Polls of professional historians, ranking US presidents:
C-SPAN poll of academic historians in 1999 found Lincoln ranked as best president of all time.
Harvard (research by Schlesinger, a liberal) in 1948, 1962 -- Lincoln #1 both times
Also ranking Lincoln #1 were surveys by Chicago Tribune (1982), and the Murray-Blessing survey of 842 historians.
Siena Research Institute found Lincoln ranked #2 in surveys performed in 1990, 1994, 2000, and 2002
As I said, those who spend their lives understanding politics and history think he was among the best of all time. Sailor, I appreciate that you're trying to enjoy the BBS by trolling your way to another purse fight, but you're backing a losing position...and the subject of the thread is the electoral college, not presidential rankings. So I'll decline to become further involved in a "battle of wits with an unarmed opponent."