Lincoln was a political genius. His efforts to win the Republican nomination in 1860 showed some of the strongest political mastery of anyone in American history. He did state some strange opinions (such as the deportation of freed slaves) prior to taking the office of President, but you have to realize that he was a politician in the swing state of Illinois so he had to walk a very tight line. If he had gone to say that he was opposed to all slavery and wanted it removed in the current slave states, he would have faded away in Illinois politics almost instantly and it's likely that our history would be very different. Ultimately, it's his actions that matter and that have a lasting impression. He guided the nation through an absolutely horrible war, won, and fought through the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, which is far more important than any position he had as a state politician.