Yes we "GET IT".

BUT, Winfield Scott was a Political advisor to Lincoln along with Illinois Congressman Elisha Washburne, the mentor of Hiram U. S. Grant, long before Lincoln every ran for President of the United States. Scott had run for President in 1852 as a Whig, I believe, and had been a politican advisor from the first for the newly forming Republican party during that period afterwards.

Scott was so trusted by Lincoln that he was one of only two men that had inside knowledge of Lincoln's secret travel arrangement due to assination threats made against Lincoln when he came to Washington DC to be sworen in as President in March of 1861.

Yes Scott was aged and of another generation. Yes he was a Virginia. But that is another overly simplistic convient "canned" answer. That was not why he was doing the behind the scenes skullduggery that he was involved with in Washington in those critical months of early 1861. And Scott was NOT relieved of his duties until 1862 if I remember my history correctly. Scott's duties was eventually assumed by Henry Halleck, another of the Galena Illinois intercircle of politican operatives along with Scott, Washburne, Lincoln, and Grant.