This morning we all woke to news of the results of the Iowa Presidential Caucuses which took place last night. 

In the Democratic column, of course, President Obama is running unopposed at present so there was no news there. But on the GOP side apparently it is quite exciting. From what I hear last night represented the tightest results in any recorded Republican contest. Mr. Romney seems to have won by a mere eight votes.

Naturally, being a student of Abraham Lincoln, I find election campaigns fascinating. What many people do not realize is that the election of 1860 in which Abraham Lincoln became the 16th President elect, was very unusual and quite unique. 

Normally, in the United States, a presidential election ends up as a contest between a Republican candidate and a Democratic candidate, with an occasional year in which a third party nominee such as Ross Perot or Ralph Nader takes part. In 1860 there were in fact four candidates. Mr. Lincoln as we all know represented the newly formed Republican party, while Stephen Douglas, a long time acquaintance of Mr. Lincoln represented the Northern Democrats. But the Southern Democrats offered a second Democratic candidate. Unhappy with Mr. Douglas due to some of his positions on various issues, the Southern Democrats ran John Breckenridge, the previous Vice-President. Meanwhile, a third party, The Constitutional Unionists, unhappy with all three of the other candidates, ran John Bell.

It is interesting to note that in the slave states at the time, Abraham Lincoln and the rest of the Republicans were so unpopular that Mr. Lincoln’s name did not even appear on the ballot in most slave states that November.

Well we all know how things turned out that year, but children can learn much about today from a visit from the past in the form of Mr. Lincoln himself. If you are seeking assembly ideas and ideas for school assemblies, this February is a perfect time to host a visit from The Living Lincoln, a school assembly suitable for all ages and featuring an awesome Lincoln impersonator who will take your students on a voyage of discovery perfect for this 2012 election year. We have dedicated Abraham Lincoln impersonators available this February in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, California and all over the East Coast.

And while he is there, ask him not only about the election itself, but also about the convention at which he was nominated. Mr. Lincoln will have to describe it from second hand accounts as candidates themselves did not attend the conventions in those days, but the story of his nomination is fun and exciting, and no one tells a good story like Abraham Lincoln. The story of the 1860 Republican nominating convention is one you will be sure to not want to miss!

So for assembly ideas this year, have a look at our Abraham Lincoln impersonator! A little history might be just what we all need in these divided times!