people were coming to a boxing match to watch these two heavyweights slug it out. >> lincoln is a rookie politician, a member of the brand-new republican party. just four years old, it was formed to end slavery. >> he's an unknown, abraham lincoln's career as a politician has been almost nonexistent. >> the only thing lincoln has is his brain, is his ability to orate. that's it. >> his opponent in this election is the current senator of illinois, democrat stephen a. douglas. >> stephen a. douglas was among the most ruthless politicians of the day. >> more importantly, probably the most powerful democratic politician in the united states. >> i would call it david and goliath. but it's worse than that. it's david and goliath if david didn't even have a slingshot.