Come With Me To A World Of Pure Imagination

Sometimes having an imaginary conversation with people who aren't there is frowned upon, especially if you do it in public. (Although if you want to get away with it, just put in a Bluetooth headset. That one works every time.)

Lincoln manages to use the whole "talking to imaginary pals" thing as a way to re-has recent events.

For example, while reviewing the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, he sums up this conversation about the proposed Chase Amendment:

"But," said opposition members, "let us amend the bill so as to expressly declare that the people of the territory may exclude slavery." "Not we," said the friends of the measure; and down they voted the amendment. (22-23)

On another occasion, he has a question and answer session with himself:

Does Douglas believe an effort to revive that trade is approaching? He has not said so. Does he really think so? But if it is, how can he resist it? For years he has labored to prove it a sacred right of white men to take negro slaves into the new territories. Can he possibly show that it is less a sacred right to buy them where they can be bought cheapest? And, unquestionably they can be bought cheaper in Africa than in Virginia. (104-110)

These kinds of imagined conversations allow Lincoln to play around with how his audience receives his talking points. He can bring in other players, or put questions in people's heads. It breaks up the potentially monotonous run of a long speech, and implies a greater conversation, with people outside the room and outside the convention.