Character

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln erupts into Roosevelt Room fray through C.J.'s blade-sharp anecdote, shrugging off generals' gripes about Grant's boozing with a defiant toast: flood every command tent with his whiskey. This Civil War titan prioritizes battlefield genius over teetotaler purity, his spectral command slamming modern addiction debates—Hoynes' flaws echoing Grant's—reminding Bartlet's frantic inner circle that flawed leaders forge nations when victory demands it. Pragmatism slices through moral panic, legacy propelling electoral pivots.

7 appearances

Abraham Lincoln's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

7 moments

S3E17 · Stirred

Leo Abruptly Rejects VP Running Mate Proposal

N/A (historical reference)

Abraham Lincoln referenced via C.J.'s anecdote: defending Grant's drinking by sending whiskey to all generals, embodying pragmatic loyalty to effective leaders despite flaws.

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S4E5 · Debate Camp

Gaudeamus: A Camp Song and the Politics of Allocation

Not an emotional actor here; mentioned to illustrate electoral absurdity.

Abraham Lincoln is rhetorically invoked as an example of a politically tone-deaf pitch in certain districts; his name functions as shorthand for antiquated or misfiring appeals.

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S4E5 · Debate Camp

New Hampshire vs. Vulnerable Districts — a Tactical Tug

Not applicable — cited historically to make a point about messaging mismatch in some districts.

Abraham Lincoln is rhetorically invoked by Joey as the kind of historical figure that would be an odd cudgel in certain districts; he functions here as an ideological foil rather …

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S4E5 · Debate Camp

A Brief Truce — Josh's Interrupting Call

Not applicable — used as rhetorical touchstone to dismiss a stale attack line.

Abraham Lincoln is rhetorically invoked by Joey as an example of anachronistic or tone-deaf campaigning; Lincoln is not present but his name frames the limits of acceptable argument.

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S4E9 · Swiss Diplomacy

Bedroom Banter Interrupted — Eisenmenger and the Unwilling Surgeon

Referenced to underscore moral consequence; not emotionally active in scene.

Abraham Lincoln is invoked indirectly via the Booth/Mudd story; his assassination is the tragic anchor that complicates the ethical precedent Abbey cites.

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S4E9 · Swiss Diplomacy

Ethics vs. Executive: The Surgeon Refuses

N/A — invoked to underline the high stakes of the precedent.

Abraham Lincoln is referenced as the victim in the Samuel Mudd story; Lincoln's mention frames the severity and consequence of treating politically dangerous patients.

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S4E17 · Red Haven's On Fire

Will's Wake-Up Call: Tax Lesson and Intern Rebuke

Not present; functions rhetorically to provide historical continuity and moral weight to the policy.

Invoked by Will as the historical anchor for progressive taxation; Lincoln's name is a rhetorical authority used to legitimate the policy.

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Affiliation

Saybrook Institute for Public Policy