'Lincoln' TV Spot Reminds Audiences of the Way It Used To Be

Remember a simpler time when arguing over financial reform, taxes, and strategies for ending unemployment weren't the keystones of American politics? When the ideological divide between Republicans and Democrats didn't dissolve into so much unseemly petty bickering, fake posturing, and legislative deadlock?

Those questions might have sprung to many a mind during this week's presidential debate, at least until the above trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming "Lincoln" reminded us—or at least those watching CBS, ABC, and CNN—that, no, it's always been this way, if not much, much worse.

You think overseeing financial reform and ending unemployment is hard? Try abolishing slavery, completely upending the way nearly 50% of the country does business. Taxes? Abraham Lincoln practically invented them, along with good ol' paper money, to pay for his war. The war. (Or should that be War?) Which reminds us: as far as ideological divides go, you can't get much worse than the Civil War, pitting countryman on countryman, brother fighting brother. Sure, talking to your politically opposed in-laws might be difficult, but that unfortunate incident at dinner last Sunday kind of pales in comparison to the Battle of Gettysburg, right?

What do you think, Hitlisters? What are we to make of "Lincoln's" message? And what of those days when politicians actually said what they meant, and didn't hide behind vague prevarications and/or rely on the vagaries of unseen, unknown "fact checkers?" And is Daniel Day Lewis's accent ludicrous, or what? As always, let us know in the comments, or tell us on MSN Movies Facebook and MSN Movies Twitter.