I've ever seen the "case against Lincoln" presented in a smart, dispassionate, and reasonable fashion. They should save this thread in case somebody ever blows up the internet for its Confederate associations.
If you're focus-grouping me :- ) I'm afraid you've left me in a spot where i wonder whether you are era-adjusting nearly enough. Also I wonder how much simpler Lincoln's life would have been with a "centrist" position on slavery, the way (let's say) Donald Trump today takes a centrist position on LGBTQ issues and Hillary Clinton took a moderate position on socialist redistribution of income. What personal costs did Lincoln pay for his position on slavery? They must have been immense.
I'm left with my reverence for Lincoln's leadership on slavery rather unaffected, perhaps freshly strengthened by Papa Bell's and Matt's reasoning as well as the GBA ...
.....
... but on the other hand I have a new and sobering perspective on how ruthless Lincoln might have been in certain situations. Perhaps that is true of every President, that they're all stone-cold killers. Maybe they have to be.
I'm also left with an increased respect for your powers of reasoning and persuasion, if that's possible.