying to America today.