Oh, I don't think whether something is noticed at the time is particularly important to gauging its place in history. If we collectively decided we value something after the fact, it then becomes important after the fact. By the end of the American Civil War certainly the Address had become important. It just struck me as odd that Obama would not want to cash in on an obvious and largely bi-partisan "feel good" thing as the 150th anniversary of the Address. On the other hand if he did go, he'd probably be criticized for just that: cashing in on a historical event.