"But the President has paid dearly..."

[slumcamper]

10. Essays (1841), Essays: Second Series (1844), and Essays: First Series (1847), I believe

...would seem to invalidate the Lincoln association; however, theoretically speaking the universalist nature of Emerson's philosophy is inherently freed from temporal constraints and ostensibly transcends the moment, is applicable throughout time, and therefore applies to Lincoln and all presidents--past, present, and future--by default.

That said, the liberated mind seeking the norishment of reason can certainly question or argue the validity or invalidity of the premise, moreover its applicability to Obama; but such an examination, done properly, entailing the parsing of Emerson's comment word, phrase, and holistically, in an effort to divulge its transcendent meaning is tedious work best left to anyone seeking a dissertation topic with which to lull his or her PhD committee to sleep.

For those so inclined, I suggest Emerson's Essay I History may be a useful conceptual framework from which to explore this question. Conversely, you should you actually wish to finish, you would be wise to avoid Nietzsche.

Thought-provoking stuff!