Frederick Douglas was an escaped slave. He had suffered the horrors not just observed them. When the 1860 election came around, Douglas stepped away form the candidate who wanted instant Abolition and backed Abe Lincoln, who said he would keep slavery if it meant saving the Union.

Another good lesson is Obamacare. Even with majorities in both Houses, Obama barely managed to get the ACA passed. He thought that because he'd based his bill on Mitt Romney's plan the GOP would embrace it. Instead they attacked full force. How Obama got it done is a master class in politics.