GD POLITICS: ‘Roman Empire’ Elections Part 1

Host: Galen Druke
Guests: Leah Askarinam (AP Reporter), Jacob Rubashkin (Inside Elections Deputy Editor)
Date: December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode playfully explores the concept of “Roman Empire elections”—those American elections that, for one reason or another, take up an inordinate amount of our mental space. Drawing on the viral meme about men frequently thinking about the Roman Empire, host Galen Druke and guests Leah Askarinam and Jacob Rubashkin reframe the idea: what are the U.S. elections that obsess political junkies, and why? The crew share their own “Roman Empire” elections, compare notes with Encyclopedia Britannica’s most consequential U.S. elections, and dive into the stories, butterfly effects, and personal fascinations that make certain contests unforgettable.

Setting the Stage: What’s Your "Roman Empire"? (01:28–08:28)

• Galen introduces the viral “Roman Empire” meme, which morphed into referring to any obsessive topic as one's “personal Roman Empire” (01:28).
• The crew each share their own non-election, non-Roman Empire obsessions:
  • Leah: “I don’t... Mine is Harry Potter. But it’s not the movies, it’s the books. And it’s the text, specifically.” (03:41)
  • Leah admits to mentally sorting senators into Hogwarts houses and pondering the ethics of being a Hufflepuff in politics. She draws parallels between political resistance and the series’ themes, saying, “I think about resistance a lot. You know, being a Hufflepuff, like, is that okay? It’s something I’m okay with.” (04:07)
  • Jacob: “One of my personal Roman empires is actually an election…but the Napoleonic Empire for me was always something that was hipsterish here…Napoleon is always where my interests have been.” (05:46) Plus: “the hit early to mid 2000s NBC comedy 30 Rock, which…is probably the best comedy ever to be on TV.” (06:49)
  • Galen (reluctantly): “If I had to pick a personal Roman Empire, it is probably like early 2000s pop culture…” (08:28)
• None of the hosts actually spend much mental energy on the literal Roman Empire; the point is that obsessions are deeply personal and sometimes unexpectedly influential.

Framework: The Most Consequential U.S. Elections (08:32–09:55)

• To ground the discussion, Galen sets up Encyclopedia Britannica’s eight most important U.S. elections as a benchmark. Guests will compare their own top five "Roman Empire" elections to this somewhat “authoritative” list.
• Jacob and Leah recall their own pick obsessions: the 2000 presidential election and the 2018 Florida gubernatorial contest, respectively.

The Panel’s Top “Roman Empire” Elections

1. Jacob’s #1: 2000 Presidential Election, Florida (09:55–14:36)

• Why it’s his Roman Empire election:
  • “I think about the 2000 election in Florida all the time. I think that it hits all of the points right—it was incredibly close. 537 votes separated George W. Bush and Al Gore…” (09:55)
  • “The consequentiality of that election...cannot be overstated.” (10:43)
• Key themes:
  • The razor-thin margin, “hanging chads,” votes for third-party candidates, and eventual Supreme Court intervention.
  • The huge impact on U.S. and world history: “Obviously, 9/11 probably still would have happened. I think the response would have been different when it involved the invasion of Afghanistan... you can’t have this conversation without talking about the Supreme Court.” (11:04)
• Ripple effects: Appointments of John Roberts and Sam Alito, the Iraq War, changes in regulatory approaches.
• Notable Quote:
  • “I go back to it every time that there’s a close election. Every time people tell me that they don’t think their vote matters or that they don’t think that election...Why is election administration so important? Why is ballot design so important? ... it has all of the components to it.” (14:10)
• Frequency: “Several times a week.” (12:44)

2. Leah’s #1: 2017–2018 Virginia State House Tied Race & Political Dominoes (14:40–21:25)

• Why it’s her Roman Empire election:
  • “Mine is how someone got to be such a big deal…It’s fascinating to go from kind of having awkward small talk with them in an office to…seeing their names become household names.” (14:40)
• Summary:
  • 2017 VA House of Delegates race tied, decided by drawing a name from a bowl (“picked out of a hat or a bowl, I think was the Republican name” (15:01))
  • The winner controlled the chamber, which affects the line of succession in state government.
  • A scandal erupts: Democratic Governor Ralph Northam’s blackface photo, Lieutenant Gov. Justin Fairfax’s MeToo issues, AG Mark Herring’s own blackface admission, then finally: the Republican Speaker (because of the bowl-draw) would have become governor if all Dems had resigned.
  • Northam ultimately stayed, affecting subsequent races and the trajectory of Glenn Youngkin.
• Butterfly effect question:
  • “If that other name had been called, would Ralph Northam have resigned? And if so, ... what would have happened in the 2021 governor’s race?” (19:44)
• Signature quote:
  • “He also benefited from the right name being called or being pulled out of a bowl. And that is politics. That is just how it happens so often. And I think about that all the time.” (20:50)

3. Encyclopedia Britannica’s #1: 1789 – The First Presidential Election (22:49–24:20)

• Summary: George Washington elected unanimously. “President…and the only president to be elected unanimously.” (23:18)
• Notable fact: Only election in an odd-numbered year.
• Panel reactions: Leah points out the difference between % and raw vote totals: “Like, 100% of the vote and 69 votes out of 69 votes. What a…difference in impact.” (24:03)

4. Jacob’s #2: 2004 Illinois Senate—Obama, Star Trek, and Butterfly Effects (24:37–32:01)

• Setup:
  • “I am going to take us all the way back to the early 1990s, which is not when this election took place, but it is when CBS decided to reboot the Star Trek franchise…” (24:37)
  • Tells the story of how Jeri Ryan joining Star Trek: Voyager led to her divorce from Jack Ryan.
• Domino effect:
  • Jack Ryan becomes the 2004 GOP Senate nominee in Illinois. Divorce records are unsealed; sex club accusations tank his candidacy. The GOP scrambles, appoints Alan Keyes, and Barack Obama cruises to victory.
  • This senate seat springboards Obama into national stardom and, eventually, the presidency.
• Classic moment:
  • Galen: “So Barack Obama has Star Trek to thank for his entire political career. Guys, that’s crazy.” (30:25)
• Jacob’s coda: “I’m going to choose to believe that Obama’s political career was only made possible by the relaunch of Star Trek.” (31:53)

5. Leah’s #2: 2018 Florida Democratic Gubernatorial Primary and the Fall of FL Democrats (32:13–39:51)

• Synopsis:
  • The surprise primary victory of Andrew Gillum over expected frontrunner Gwen Graham changes the gubernatorial and national landscape.
  • Gillum’s candidacy (with ongoing FBI investigations) allows Ron DeSantis to narrowly win, transforming his national reputation—“a figurehead for the Republican party and an example of how to be successful in tough elections.” (35:07)
• Deep impact:
  • “It was the beginning of Democrats ceding Florida…they stopped prioritizing it.” (36:47)
  • Had Gwen Graham won, “she wins the general election, and Ron DeSantis does not become the figurehead who eventually goes against Donald Trump in the presidential primary.” (37:33)
• Jacob agrees:
  • “I really do think so…if you had a governor who was a standard bearer for your party there, I think those resources would have come.” (38:00)
• Broader context:
  • Counterfactual Florida as a swing state, and Democrats investing resources differently.

6. Encyclopedia Britannica’s #2: The "Corrupt Bargain" of 1824 (40:09–41:49)

• Summary: No candidate wins a majority, so the House chooses John Quincy Adams, despite Andrew Jackson winning the plurality.
• Panel’s commentary: The guests acknowledge its weight but note “everything back then was consequential because the country was new.” (41:49)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On personal obsessions:
  • Leah: “You want to get into, like, sixth Harry Potter book and, like, that first chapter or second chapter with the two ministers…I think about that a lot.” (04:07)
  • Jacob: “[30 Rock is] probably the best comedy ever to be on TV.” (06:49)
• On luck in politics:
  • Leah: “He also benefited from the right name being called or being pulled out of a bowl. And that is politics.” (20:50)
• On consequential elections:
  • Jacob (on 2000): “It has all of the components to it…” (14:19)
  • Leah (on Florida): “You could argue that Democrats were so demoralized by Florida, they stopped prioritizing it like this perennial swing state.” (36:47)
• On “butterfly effect” elections:
  • Galen: “Does Jack Ryan stay married if Star Trek doesn’t reboot? …I’m going to choose to believe that Obama’s political career was only made possible by the relaunch of Star Trek.” (30:34–31:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:28 — Introduction to “Roman Empire” meme and personal obsessions
• 03:41 — Leah on Harry Potter as her Roman Empire
• 05:46 — Jacob on the Napoleonic Empire & 30 Rock
• 09:55 — Jacob explains why 2000 Florida is his election obsession
• 14:40 — Leah on the domino effect of a single tied VA state house race
• 22:49 — Encyclopedia Britannica’s list begins: 1789 election
• 24:37 — Jacob’s “Star Trek→Obama” chain (2004 Illinois Senate)
• 32:13 — Leah and Jacob on 2018 Florida’s long shadow
• 40:09 — Encyclopedia Britannica’s pick: 1824, John Quincy Adams & the “corrupt bargain”
• (43:04–43:48) — Preview of Part 2: Andrew Johnson, the only dead senator to win, Mitt Romney counterfactual

Episode Tone & Takeaways

The discussion is light, witty, and self-aware, balancing earnest political analysis with deadpan, self-mocking humor (“I can hear people yelling at me, like, read another book. But it is what it is. I can’t help it. It’s my Roman Empire.” – Leah, 04:13). The panelists show how personal quirks and historic quirks shape both their fascinations and, possibly, the destiny of American politics.

Each “Roman Empire" election isn’t just about the numbers; it’s about the personalities, randomness, narrative twists, and alternate universes that make history so compulsively re-examined.

What’s Next (43:04–43:48)

The episode ends with a teaser for Part 2 (paid subscriber edition), promising:

• The 1864 selection of Andrew Johnson
• The only dead person in U.S. history to win a Senate race
• The hypothetical Republican Party if Mitt Romney had won in 2012

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