text: Many in the audience thought he appeared awkward and even ugly.But Lincoln demonstrated intellectual leadership, which brought him into contention.Journalist Noah Brooks reported, "No man ever before made such an impression on his first appeal to a New York audience".Historian David Herbert Donald described the speech as "a superb political move for an unannounced presidential aspirant.Appearing in Seward's home state, sponsored by a group largely loyal to Chase, Lincoln shrewdly made no reference to either of these Republican rivals for the nomination." In response to an inquiry about his ambitions, Lincoln said, "The taste is in my mouth a little".1860 presidential election On May 9–10, 1860, the Illinois Republican State Convention was held in Decatur.Lincoln's followers organized a campaign team led by David Davis, Norman Judd, Leonard Swett, and Jesse DuBois, and Lincoln received his first endorsement.Exploiting his embellished frontier legend (clearing land and splitting fence rails), Lincoln's supporters adopted the label of "The Rail Candidate".In 1860, Lincoln described himself: "I am in height, six feet, four inches, nearly; lean in flesh, weighing, on an average, one hundred and eighty pounds; dark complexion, with coarse black hair, and gray eyes." Michael Martinez wrote about the effective imaging of Lincoln by his campaign.At times he was presented as the plain-talking "Rail Splitter" and at other times he was "Honest Abe", unpolished but trustworthy.On May 18, at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, Lincoln won the nomination on the third ballot, beating candidates such as Seward and Chase.A former Democrat, Hannibal Hamlin of Maine, was nominated for vice president to balance the ticket.Lincoln's success depended on his campaign team, his reputation as a moderate on the slavery issue, and his strong support for internal improvements and the tariff.