How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
But as mighty as Jack Armstrong was, he was nothing compared to the vampires Abe had grappled with in the past. (5.62)
After all his training, Abe is stronger than the average human. (Of course, Abe can't take his ax out and chop Jack's head off here—that would be bad for business.) If we ever worried about Abe's strength, this probably allays our fears. It's also fun to imagine one grown man lifting another up over his head, as Abe does in this scene. Really, all our presidents should be involved in professional wrestling-style antics.
Quote #5
"People say us Boys stick close on account of our being kin. 'Cause we like raisin' a ruckus. The truth of it is, we stick close 'cause that's the only chance we got at growin' old." (5.80)
There's one form of strength that we haven't talked about yet, which is strength through numbers. Abe may be the strongest human in the book, but notice how quick he is to recruit some other people to help him hunt. First there's Jack, then Speed, then Ward Hill Lamon. (And Poe gives Lincoln some useful vampiric history, if not his fists.) Even vampires know it takes (at least) two. They are often solitary, says Henry, but they join up as the Union to fight a bigger threat (9.99-100).
Quote #6
He traveled the county on horseback and on foot, stopping to speak with anyone he encountered. He shook the hands of farmhands toiling in the scorched fields and won their respect with demonstrations of his own frontier-learned skills and God-given strength. He spoke at churches and taverns, horse races and picnics, peppering his stump speech (undoubtedly written on scraps of paper in his pocket as he traveled) with self-deprecating stories of flatboat mishaps and mosquito battles. (6.47)
More people today should follow Abe's election strategy, which is to demonstrate his strength, often by holding an ax out straight. It's funny how Abe can take some set of strength and skills (and experiences) and apply those to another field. He's not chopping his dad's wood here, he's getting elected. But the ax is just as handy.