'Roman Empire' Elections Part 2

Summary

GD POLITICS Podcast

Episode: "Roman Empire" Elections Part 2
Host: Galen Druke
Date: December 23, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode of GD POLITICS, Galen Druke is joined by Leah Askarinom and Jacob Robashkin for Part 2 of their "Roman Empire Elections" series—an exploration of the elections that have left a lasting impression on their minds. The panel discusses fascinating and sometimes bizarre chapters of American electoral history, including Lincoln’s pivotal 1864 campaign, the infamous drunken swearing-in of Andrew Johnson, the posthumous election of a U.S. Senator, and alternative histories for the modern Republican Party.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: Which Elections Haunt Us?

• Each panelist lists elections they “can’t stop thinking about,” referencing both historical and contemporary events.
• Notable examples: the 2000 presidential election, Glenn Youngkin’s Virginia governorship, Obama’s election inadvertently leading to a Star Trek reboot, among others.
• Galen Druke provides a brief teaser for paid subscribers: "We’ve got the selection of Andrew Johnson at the Republican convention who ended up taking the oath of office blackout drunk. The story of the only dead person in US History to win a Senate race, and how the Republican Party might be different today if Mitt Romney won the presidency in 2012." (00:34)

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The 1864 Republican Convention & Lincoln’s Running Mate Swap

Speaker: Jacob Robashkin
Timestamp: 02:05 - 03:20

• Jacob dives into the highly consequential 1864 presidential election, focusing on the Republican convention where Lincoln chose to replace his abolitionist vice president, Hannibal Hamlin (of Maine), with Andrew Johnson (from Tennessee), a Southern unionist.
• The motivation: Lincoln worried that “it’s too politically risky to have someone who's allied with the Radical Republicans on his ticket,” seeking broader appeal for reunification post-war.
• Notable background:
  • Hamlin was an abolitionist and served as a private and later corporal in the Maine militia while VP.
  • Johnson was selected to reassure border states, not out of shared ideology.
• Quote, Jacob Robashkin (02:42):
  “Incredibly consequential election. Right? Like, Lincoln wins the Civil War. He's the only guy at that time who, like, he was the right man at the right time. All of that, he wins with Hannibal Hamlin as his vice president.”

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The Infamous Drunken Swearing-In of Andrew Johnson

Speaker: Jacob Robashkin
Timestamp: 03:03+

• After Lincoln’s assassination, Johnson ascends to the presidency—but his tenure starts on a notably low note.
• Jacob explains:
  “Johnson is blackout drunk when he gets sworn in as vice president in 1865. Yeah, he kisses the Bible as he's being sworn in, and then he's so drunk that he can't swear in any of the senators. Right. It's the vice president's job to swear in the senators.”
• This incident sets the chaotic tone for Johnson’s presidency and is cited by the panel as a glaring “what if” in American history.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bob Stump (lighthearted intro, 00:00):
  “Bob Stump, Congressional candidate, House candidate, 2018, runs as Bob Stump. Bob Stump. The original, the legend Bob Stump.”
• Leah Askarinom (playful jab, 00:11):
  “You said Bob Stump so many times.”
• Jacob Robashkin (03:03):
  “Tragedy strikes, Lincoln is assassinated, and Andrew Johnson becomes president. Things get started on a really terrible note. ... Johnson is blackout drunk when he gets sworn in as vice president in 1865.”
• Leah Askarinom (fact-checking, 02:36):
  “Wait, you guys, it's 1860.”

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Segment Timestamps

• 00:34–01:48: Overview of upcoming topics and reminder about paid content.
• 01:48–02:05: Recap of panelists’ chosen elections/themes.
• 02:05–03:20: Jacob Robashkin breaks down the 1864 Republican convention and Andrew Johnson’s vice presidential nomination.
• 03:03+: Details of Andrew Johnson’s drunken swearing-in.

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Tone & Takeaways

• The conversation is lively, curious, and includes moments of light-hearted banter, especially in the panelists’ interplay over historical details and eccentric trivia.
• The panel treats historical elections as “Roman Empires”—events they are obsessed with re-examining and drawing lessons from.
• Humorous highlights, especially around the peculiarities of American political history (e.g., the drunken swearing-in), keep the tone engaging and relatable.
• The hosts emphasize how alternate decisions and chance events could have dramatically altered political trajectories—prompting listeners to think about the delicate hinges of history.

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For more episodes and subscriber-exclusive content, visit gdpolitics.com.

Transcript

[Bob Stump]

Bob Stump, Congressional candidate, House candidate, 2018, runs as Bob Stump. Bob Stump. The original, the legend Bob Stump.

[Leah Askarinom]

You said Bob Stump so many times.

[Bob Stump]

I'm starting to disassociate his widow. It's like, how dare you use my late husband's name for your own political ambitions.

[Galen Druch]

Hello, and welcome to the GD Politics podcast. I'm Galen Druch, and this is part two of Roman Empire Elections, where Jacob Robashkin, Leah Askarinom and I are sharing the elections that we just can't stop thinking about. If you missed part one, definitely start there. We talked about the 2000 election, of course. We also talked about the crazy turn of events that indirectly resulted in Glenn Youngkin becoming the governor of Virginia. And the even crazier turn of events that links the election of Barack Obama to the reboot of Star Trek. Today, the fun doesn't stop. We've got the selection of Andrew Johnson at the Republican convention who ended up taking the oath of office blackout drunk. The story of the only dead person in US History to win a Senate race, and how the Republican Party might be different today if Mitt Romney won the presidency in 2012. We're going to kick things off with Andrew Johnson. And I'll note here that today's episode is for paid subscribers, so it will cut off shortly for free subscribers. So if you're not a paid subscriber, go [e-mail] if you are a paid subscriber. First of all, thank you. Second of all, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

[Leah Askarinom]

Okay, so we have Leah with 2017, Virginia State House, 2018, Florida Governor Jacob with 2000 election, 2004 Senate race, Star Trek reboot. Jacob, we're back to you. What ranks number third on number three on your Roman Empire elections?

[Jacob Robashkin]

So number third for me. I am gonna stay in the. In the 19th century. I'm going with the election, the presidential election of 1864, specifically the Republican convention and the vice presidential nomination in 1860. Abraham Lincoln, of course, wins the presidential election. Incredibly important. I'm sure that's going to be the next one on Britannica's list.

[Bob Stump]

It better be.

[Jacob Robashkin]

And like, that's a fascinating.

[Leah Askarinom]

Wait, you guys, it's 1860.

[Bob Stump]

Yeah, it should have been number two.

[Jacob Robashkin]

Incredibly consequential election. Right? Like, Lincoln wins the Civil War. He's the only guy at that time who, like, he was the right man at the right time. All of that, he wins with Hannibal Hamlin as his vice president. Hamlin was a senator from the state of Maine. Hamlin was an abolitionist. He supported arming black soldiers in the Union army. He even. He was called up to serve as vice president when the main militia was mustered at the start of the Civil War and he insisted on serving. He was a private as vice. He was a private in the main militia. He ended up getting promoted to corporal. So congratulations to him. But the point is, that was where he was politically. He was an ally of the Radical Republicans. 1864 rolls around. Lincoln is worried about his reelection chances. He's gonna face McClellan, his former general, and he decides that it's too politically risky to have someone who's allied with the radical Republicans on his ticket. So he dumps Hamlin in favor of Andre, who is from Tennessee, but he's a unionist. He ends up, you know, so he's got kind of more appeal to some of the more the border states and with an eye toward reunification with the South. And so he picks Johnson. And they win the election of 1864 over McClellan, of course. Tragedy strikes, Lincoln is assassinated, and Andrew Johnson becomes president. Things get started on a really terrible note. Hamlin has to swear Johnson in first. Humility. Johnson is black out drunk when he gets sworn in as vice president in 1865. Yeah, he kisses the Bible as he's being sworn in, and then he's so drunk that he can't swear in any of the senators. Right. It's the vice president's job to swear in the senators.