James Swanson in the Wall Street Journal

[LincolnToddFan]

Jim, you are not the only one who feels that way. The choice to dump Hannibal Hamlin and replace him with someone like Johnson was an example of crafty political pragmatism on the part of Lincoln. It was Lincoln being what he was-in addition to his "better angels" qualities...a hard nosed politico. It reminds me of JFK's decision to pick another Southerner named Johnson as his running mate in 1960.