top five characters from the west wing
For the end of Phase II at sorkinverse, one of the challenges was to select our Top Five Sorkin Characters and explain why we love them. I know I'm not the only person who had difficulty picking only five, and on top of that, I had a hard time comparing characters from all three shows and the Sorkin movies that I've seen.
In the end, I decided to do my Top Five Characters from The West Wing, since that is my favorite of all of Sorkin's works (movies or television). I think these are honestly my Top Five Overall, although there's a good chance you'll be getting Top Five Characters from Sports Night and Studio 60 at some point soon. Just because I can. Please also note that pretty much every character not included on this list was an honorable mention.
Top Five Characters from The West Wing
Because it’s humiliating! A new amendment we vote on, declaring that I am equal under the law to a man. I am mortified to discover there’s reason to believe I wasn’t before. I am a citizen of this country. I am not a special subset in need of your protection. I do not have to have to have my rights handed down to me by a bunch of old, white men. The same Article 14 that protects you, protects me. And I went to law school just to make sure.
And with that, I’m going back down to the mess, because I thought I may have seen, there, a peach.
five || ainsley hayes
She's everyone's favorite blonde Republican sex kitten (even if Sam says that she should remember that nobody likes her). From the minute she's first introduced, she proves her intelligence and her poise. Her sense of duty is unparalleled, and she stands up for what she believes in even though she's working for the opposition. Plus, bonus points for her knowledge of Gilbert and Sullivan and for her very own brand of feminism that puts other women to shame. When she is First Lady (sometime soon, during the Seaborn Administration), her first order of business will be to hire that all night pastry chef. Thus, she is not only my favorite Republican on the show, but one of my top five favorite characters.
===
If we're going to walk into walls I want us running into them full speed. We're going to lose some of these battles, and we might even lose the White House, but we're not going to be threatened by issues. We're going to bring 'em front and center. We're going to raise the level of public debate in this country, and let that be our legacy.
four || leo mcgarry
Leo is not without flaws, yet his integrity and spirit seem to outshine all of those shortcomings. He is the boss first, but he genuinely cares about the rest of the senior staff, especially Josh. His entire life has been devoted to serving his country, to helping make the difficult decisions that no one else wants to think about. He keeps the rest of the staff centered and steps in to protect them whenever necessary -- although that won't stop him from putting them in their place when the doors are closed. He is sarcastic and realistic, but he always gives off a sense of hope and idealism at the same time. And he knows about Andrew Jackson and the big block of cheese.
===
I have such an impulse to knock your heads together. I can't remember the last time I heard you two talk about anything other than how a campaign was playing in Washington. Cathy needed to take a second job so her dad could be covered by insurance. She tried to tell you how bad things were for family farmers -- you told her we already lost Indiana. You made fun of the fair but you didn't see they have livestock exhibitions and give prizes for the biggest tomato and best heirloom apple. They're proud of what they grow. Eight modes of transportation, the kindness of six strangers, random conversations with twelve more and nobody brought up Bartlet vs. Ritchie but you. I'm writing letters on your behalf to the parents of the kids who were killed today. Can I have the table please?
three || donnatella moss
Donna's story is one of personal growth. When she drives from Wisconsin to New Hampshire to join the Bartlet for America campaign, she's just a determined college dropout who manages to convince Josh to hire her because she thinks she can be useful. If only she knew then her full potential. She's sweet and quirky and so incredibly capable, and you can't help but root for her as she graduates from Senior Assistant to the First Lady's Chief of Staff.
===
We have at our disposal a captive audience of schoolchildren. Some of them don't go to the blackboard or raise their hand 'cause they think they're going to be wrong. I think you should say to these kids, "You think you get it wrong sometimes, you should come down here and see how the big boys do it." I think you should tell them you haven't given up hope and that it may turn up, but, in the meantime, you want NASA to put its best people in a room and you want them to start building Galileo 6. Some of them will laugh and most of them won't care but for some, they might honestly see that it's about going to the blackboard and raising your hand. And that's the broader theme.
two || claudia jean "cj" cregg
CJ Cregg, quite simply, belongs in a class by herself. She's so elegant, and yet, she is absolutely a force to be reckoned with. Her ability to think on her feet as the Press Secretary is incredible, and while she usually manages to keep herself calm and collected, the moments when she lets go and says what she really thinks are all the more effective (see also: Women of Qumar). She puts everything she has into her work and, let's face it, we all wish we could be a little more like CJ.
===
Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet.
one || sam seaborn
Sam was my favorite character from the opening minutes of the pilot episode. I love his natural charm and idealism. I love that his favorite writer is Toby. He is incredibly talented and conscientious, and he really cares for the people around him. He stands up for the things that he believes in, and he's going to be president one day. He is not only my favorite Sorkin character, but also my favorite male television character of all time (second favorite overall because no one can ever top Dana Scully in my heart). As Donna would say, Sam's the man.
In the end, I decided to do my Top Five Characters from The West Wing, since that is my favorite of all of Sorkin's works (movies or television). I think these are honestly my Top Five Overall, although there's a good chance you'll be getting Top Five Characters from Sports Night and Studio 60 at some point soon. Just because I can. Please also note that pretty much every character not included on this list was an honorable mention.
Top Five Characters from The West Wing
Because it’s humiliating! A new amendment we vote on, declaring that I am equal under the law to a man. I am mortified to discover there’s reason to believe I wasn’t before. I am a citizen of this country. I am not a special subset in need of your protection. I do not have to have to have my rights handed down to me by a bunch of old, white men. The same Article 14 that protects you, protects me. And I went to law school just to make sure.
And with that, I’m going back down to the mess, because I thought I may have seen, there, a peach.
five || ainsley hayes
She's everyone's favorite blonde Republican sex kitten (even if Sam says that she should remember that nobody likes her). From the minute she's first introduced, she proves her intelligence and her poise. Her sense of duty is unparalleled, and she stands up for what she believes in even though she's working for the opposition. Plus, bonus points for her knowledge of Gilbert and Sullivan and for her very own brand of feminism that puts other women to shame. When she is First Lady (sometime soon, during the Seaborn Administration), her first order of business will be to hire that all night pastry chef. Thus, she is not only my favorite Republican on the show, but one of my top five favorite characters.
===
If we're going to walk into walls I want us running into them full speed. We're going to lose some of these battles, and we might even lose the White House, but we're not going to be threatened by issues. We're going to bring 'em front and center. We're going to raise the level of public debate in this country, and let that be our legacy.
four || leo mcgarry
Leo is not without flaws, yet his integrity and spirit seem to outshine all of those shortcomings. He is the boss first, but he genuinely cares about the rest of the senior staff, especially Josh. His entire life has been devoted to serving his country, to helping make the difficult decisions that no one else wants to think about. He keeps the rest of the staff centered and steps in to protect them whenever necessary -- although that won't stop him from putting them in their place when the doors are closed. He is sarcastic and realistic, but he always gives off a sense of hope and idealism at the same time. And he knows about Andrew Jackson and the big block of cheese.
===
I have such an impulse to knock your heads together. I can't remember the last time I heard you two talk about anything other than how a campaign was playing in Washington. Cathy needed to take a second job so her dad could be covered by insurance. She tried to tell you how bad things were for family farmers -- you told her we already lost Indiana. You made fun of the fair but you didn't see they have livestock exhibitions and give prizes for the biggest tomato and best heirloom apple. They're proud of what they grow. Eight modes of transportation, the kindness of six strangers, random conversations with twelve more and nobody brought up Bartlet vs. Ritchie but you. I'm writing letters on your behalf to the parents of the kids who were killed today. Can I have the table please?
three || donnatella moss
Donna's story is one of personal growth. When she drives from Wisconsin to New Hampshire to join the Bartlet for America campaign, she's just a determined college dropout who manages to convince Josh to hire her because she thinks she can be useful. If only she knew then her full potential. She's sweet and quirky and so incredibly capable, and you can't help but root for her as she graduates from Senior Assistant to the First Lady's Chief of Staff.
===
We have at our disposal a captive audience of schoolchildren. Some of them don't go to the blackboard or raise their hand 'cause they think they're going to be wrong. I think you should say to these kids, "You think you get it wrong sometimes, you should come down here and see how the big boys do it." I think you should tell them you haven't given up hope and that it may turn up, but, in the meantime, you want NASA to put its best people in a room and you want them to start building Galileo 6. Some of them will laugh and most of them won't care but for some, they might honestly see that it's about going to the blackboard and raising your hand. And that's the broader theme.
two || claudia jean "cj" cregg
CJ Cregg, quite simply, belongs in a class by herself. She's so elegant, and yet, she is absolutely a force to be reckoned with. Her ability to think on her feet as the Press Secretary is incredible, and while she usually manages to keep herself calm and collected, the moments when she lets go and says what she really thinks are all the more effective (see also: Women of Qumar). She puts everything she has into her work and, let's face it, we all wish we could be a little more like CJ.
===
Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet.
one || sam seaborn
Sam was my favorite character from the opening minutes of the pilot episode. I love his natural charm and idealism. I love that his favorite writer is Toby. He is incredibly talented and conscientious, and he really cares for the people around him. He stands up for the things that he believes in, and he's going to be president one day. He is not only my favorite Sorkin character, but also my favorite male television character of all time (second favorite overall because no one can ever top Dana Scully in my heart). As Donna would say, Sam's the man.