Episode 6: Humorists and Hubris (with Chi McBride)

How to Be Abe Lincoln

Abe Lincoln would have loved the show “The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer,” a comedy sitcom from the 90’s that chronicled the life of a reasonable and intelligent butler, Desmond, and his bumbling doofus of a boss, Abraham Lincoln. The guys are joined by Chi McBride, the actor whose portrayal of Desmond Pfeiffer earned him scathing criticism and national uproar, and who has flawlessly overcome that criticism to be a successful and well-respected television actor. Abe Lincoln enjoyed, and even laughed at, the criticism that he received, even inviting a famous humorist who called him a baboon to the White House for a visit. They talk about the faith and fortitude that it takes to overcome intense criticism, Abe’s religion of “when I do good, I feel good” and how that could apply today, learning from other perspectives during debate, and how people today try to perfect each other instead of looking inward to perfect ourselves.