Practical Machinery

I've started reading a fascinating book called "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" recommended on a blog I read by Harold Burson. The book is about Lincoln's relationship with his cabinet during the Civil War... and interestingly how three of his top cabinet members were three of the men who had contended with Lincoln for the Republican party's presidential nomination.

So far in the reading, the author has been giving great background about the men who would vie for the nomination.

The background on Lincoln is fascinating. One thing that sticks out to me is that it is very hard - it requires intense engagement and discipline - to do something great. The author writes, "Lincoln engaged in every aspect of the political process, from the most visionary to the most mundane... The practical machinery of the party organization - the distribution of ballots, the checklists, the rounding up of voters - was as crucial as the broad ideology laid out in the platform."

I think it's easy to neglect the "practical machinery" or at least to question the need to spend a lot of energy on it. The vision guy may not have to attend to the practical machinery himself. But, without someone attending to it, the vision won't be realized.