The Red Mass
Very elegantly put-together episode coming up. I adore the whole election arc. It's just a straight-line of great episodes. Anyway:
SUSAN
I believe, in this case, on this particular point, you're the servant to two masters.
AMY
And as sexy as that possibility sounds, it's just not true, Susan.
SUSAN
Your relationship with Josh Lyman, with C.J. Cregg, with the First Lady, with the President!
STACKHOUSE
Can we return to the issue at hand? I'm going out of my mind with you two.
SUSAN
You should call for federal funding of needle exchange in the five cities with the highest incidence of AIDS. Ritchie has given you a perfect opening.
However, there is a method to Ritchie’s madness. He wants to bait the president.
AMY
It's baiting the hook. That's why they sent an advanced copy.
STACKHOUSE
Yeah. But didn't I get in it to talk about things like this? Why not take the bait?
AMY
The bait's not for you. It's for the President. Ritchie wants you to respond so the President has to.
SUSAN
I thought the aim was to talk about issues that aren't being discussed. Not to run pass blocking for the President.
STACKHOUSE
I feel like Susan has a point. It's an opportunity to get into some debate about it. If it was just me, nobody would be listening.
SUSAN
I don't know why you think the Committee to Re-elect needs us to protect them. And if
Ritchie's strategy is what you say it is, won't Josh Lyman figure that out in five minutes?
AMY
It'll take his assistant Donna five minutes. It'll take Josh half that time.
I like that treatment of Donna. It acknowledges her as smart but not on Josh’s level. I never think that Amy gets enough credit for being incredibly respectful and friendly to Donna considering that she knew Donna was a potential romantic rival in Amy's first episode.
STACKHOUSE
Really?
AMY
Maybe a little longer because the Mets lost last night, and he'll need to focus.
Cut to the Five Minute Thinker (Donna) and the Two and a Half Minute Thinker (Josh). Just as Amy said, Josh is stressing about the Mets and it’s affecting his focus. See, Donna? Amy does get Josh.
JOSH
You know, there comes a day in every man's life, and it's a hard day, but there comes a day when he realizes he's never going to play professional baseball.
DONNA
You're just having that day today?
LOL. Anyway, Josh takes even less time than two and half minutes to figure out that Ritchie is using Stackhouse to push Bartlet to the unelectable left because goddamnit, the boy has opening credits to make and this teaser is already taking too long.
JOSH
I know how Ritchie's going to win this election.
Credits.
C.J.
Red Mass, Red Mass, Red Mass, you say. Red Mass is at... You're right-- 10:00 at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception which is also what they called my dorm room in college.
On that delightfully snarky but TMI note, CJ takes questions on the debate negotiations which are a huge deal in this episode.
C.J.
The President believes the debates are good and that more the better. The President's asked for five debates. Governor Ritchie's asked for two. The President said, "How about four?" Governor Ritchie said, "How about two?" We're waiting for the commission to make its recommendation.
I enjoy the way she tells that story. She says it in an off-hand way but Ritchie comes across like such a doucher.
KATIE
And follow-up is what would be considered a debate win for the President?
C.J.
At this point, participating in one would be a victory.
REPORTER
I want to ask the same question.
C.J.
Which was?
REPORTER
What would be a victory in the debate?
C.J.
270 electoral votes.
REPORTER
Seriously.
C.J.
Seriously.
CJ walks out where she rendezvous with Sam.
C.J.
I know how Ritchie's going to win this election.
SAM
So do I. What's your way?
C.J.
Overcoming perversely low expectations. What's your way?
SAM
Getting the President to run the Stackhouse campaign.
That’s two TWO ways that Al Gore lost the 2000 election to George W. Bush and it happened in the same damn election. Well, not entirely. The Nader Factor wasn't so much about getting Gore to come down on unpopular issues so much as people pushing the lever for Nader but still, Stackhouse was inspired by Nader.
Anyway, the senior staff all arrive at the Oval Office for a meeting with Jed.
Anyway, the senior staff all arrive at the Oval Office for a meeting with Jed.
JOSH
Needle exchange in a speech to the AMA: "We ought to begin and end with abstinence. We ought to begin and end with personal responsibility."
TOBY
I'd like someone to ask Ritchie if he's aware that needle exchange cost $9,000 for every infection stopped. Treating someone with HIV cost $200,000. I'd like someone to ask him that. I'd like someone to ask him where the responsibility was in paraphernalia that made it a crime to buy or carry a syringe, which is why addicts share infected needles in the first place. I'd like someone to ask him that, too.
LEO
All done?
TOBY
For the moment.
That’s a classic Toby/Leo exchange. Toby is ranting idealistically while Leo wants to get to pragmatically solving the political problem but despite those different approaches, their respect for one another is palpable.
Anyway, Bruno thinks this needle-exchange gambit could put as many as three states in play.
C.J.
Ohio, Michigan...
JOSH
And Maine.
BARTLET
They've always been iffy about me in Maine. I don't know why.
Ohio, I get. However, I always thought that Maine was too liberal to move to Ritchie’s camp because of this. Also given how poor Michigan’s high density population areas are, I’m surprised that they would agree with Ritchie on this. Looking up the HIV rates for Michigan, HIV diagnoses have doubled among Michigan teenagers 2003 to 2007 from 3.2 per 100,000 to 7.3
JOSH
It's a mystery, sir. You can't come out against either. You'll alienate...
BARTLET
Heroin addicts?
JOSH
Liberals.
BARTLET
Whatever.
LOL. Exchange of the episode! The people end the meeting and there’s a very true-to-life moment where Leo asks for other opinions and CJ is thinking about sharing but then thinks better of it because everyone is leaving anyway and she’s not sure how she wants to frame the issue of Jed losing because of low expectations. So she bounces her concerns off Toby, her best friend and guy most concerned about Jed losing *because* Ritchie’s stupidity is a secret asset
TOBY
I'd like someone to ask him about the responsibility in cutting the drug that treatment that would eliminate needle-related HIV. Half of all people getting infected are getting infected by the needle. I'd like someone to ask him how he thinks the personal responsibility plan's going so far.
C.J.
I'll get on that, but I want to talk to you about the debates.
TOBY
When we mention that we want five debates, say what they are. One on the economy, one on foreign policy, with another on global threats and national security, one on the environment, and one on strengthening family life, which would include health care, education, and retirement. I also think there should be one on parts of speech and sentence structure, and one on fractions.
C.J.
Is there any chance I'm going to get an opportunity to speak in this conversation, or are you just writing out loud?
TOBY
I didn't even know you were in the room.
C.J.
Toby, I'm absolutely terrified we're going to lose the expectations game. I can't believe how many times I get asked what would be a win in the debates. At this point I feel like if -- and only if -- Ritchie accidentally lights his podium on fire does the President have a fighting chance.
LOL.
TOBY
These two men are going to be side by side on the stage, answering questions. That's the ball game.
C.J.
If the whole thing is, he can't tie his shoelaces and it turns out he can, then that is the ball game.
TOBY
And I believe he'll have to do more than tie his shoelaces.
C.J.
Not much more.
We then learn about a typical day off for Donna.
DONNA
I'm going bike riding, as a matter of fact, and then I'm meeting some friends for lunch, and then I'm having my nails done.
JOSH
Wow, that sounds great. If only you were actually doing all those things.
DONNA
Yeah, yeah. What?
Anyway, Josh wants Donna to attend a workshop run by Teddy Tomba, flakey self-help guru who has consulted for Ritchie.
DONNA
That lacks a certain nobility of purpose, doesn't it?
JOSH
I don't believe it does. Write down any key slogans, or philosophies, or slogans.
DONNA
They'll probably be on a t-shirt, won't they?
JOSH
Probably. You know what I'm looking for.
DONNA
Should I go in disguise?
JOSH
As what?
DONNA
Somebody who'd go to one of these things.
It’s a plausible assignment for an assistant to the Deputy COS because it’s more of a lower-level spy position and many candidates have been embarrassed by the self-help gurus or ministers in their coterie. It’s highly realistic. Still, I can’t see Leo/Toby/Sam/CJ sending their assistants on similar missions. Josh feels more comfortable asking Donna to do strange things.
Also, Donna would totally go to a self-help seminar of her own free will. She may snark about it later but I totally see her as both insecure and eager to grow and learn enough to get life-coaching. I guess she has to keep up appearances for Josh who will hypocritically have a psychiatrist but then scoff at self-help people. I do get the distinction between a shrink and self-help guru. One is a medical professional and one isn’t, however, I do think that the ultimate goals are close enough that neither should be demeaned on the face of it.
That said, flakey and lame self-help gurus are a dime a dozen and *they* unlike psychiatrists don’t have to go to school and pass boards to practice. Teddy Tomba sounds like such a lame guru. I guess I'm just being cranky or desperately looking for comments.
Leo is shaking hand with Israeli Defense minister Ben Yosef who is very charming. Don't get too attached. That's not a white business shirt he's wearing under his suit. It's a red shirt.
BEN YOSEF
And in addition to being a good friend to Israel, Leo McGarry, of course, is the most Jewish man most of us have ever met. For that, he gets this yarmulke which has been crumpled up in my coat pocket since a wedding in 1962. For everything else, the Medal of David.
LEO
Thank you very much, Mr. Foreign Minister. A thousand dead relatives in Scotland just started crying.
I think Ben Yosef heard about Leo’s fondness for deli food and that he, like all Sorkin characters, will insert a little Yiddish in his Sorkinese.
BEN YOSEF
What the hell is going on, Leo? I'm reading Shareef is alive in Libya. That's you people, right?
LEO
We're thinking about starting our own tabloid.
LOL. They chat a little bit about the pipe-bombers house in Iowa and the youth of White House interns. I’d call it ridiculous for Yosef to be surprised that there are young people working as interns but, then again, Israeli young people are almost entirely serving as soldiers. No time to be interns for the civilians until they turn 21.
They get to the heart of the issue- Qumar’s accusations that Israel shot down Shareef’s plane.
BEN
Israel has to immediately deny the accusation.
LEO
I don't want there to be an accusation. I want it to wait another week.
BEN
And what are you asking Israel to give up in order to get them to delay accusing us of something we didn't do?
LEO
Ben...
BEN
I'm just saying, tell me.
LEO
You're planning to attack two Qumari training bases in retaliation...
BEN
Yes, sir.
LEO
Don't.
BEN
That's out of the question.
LEO
If you hold off, Fitzwallace can get the Qumari Defense Minister to have the Sultan hold off a week.
BEN
Leo, look at what's happening. They're getting you to pull us back by continuing this preposterous lie.
LEO
But...
BEN
We're not the ones playing skeet shoot with their cabinet.
LEO
No, no, Ben. I think we're in this one together.
BEN
Yes, I apologize for the remark.
They establish that Ben Yosef is going to fly back after lunch and bring this to his prime minister.
Speaking of flying, Stackhouse has a cute airplane anecdote. I wonder if it’s intentional- link Ben Yosef’s flight ending in tragedy with Stackhouse by telling an anecdote at the end of the episode about just how dangerous airplanes are.
STACKHOUSE
Yeah, a friend of mine, his son just got his pilot licenses, and he lives in Phoenix, and his big fear isn't crashing. It's getting lost in the desert. So he bought five gallons of water, a super-powered flashlight and... I don't know, a thing that makes pancakes.
JOSH
And now he's on every survivalist's mailing list?
STACKHOUSE
That's right.
JOSH
Anyways, yes, they're well supplied, but they're not endlessly supplied. We can wait them out.
STACKHOUSE
Good.
JOSH
A guy told me I should take flying lessons cause it would relax me. I don't think it you. Do you?
STACKHOUSE
No, Josh, I think you of all people shouldn't fly things.
Josh brought supportive congress-people to try to talk Stackhouse down from his Ralph Nader-ledge.
JACKSON
Howard, it's getting hard for BFA staff to plan strategy without knowing exactly what hour you are going to drop out and endorse the President.
STACKHOUSE
What hour would be best for you, Michael? I'm inconveniencing one of my opponents?
JOSH
Excuse me. Now that I have you all sitting down, I'll be right outside the door.
The first two times I watched this, I didn’t understand why Josh left this important meeting to go to the break room and seemingly do nothing until Amy followed. Now, I get that Josh’s plan was to get the major players in a room and then retreat before the conversation got too aggressive and it could be anywhere from awkward to dangerous as one of Bartlet’s lead political directors. Clever!Josh
EMILY
Do you need me?
CHARLIE
Yeah. Can you make a run to the staff's secretary office? Ellen's not there, but someone should be. Make sure you just take what needs to be signed today. They're going to try and give you a whole stack, and right there is where you become a man, Emily.
EMILY
Should I use sex as a tactic?
CHARLIE
If you need to. Hell, even if you just want to.
Two, TWO sexist jokes in a half a minute-long exchange. “Right there is where you become a man, Emily”. Now, it could be that Emily is just being insouciant and mocking Charlie’s gendered language by “becoming a man” by using sex as a tactic. Although, somehow, I just don’t feel that. It seemed more like a gratuitous use of “sex”.
Anywhere, here is where the Charlie/Anthony scenes start to go downhill for me. Charlie is really unnecessarily condescending and controlling. Yeah, not fond of Charlie in this scene at all.
CHARLIE
You want to know what I'm doing?
ANTHONY
How long is this going to take?
CHARLIE
I don't know.
ANTHONY
I'm leaving.
CHARLIE
Okay, see ya. Emily, can you get me Ms. Toscano at Social Services.
Then:
ANTHONY
It makes you feel like something, huh? That you've got power over me?
CHARLIE
In about two minutes the Deputy Communications Director is going to come in here and tell me that the speech he's writing for Red Mass isn't going well and could I read it for him. And you think you're what makes me feel like something?
Then Anthony tries to make more neutral conversation by asking what “Red Mass” is in a perfectly audible voice. Charlie’s response?
CHARLIE
I didn't hear you.
ANTHONY
I said what's Red Mass?
CHARLIE
The Supreme Court convenes on the first Monday in October. On the Sunday before the first Monday there's a mass held for the members of the Court that's attended by the cabinet, Congress and the President.
ANTHONY
What about church and state?
CHARLIE
I swear to God I can't hear you when you speak can you help me out?
ANTHONY
I said it's church and state.
CHARLIE
What about it?
ANTHONY
You're not supposed to do it.
CHARLIE
Who told you that?
ANTHONY
I'm talking about the law.
CHARLIE
What law?
ANTHONY
All right, you know, you like to slap me 'cause that's you power thing, so I'll sit here and not say nothing. [pause] The law-- seperation of church and state.
CHARLIE
Who told you that?
ANTHONY
You know exactly what I'm talking about. The government and the church are not supposed to do... they're not supposed to be the same thing.
CHARLIE
And you think there's a law?
ANTHONY
There is.
CHARLIE
What kind of law?
ANTHONY
What the hell.
CHARLIE
City, state, federal?
ANTHONY
I don't know about those things but I know there's a law.
CHARLIE
Prove it.
Charlie hands Anthony a copy of the Constitution and then Sam, as predicted, asks for Charlie’s help on the speech for the Red Mass.
We arrive at Sam’s exit story.
SAM
Janet. Or Jeanette, as I sometimes like to call you.
JANET
Sometimes I like to call you cupcake. Is that okay?
SAM
Totally.
Cupcake is the third best nickname for Sam on this show after 1) Robin (in the context of Toby being Batman) and 2) Sam, Sam the Sunshine Man.
Anyway, they have a short little meeting on what Congresswoman Janet, the third ranking non-male member of the minority on Ways and Means, can do to help the tax deductions for college tuition plan. However, the meeting’s purpose isn’t as important as Janet’s throw-away goodbye.
JANET
Oh, by the way, I was just called. Horton Wilde is in the hospital. He's had a heart attack.
SAM
Horton Wilde isn't the same as Thorton Wilder, is it?
JANET
I'm talking about California.
SAM
'Cause if Thornton Wilder had a heart attack, that would be remarkable news.
JANET
You don't know who Horton Wilde is.
SAM
He wrote "Skin of Our Teeth."
JANET
He's the Democrat running in the 47th. How is it possible that you don't know who he is?
SAM
Has a Democrat won the California 47th in the last hundred years?
JANET
No.
SAM
That's how.
JANET
Well, maybe if when the Democrats had the White House there was a little more attention paid...
SAM
To Orange County? What kind?
JANET
Knowing the candidate's name, say. This was his fourth one by the way.
SAM
Fourth what?
JANET
Heart attack.
SAM
The Democrats have nominated someone who's had three heart attacks?
JANET
Yes.
SAM
And you think I don't care enough about...? What kind of signal does this send to...? I have to talk... No, this isn't going to be a part of my life.
JANET
Wow, you just did a whole thing all by yourself.
SAM
Yeah, I do that.
Again, I’m going to miss Sam so much. Will Bailey had his cute moments but come on, he wasn’t nearly as adorable as Sam.
Anyway, cue to the Sit Room where the usual suspects plus Mike Casper are discussing how to break into the survivalist/pipe bombers’ house. One of the boys in the house has heart failure and has been stuck in the house because of the standoff. The only way to save him is to take the house immediately. Here’s how:
CASPER
We put a hole in the wall with a C-4 explosive. 12 men storm the house wearing special made googles and earplugs.
BARTLET
Why?
CASPER
'Cause they're going to throw flashbangs. A flashbang is about the size of a grenade but instead of spraying shrapnel, it releases a deafening sound and releases a flash seven times brighter than the sun.
BARTLET
You hear that?
LEO
I've seen them.
Leo is still thinking of Yosef while Amy comes into the break-room for one of the best Josh/Amy scenes ever while she wears one of her least flattering outfits ever.
AMY
What do you think of him?
JOSH
Stackhouse?
AMY
Yeah.
JOSH
I've always liked Stackhouse. I'd vote for him too but he's not on the ballot in Connecticut or 22 other states. Perhaps I should vote in New York or California where he's polling at four percent.
AMY
Of likely voters.
JOSH
I'm sorry?
AMY
Those polls sample likely voters.
JOSH
Yeah.
AMY
When a third candidate get elected, it's going to be by unlikely voters.
JOSH
And why is that good? Why are we eager...Why are we encouraging a group of people who are so howl-at-the-moon, lazy-ass stupid that they can't bring themselves to raise their hands? Why is it important that they be brought into the process?
Josh is a creature of big league mainstream Democratic politics. Everything is about who is likely to vote to implement the Democratic big picture agenda. Meanwhile , Amy is a creature of special interests like women's rights which are about getting the disenfranchised and unlikely to be educated into the process so they can liberate themselves.
AMY
You know, I lost my job because of a strategy you organized.
JOSH
You lost your job in a fashion that insured you 93 better offers.
AMY
That's sweet of you to look out for me, but I liked the job I had. And when I lost it, I didn't pitch anything. I didn't stage a nutty. I fought you, I lost, I had a drink, I took a shower. 'Cause that's how it is in the NBA. You know what I do when I win? Two drinks! I didn't start consulting with Stackhouse to piss you off. There are things here I believe in. I didn't come out here to piss you off, either. I wanted to tell you that if the Senator responds on needle exchange, the President shouldn't take the bait.
I love her *so* much. She refuses to accept Josh's "It was for the best" bullshit argument but it's not about pity. She accepts that she lost because she had less power because she's a goddamn professional. I don't understand how people could think that she was a bitch to Josh. She isn't going to let him rewrite history but she really couldn't be more gracious in defeat- loss of her job, her cause and Josh, himself.
JOSH
He's taking the President's votes. It's as simple... He is taking the President's votes.
AMY
Listen, I'm not indifferent to the situation, but that right there, that's the crazy part of your argument.
JOSH
Why?
AMY
They're not his votes.
And just when I thought that I couldn't love her more, she ends the conversation on this note. She couldn't be more correct and frankly, people should be shaping the conversation of "no guaranteed" votes with politicians MORE.
Josh finished one of his best scenes with Amy and heads into one of his funniest scenes with Donna.
Donna pretends to be in-thrall to the self-help guru.
JOSH
How was it?
DONNA
It was...I don't know. It was... I don't... I don't think... maybe I'm not ready to talk about it yet.
JOSH
What was...?
DONNA
It was a transforming... no, that's the wrong word. We are not "transformed," we "locate the light switch." I own myself, Josh. You don't mind if I say that out loud at frequent intervals with no provocation for a little while, do you?
JOSH
Why?
DONNA
Because I live my life out loud.
JOSH
You're reading the book?
DONNA
The owner's manual.
JOSH
Are you serious?
DONNA
No, you idiot! I need a shower!
JOSH
All right.
DONNA
I've got, like, radioactive stuff all over me.
JOSH
Man, and you call me a snob.
LOL. I love how Donna fakes Josh out.
DONNA
Oh, please. It was like a meeting for the There But For the Grace of God Society.
JOSH
Anybody ask you out?
DONNA
Shut up.
The only time that I can recall the demeaning phrase, "There but for the Grace of God Go I Club" is when Josh is mocking the Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee to Donna in Galileo. Even my non-shipper self would like to view it as not just Sorkin self-plagiarism but Donna choosing to adopt Josh's funny phrase.
DONNA
This is cheap.
JOSH
I'll say.
DONNA
I'm talking about this. So the guy's consulted for Ritchie. He's a buffoon, but he's harmless.
Why should it be part of the campaign?
JOSH
Because it's not harmless in an American President.
DONNA
Nothing he said was wrong or objectionable. As suppose to the man who was sitting next to me
whose name was Fern.
JOSH
Open this book to any page.
Josh hands the book to Donna who opens the book and hands it back to Josh.
JOSH
Okay, well. This is an order form to buy "Owning Yourself," follow-up to the bestseller...
DONNA
"Leasing Yourself."
JOSH
"It's good to be trapped in a corner. That's when you act."
DONNA
That happens to be true.
JOSH
It is. In my case, it's the only time that I do.
DONNA
So?
JOSH
It's Immanuel Kant! "Duty! Sublime and mighty name, that embraces nothing charming or insinuating but requires submission." Every year a million freshman philosophy students read that sentence.
DONNA
And change their major?
LOL. Spoken by a true expert of changing majors.
JOSH
You've just got a mouth full of wiseass today, don't you?
Anyway, there's some more pretentious but delightful witty banter and then Josh gets to the point of sending Donna to the meeting and to Sorkin's main point, a little Bush-bashing.
JOSH
What does this remind you of? "I believe in hope, not fear." "I'm a leader, not a politician." "It's time for an American leader." "America's earned a change." "I before 'E' except after 'C'!" It's the fortune-cookie candidacy! These are important thinkers, and understanding them can be very useful and it's not ever going to happen at a four-hour seminar. When the President's got an embassy surrounded in Haiti, or a keyhole photograph of a heavy water reactor, or any of the fifty life-and-death matters that walk across his desk every day, I don't know if he's thinking about Immanuel Kant or not. I doubt it, but if he does, I am comforted at least in my certainty that he is doing his best to reach for all of it and not just the McNuggets. Is it possible we would be willing to require any less of the person sitting in that chair? The low road? I don't think it is.
Great speech and BW delivers it well. However, he does affect a Texas accent when saying "Ritchie-stuff" which I have mixed feeling about. It's clear that Sorkin's point here is to attack George W. Bush (which I have zero problems with). However, Ritchie doesn't actually speak with Texas accent. There's a little "good ole" boy posing from James Brolin because everyone knew that Ritchie=Bush but Ritchie's default accent isn't Southern. It makes this speech into a Breaking the Fourth Wall sort of thing which is an interesting choice to be sure. Overall, I approve- it's just something to note.
Anyway, that all moves Donna which is a very sweet moment. She had legitimate ethical issues doing this. Josh talked it out with her (with a little speechifying) and she changed her mind on well-argued grounds.
Sam and Leo have their last quality alone time. For the rest of Sam's duration on the show, they will only be together in group scenes and Leo doesn't even go to California to see Sam off.
Sam tells Leo about the indignity of the Democrat's candidate in Orange County being very sick and gives us a little quirky election humor to make points about the Democrats putting up weak candidates.
SAM
It's his fourth. In the Idaho 2nd we're running a guy who lost the race for city council. In the Texas 22nd our candidate's an electrical engineer who paid his filing fee by dumping the cash out of a cigar box. The Arizona 6th features a Democrat who nine weeks ago, registered as... a Democrat.
LEO
You just named three districts that are impossible for Democrats. Finding qualified sacrificial
lambs ain't easy.
The story about the guy paying his filing fee out of cash from a cigar box has the potential to be super-heartwarming. I see a sappy Hollywood movie already. Then, they find out that they only got two debates- exactly what Ritchie wanted.
LEO
Yeah. Margaret! Would you let Josh, Toby and C.J. know that the report came out? It's two debates and I'm here.
I love the resigned way that John Spencer says, "and I'm here..." like he's expecting angry senior staffers to give him a headache which is totally true.
LEO
Do you read much internatinal news?
SAM
Herald Tribune. Whatever C.J. puts in front of me. Agence-France.
LEO
Then you've read that Qumar's reopened the investigation into Abdul Shareef's plane going down.
Interesting that Leo is acting that this is only a story in international news. Is American news not covering this because a) American news is weak or b) Leo gave CJ messages to suppress the story without telling her America's role which would help explain why she was so credulous when Danny told her that Leo and Jed assassinated Shareef.
SAM
Yeah. Watch. They're going to say Israel had something to do with it.
LEO
Do you think they did?
SAM
What do I know? Shareef was a bad guy. Feels like he had money in the Bahji cell.
This also makes me feel like stuff about Shareef came out after his death because Shareef's double-crossing-nature was a big surprise to Jed only several days before they found out everything about him.
LEO
He did. He was also behind the plot to blow up the Golden Gate Bridge.
SAM
Bridges and tunnels. That's my nightmare. What's yours?
LEO
Well, now it's bridges and tunnels, Sam.
SAM
Then my work here is done.
Macabre humor at it's best.
LEO
It's that I don't know what winning looks like. What does it look like. Is it... I mean, is it honestly the U.S. flag flying over Mecca? Is that what's going to straighten this out? And if that's the case, why are we postponing that? What are we hoping is going happens in the meantime?
SAM
That somebody will think of something before we have to do the unthinkable.
LEO
You're one of the big minds of your generation. Have you thought of anything yet?
SAM
No.
LEO
Neither have I. Neither has the Preisdent of the United States-- also a pretty good mind.
SAM
The Golden Gate Bridge?
LEO
Yeah.
SAM
Leo, we didn't have anything to do with Shareef's plane going down, do we?
Leo just looks at him and changes the subject in warning way. I do think that this scene was there so that Sam could leave the White House aware of the biggest secret since MS. It's pretty clear that Sam figures that the US assassinated Shareef.
One of the doors is locked and Toby wants to come in to rant.
SAM
Sorry. Two debates?
LEO
Yeah. The President and Bruno aren't going to take it well.
SAM
There's actually one person who's going to take it worse.
LEO
Who?
TOBY
Somebody open the damn door, please?
SAM
It's locked or something. Don't try to force it. I'm going to try...
The statement of the debate committee?
TOBY
"Given the inability of the two major..." Do you mind that I'm reading this?
LEO
Would it matter?
TOBY
"...the two major parties to agree upon earlier Commission proposals, the uncertainty caused by recent Court rulings, and the shortened time period in which to schedule debates for maximum viewing, the Commission hereby amends..." He got exactly what he wanted! For dragging his feet!
LEO
Well, that's why he did it. You can't fault him for having a winning strategy.
TOBY
I'm not faulting him; I'm faulting them.
In better news, Casper's mission was a huge success. They've apprehended the suspects with no injures to the FBI agents and found a ton of evidence in the house.
BARTLET
Mike, pick yourself out a daughter. My oldest is married, but I can have it annulled. The Pope said he'd do it, I swear to God.
CASPER
That's very friendly of you, sir. Thank you.
See, that's sexism that I have little trouble with. It's such OTT humor and it really meshes with one of the themes of this show- President as the King and White House as the story of a palace with its legendary intrigue. Plus, I enjoy Agent Casper's restrained trying to be proper FBI agent response.
However, the mood goes downhill. Ben Yosef's plane went down in southern Lebanon.
LEO
Ben Yosef's plane is missing. Now, how did I not see that coming?
Because CJ and Jed are strange, they're having tea with their football.
BARTLET
Yeah, call that play on first down again, Coach 'cause I'm sure they're not ready for it this time. You know, if you ask a professional athlete what the hardest thing is to do in sports, they'll all say "hit a baseball." But a coach once told me that the hardest thing to do in sports is to walk into your Super Bowl locker room at half-time and change the strategy that got you there 'cause it's no longer working.
C.J.
It's really okay that after almost every play, somebody requires medical attention?
LOL. Apparently, it's okay for CJ to snark on football. Just not Notre Dame specifically.
BARTLET
It's not even the number of debates, as much as the format. 2 minute response followed by a 1 minute reply. That's not a debate. That's not a debate! It's a joint press conference.
Sam enters this cozy abode
BARTLET
Nice job on the Red Mass. First rate. You don't mind if I change everything, do you?
SAM
No, sir.
BARTLET
Here... here... and I added a section here.
SAM
Ah! Cute. Let's take a look.
This is just going to fuel Sam's speech-anxiety more. Sam should blame Charlie for all of the parts that Jed doesn't like.
Anyway while everyone is grousing about the two debates, CJ is quietly brainstorming ways to make the debate rules and situation work for them. I love her so much. It's a pretty consistent theme that when CJ gets dealt a crappy hand, she'll figure out a way to change the rules of the game so that is the winning hand. Ways and Means, Internal Displacement, the gas tax in Institutional Memory, Liftoff, etc. I think her ideas here are so unsung. Out of the box thinking, FTW.
C.J.
Sam, what do you think about me writing you an urgent memo? "I think Ritchie's a more skilled debater than we're anticipating. He has, after all, debated three gubernatorial candidates and won each time."
SAM
And leak the memo?
C.J.
Yeah.
SAM
I think you'll look silly.
C.J.
I'm used to that.
SAM
I don't think it'll do much.
C.J.
Me, neither.
Although, that's what political operatives do and political reporters do fall for it. It was the crux of Leo's gambit in Running Mates but that was even less subtle. That was Leo pretending to be Annabeth directly talking to a reporter about what a "sucky" debater Leo is. That's less subtle than having what seemed like a private correspondence between two Bartlet aids (presumably subtly) leaked.
Presumably, there was more to work with by undermining Leo's expectations because no one had ever seen Leo debate and he's not a charismatic candidate. However, I can imagine a Ritchie who was able to pull off a semi-competent performance in the Florida debates. His people seem to handle him well and it's not like he was incoherent in Game On. He seemed to better at delivering a sensible-sounding, snappy sound-bite that answered the moderator's questions than Palin, Bush and arguably Biden. It's that Bartlet challenged him on *everything*.
BARTLET
Cicero wanted to restore the overthrown king of Egypt, and the Roman Senate debated all day and into the night, every military and diplomatic consequence until they collapsed on the Senate floor. Lentulus is trying to overthrow the Republic. Ceaser goes up against Cato-- by the way, in the very first public debate on the death penalty. They were against each other, it was a debate and they explored the meaning of spirituality and suffering.
SAM
And then they put Lentulus to death.
BARTLET
That's right, but my point...
C.J.
Why not?
BARTLET
Why not, what?
C.J.
Ask for a different format. We didn't get the number of debates we wanted, so why not ask for a different format?
LOL. CJ's idea face.
BARTLET
We'd never get it.
C.J.
We might.
BARTLET
The Ritchie people wold put up too much of a fight.
C.J.
They might consider it. They might consider it if we give them something else they wanted.
BARTLET
Other then this House, we don't have anything else they want.
SAM
Sure we do. Sure we do. We wanted five debates, they wanted none. We have exactly one thing left that they want.
BARTLET
Wow. Isn't this exactly why casino's don't play with a one-deck shoe?
This, this right here, gave Jed the opening to directly pummel Ritchie in Game On which is what won him the election. If I have to assign credit to people for Jed's victory knowing how much of it hinged on the debates, here's my order.
1) Jed Bartlet. His intellect. His performance in the debate. His personality that carried the day.
GAP
2) Toby. He was the one pushing Bartlet to be more, to feel confident enough to make the election about intelligence and experience.
SMALLER BUT SIGNIFICANT GAP
3) CJ. She figured out how to get a debate that would let Bartlet shine the best.
4) Leo's words of confidence before the debate and Leo encouraging Jed to let Toby in no matter how much Jed wanted to push Toby away contributed were key and rather unsung as well.
5. Sam. Helped push CJ's idea along by finishing the thought and said the uncomfortable thought aloud at negotiating their second debate away.
6) I feel bad putting Josh in sixth place just because his storylines weren't tied with this huge watershed moment. Suffice it to say that I'm sure that in the debate, Jed was able to appear credible because he had legislative successes that were largely orchestrated by Josh. However just on the core message of Bartlet and his debate, Josh wasn't as much a player.
7) Abbey. The tie. It was the energy getting him on stage. :-)
Charlie summons Jed.
BARTLET
He's still running that screen pass. Get Toby to sign off, and I'm in.
Jed explains why Red Mass isn't really a violation of separation of church and state in his opinion. The woman Emily from before gives Charlie a note for Anthony.
EMILY
Nice note?
CHARLIE
No, at several points he suggest that I might have an improper relationship with my mother.
EMILY
Why are you smiling?
CHARLIE
He wrote it on the back of the First Amendment.
Cute fellas rendezvous to bitch about football but then Josh does that thing again where he has to leave mid-conversation to chat up Amy.
Amy is waiting to go to Red Mass with another White House friend. I don't think that White House security lets visitors going to events with White House employees just chill in the Mural Room but we'll go with it.
JOSH
Can you give me any indication, what's the senator's thinking?
AMY
I really can't. He spoke to me for a while yesterday, and... again today, and I don't know what he's thinking, but... I can tell you what I told him at the end.
JOSH
What?
AMY
I told him I thought he'd been an extraordinary public servant--thoughtful and energetic and compassionate and courageous, and I told him I'd be voting for the President.
JOSH
Why?
AMY
First of all, I'm crazy about the President, Josh. I've been crazy about him for longer than you've known who he was. And I'll keep poking him with a stick. That's how I show my love. But... as a women's issue, it's a no-brainer. The next Justice can overturn Roe and... you don't screw around with that. Hey, you want to see what I learned to do since you got me fired?
Yup, agree with every word. But enough of that, she also has party tricks.
She blows up the balloon.
AMY
Right away that's impressive, right? But that's just the preparaation. This is the thing.
She folds the balloon into what looks like an abstract penis.
Josh is very much charmed by this. LOL.
The Red Mass! It's a very classy affair. Big shot politicians. Lavish Catholic decorations. Vivalid's "Gloria" playing.
Lovely shot.
Sam and Leo have their last deep exchange. Luckily, it's a very nice one.
SAM
I was thinking about what you asked me before, about have I been able to think of anything and I said, "No." And you said, "Neither have I or neither has the President."
LEO
What about it?
SAM
I wouldn't speak for anybody else but you know I'm not done yet, right?
Leo is still looking at Ben Yousef's yamaka, Sam is giving the usual Sorkin idealistic speech and he does mean every word of it. It's not insincere- it truly is optimistic and that has it's merit. However, Leo experienced a casualty today and he's personally killed over the subject so Leo doesn't respond to Sam. They're on different wave-lengths.
I always thought that knowing CJ is Catholic, it's interesting that she's not inside during Red Mass but instead looking very serious in front of the stained glass window. I always took that to mean that unlike Leo and certainly Jed and Abbey, CJ may have been born Catholic but she's not religious at all and has issues with the religion.
Anyway, hilarious scene coming up.
C.J.
Toby...
TOBY
Nope. Stay there. I'm first looking for something to beat you with.
C.J.
Look...
TOBY
I'm going to do it with my hands.
C.J.
Let me tell you something.
TOBY
One debate?
C.J.
What's really the difference between one debate and two debates?
TOBY
What's the difference betw...? It's a whole other debate. It's a second debate! It's 100% more debate!
First, CJ appeals to Toby's sense of righteousness.
C.J.
Someone should ask him if he's aware taxpayers pay $9,000 this instead of $200,000 that. And somebody should ask him what he means by, and somebody should ask him how he plans on..." You said that, and you were right!
TOBY
What if he has a bad night? It's happened. What if he gets himself into trouble? What if Ritchie comes after Abbey or the kids and the President goes postal? That's what I'd try to do. Stress, hot lights... What if he has an episode?
C.J.
We lose. When you can't lower expectations, you only have one thing you can do. You have to meet them.
See, that's the crux of the thing. Not to say that their efforts to get another debate were a waste of time, but viewership and caring about the debates just craters after the first debate. So giving up the second debate for a better chance that Bartlet will win the first debate really makes sense.
As for Toby's argument about Jed having an MS attack or going postal, that would be covered and run all over the screens and if it was bad enough, it would be the reason why Jed would lose. No matter if it occurred in the first debate and then Jed did superbly in the second. If Jed has an MS attack in public during this election, he loses. If anything, having two debates just increases the risk that the attack or the going postal could occur during one of them and that it becomes the story.
Anyway, CJ convinces Toby.
TOBY
Clear 24 hours from the President's schedule. We're going away.
CJ's silent thank you. Because she gives credit in victory.
Susan tells CJ that Stackhouse wants time with Jed.
STACKHOUSE
That was a wonderful talk, Mr. President.
BARTLET
Thank you. I didn't write much of it.
STACKHOUSE
The 80-20 section.
BARTLET
That part I wrote. I added it.
STACKHOUSE
When you first started... You talk about how much politicians hunger after the 80-20 issue, I thought, "My God, I'm about to watch a train wreck. He's going to make a political speech to the Supreme Court while standing in the middle of a church." But of course you didn't. I should've known better. "Who among the 80 will stand up for the 20?"
BARTLET
You did, Howard. You did all the time.
Aw, very nice scene of respect between these guys. Grandfathers, all. Unfortunately, that's the last that we see of Stackhouse. I'm gonna miss that horse's patoot!
STACKHOUSE
I was telling Josh Lyman about a friend who just got his pilot's license. He told me the most remarkable thing. He said a new pilot will fly into cloud cover. There'll be no visibility. And they'll check their gauges, they'll look at the artificial horizon, it'll show them level, but they won't trust it. So, they'll make an adjustment and then another and another... He said the number of new pilots who fly out of clouds completely upside-down would knock you out. My office will make arrangements for me to endorse you in the morning. You keep your eyes on the horizon, Mr. President.
As I said before, there's a theme about planes in this episode. More discussion of Shareef, Ben Youself's plane, Stackhouse's pilot stories all with the metaphor of Jed as the pilot of his presidency.
Like a good Catholic, Jed asks CJ to move the press off church grounds so he can take questions on needle exchange. It's subtle but CJ gives a definite smile that indicates that she knows Stackhouse just dropped out. Jed won't take questions on a subject because he got politically played or because Stackhouse just intimidated him or something in that chat. It had to have been because Stackhouse recused himself so Jed can just address Ritchie mano a mano. It's appropriate for these characters and this idealistic setting even though I hardly think the political default is, "Single digit leftist candidate who was trying to keep everyone honest drops out so more centrist Democrat starts taking the tough questions."
SUSAN
I believe, in this case, on this particular point, you're the servant to two masters.
AMY
And as sexy as that possibility sounds, it's just not true, Susan.
SUSAN
Your relationship with Josh Lyman, with C.J. Cregg, with the First Lady, with the President!
STACKHOUSE
Can we return to the issue at hand? I'm going out of my mind with you two.
SUSAN
You should call for federal funding of needle exchange in the five cities with the highest incidence of AIDS. Ritchie has given you a perfect opening.
However, there is a method to Ritchie’s madness. He wants to bait the president.
AMY
It's baiting the hook. That's why they sent an advanced copy.
STACKHOUSE
Yeah. But didn't I get in it to talk about things like this? Why not take the bait?
AMY
The bait's not for you. It's for the President. Ritchie wants you to respond so the President has to.
SUSAN
I thought the aim was to talk about issues that aren't being discussed. Not to run pass blocking for the President.
STACKHOUSE
I feel like Susan has a point. It's an opportunity to get into some debate about it. If it was just me, nobody would be listening.
SUSAN
I don't know why you think the Committee to Re-elect needs us to protect them. And if
Ritchie's strategy is what you say it is, won't Josh Lyman figure that out in five minutes?
AMY
It'll take his assistant Donna five minutes. It'll take Josh half that time.
I like that treatment of Donna. It acknowledges her as smart but not on Josh’s level. I never think that Amy gets enough credit for being incredibly respectful and friendly to Donna considering that she knew Donna was a potential romantic rival in Amy's first episode.
STACKHOUSE
Really?
AMY
Maybe a little longer because the Mets lost last night, and he'll need to focus.
Cut to the Five Minute Thinker (Donna) and the Two and a Half Minute Thinker (Josh). Just as Amy said, Josh is stressing about the Mets and it’s affecting his focus. See, Donna? Amy does get Josh.
JOSH
You know, there comes a day in every man's life, and it's a hard day, but there comes a day when he realizes he's never going to play professional baseball.
DONNA
You're just having that day today?
LOL. Anyway, Josh takes even less time than two and half minutes to figure out that Ritchie is using Stackhouse to push Bartlet to the unelectable left because goddamnit, the boy has opening credits to make and this teaser is already taking too long.
JOSH
I know how Ritchie's going to win this election.
Credits.
C.J.
Red Mass, Red Mass, Red Mass, you say. Red Mass is at... You're right-- 10:00 at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception which is also what they called my dorm room in college.
On that delightfully snarky but TMI note, CJ takes questions on the debate negotiations which are a huge deal in this episode.
C.J.
The President believes the debates are good and that more the better. The President's asked for five debates. Governor Ritchie's asked for two. The President said, "How about four?" Governor Ritchie said, "How about two?" We're waiting for the commission to make its recommendation.
I enjoy the way she tells that story. She says it in an off-hand way but Ritchie comes across like such a doucher.
KATIE
And follow-up is what would be considered a debate win for the President?
C.J.
At this point, participating in one would be a victory.
REPORTER
I want to ask the same question.
C.J.
Which was?
REPORTER
What would be a victory in the debate?
C.J.
270 electoral votes.
REPORTER
Seriously.
C.J.
Seriously.
CJ walks out where she rendezvous with Sam.
C.J.
I know how Ritchie's going to win this election.
SAM
So do I. What's your way?
C.J.
Overcoming perversely low expectations. What's your way?
SAM
Getting the President to run the Stackhouse campaign.
That’s two TWO ways that Al Gore lost the 2000 election to George W. Bush and it happened in the same damn election. Well, not entirely. The Nader Factor wasn't so much about getting Gore to come down on unpopular issues so much as people pushing the lever for Nader but still, Stackhouse was inspired by Nader.
Anyway, the senior staff all arrive at the Oval Office for a meeting with Jed.
Anyway, the senior staff all arrive at the Oval Office for a meeting with Jed.
JOSH
Needle exchange in a speech to the AMA: "We ought to begin and end with abstinence. We ought to begin and end with personal responsibility."
TOBY
I'd like someone to ask Ritchie if he's aware that needle exchange cost $9,000 for every infection stopped. Treating someone with HIV cost $200,000. I'd like someone to ask him that. I'd like someone to ask him where the responsibility was in paraphernalia that made it a crime to buy or carry a syringe, which is why addicts share infected needles in the first place. I'd like someone to ask him that, too.
LEO
All done?
TOBY
For the moment.
That’s a classic Toby/Leo exchange. Toby is ranting idealistically while Leo wants to get to pragmatically solving the political problem but despite those different approaches, their respect for one another is palpable.
Anyway, Bruno thinks this needle-exchange gambit could put as many as three states in play.
C.J.
Ohio, Michigan...
JOSH
And Maine.
BARTLET
They've always been iffy about me in Maine. I don't know why.
Ohio, I get. However, I always thought that Maine was too liberal to move to Ritchie’s camp because of this. Also given how poor Michigan’s high density population areas are, I’m surprised that they would agree with Ritchie on this. Looking up the HIV rates for Michigan, HIV diagnoses have doubled among Michigan teenagers 2003 to 2007 from 3.2 per 100,000 to 7.3
JOSH
It's a mystery, sir. You can't come out against either. You'll alienate...
BARTLET
Heroin addicts?
JOSH
Liberals.
BARTLET
Whatever.
LOL. Exchange of the episode! The people end the meeting and there’s a very true-to-life moment where Leo asks for other opinions and CJ is thinking about sharing but then thinks better of it because everyone is leaving anyway and she’s not sure how she wants to frame the issue of Jed losing because of low expectations. So she bounces her concerns off Toby, her best friend and guy most concerned about Jed losing *because* Ritchie’s stupidity is a secret asset
TOBY
I'd like someone to ask him about the responsibility in cutting the drug that treatment that would eliminate needle-related HIV. Half of all people getting infected are getting infected by the needle. I'd like someone to ask him how he thinks the personal responsibility plan's going so far.
C.J.
I'll get on that, but I want to talk to you about the debates.
TOBY
When we mention that we want five debates, say what they are. One on the economy, one on foreign policy, with another on global threats and national security, one on the environment, and one on strengthening family life, which would include health care, education, and retirement. I also think there should be one on parts of speech and sentence structure, and one on fractions.
C.J.
Is there any chance I'm going to get an opportunity to speak in this conversation, or are you just writing out loud?
TOBY
I didn't even know you were in the room.
C.J.
Toby, I'm absolutely terrified we're going to lose the expectations game. I can't believe how many times I get asked what would be a win in the debates. At this point I feel like if -- and only if -- Ritchie accidentally lights his podium on fire does the President have a fighting chance.
LOL.
TOBY
These two men are going to be side by side on the stage, answering questions. That's the ball game.
C.J.
If the whole thing is, he can't tie his shoelaces and it turns out he can, then that is the ball game.
TOBY
And I believe he'll have to do more than tie his shoelaces.
C.J.
Not much more.
We then learn about a typical day off for Donna.
DONNA
I'm going bike riding, as a matter of fact, and then I'm meeting some friends for lunch, and then I'm having my nails done.
JOSH
Wow, that sounds great. If only you were actually doing all those things.
DONNA
Yeah, yeah. What?
Anyway, Josh wants Donna to attend a workshop run by Teddy Tomba, flakey self-help guru who has consulted for Ritchie.
DONNA
That lacks a certain nobility of purpose, doesn't it?
JOSH
I don't believe it does. Write down any key slogans, or philosophies, or slogans.
DONNA
They'll probably be on a t-shirt, won't they?
JOSH
Probably. You know what I'm looking for.
DONNA
Should I go in disguise?
JOSH
As what?
DONNA
Somebody who'd go to one of these things.
It’s a plausible assignment for an assistant to the Deputy COS because it’s more of a lower-level spy position and many candidates have been embarrassed by the self-help gurus or ministers in their coterie. It’s highly realistic. Still, I can’t see Leo/Toby/Sam/CJ sending their assistants on similar missions. Josh feels more comfortable asking Donna to do strange things.
Also, Donna would totally go to a self-help seminar of her own free will. She may snark about it later but I totally see her as both insecure and eager to grow and learn enough to get life-coaching. I guess she has to keep up appearances for Josh who will hypocritically have a psychiatrist but then scoff at self-help people. I do get the distinction between a shrink and self-help guru. One is a medical professional and one isn’t, however, I do think that the ultimate goals are close enough that neither should be demeaned on the face of it.
That said, flakey and lame self-help gurus are a dime a dozen and *they* unlike psychiatrists don’t have to go to school and pass boards to practice. Teddy Tomba sounds like such a lame guru. I guess I'm just being cranky or desperately looking for comments.
Leo is shaking hand with Israeli Defense minister Ben Yosef who is very charming. Don't get too attached. That's not a white business shirt he's wearing under his suit. It's a red shirt.
BEN YOSEF
And in addition to being a good friend to Israel, Leo McGarry, of course, is the most Jewish man most of us have ever met. For that, he gets this yarmulke which has been crumpled up in my coat pocket since a wedding in 1962. For everything else, the Medal of David.
LEO
Thank you very much, Mr. Foreign Minister. A thousand dead relatives in Scotland just started crying.
I think Ben Yosef heard about Leo’s fondness for deli food and that he, like all Sorkin characters, will insert a little Yiddish in his Sorkinese.
BEN YOSEF
What the hell is going on, Leo? I'm reading Shareef is alive in Libya. That's you people, right?
LEO
We're thinking about starting our own tabloid.
LOL. They chat a little bit about the pipe-bombers house in Iowa and the youth of White House interns. I’d call it ridiculous for Yosef to be surprised that there are young people working as interns but, then again, Israeli young people are almost entirely serving as soldiers. No time to be interns for the civilians until they turn 21.
They get to the heart of the issue- Qumar’s accusations that Israel shot down Shareef’s plane.
BEN
Israel has to immediately deny the accusation.
LEO
I don't want there to be an accusation. I want it to wait another week.
BEN
And what are you asking Israel to give up in order to get them to delay accusing us of something we didn't do?
LEO
Ben...
BEN
I'm just saying, tell me.
LEO
You're planning to attack two Qumari training bases in retaliation...
BEN
Yes, sir.
LEO
Don't.
BEN
That's out of the question.
LEO
If you hold off, Fitzwallace can get the Qumari Defense Minister to have the Sultan hold off a week.
BEN
Leo, look at what's happening. They're getting you to pull us back by continuing this preposterous lie.
LEO
But...
BEN
We're not the ones playing skeet shoot with their cabinet.
LEO
No, no, Ben. I think we're in this one together.
BEN
Yes, I apologize for the remark.
They establish that Ben Yosef is going to fly back after lunch and bring this to his prime minister.
Speaking of flying, Stackhouse has a cute airplane anecdote. I wonder if it’s intentional- link Ben Yosef’s flight ending in tragedy with Stackhouse by telling an anecdote at the end of the episode about just how dangerous airplanes are.
STACKHOUSE
Yeah, a friend of mine, his son just got his pilot licenses, and he lives in Phoenix, and his big fear isn't crashing. It's getting lost in the desert. So he bought five gallons of water, a super-powered flashlight and... I don't know, a thing that makes pancakes.
JOSH
And now he's on every survivalist's mailing list?
STACKHOUSE
That's right.
JOSH
Anyways, yes, they're well supplied, but they're not endlessly supplied. We can wait them out.
STACKHOUSE
Good.
JOSH
A guy told me I should take flying lessons cause it would relax me. I don't think it you. Do you?
STACKHOUSE
No, Josh, I think you of all people shouldn't fly things.
Josh brought supportive congress-people to try to talk Stackhouse down from his Ralph Nader-ledge.
JACKSON
Howard, it's getting hard for BFA staff to plan strategy without knowing exactly what hour you are going to drop out and endorse the President.
STACKHOUSE
What hour would be best for you, Michael? I'm inconveniencing one of my opponents?
JOSH
Excuse me. Now that I have you all sitting down, I'll be right outside the door.
The first two times I watched this, I didn’t understand why Josh left this important meeting to go to the break room and seemingly do nothing until Amy followed. Now, I get that Josh’s plan was to get the major players in a room and then retreat before the conversation got too aggressive and it could be anywhere from awkward to dangerous as one of Bartlet’s lead political directors. Clever!Josh
EMILY
Do you need me?
CHARLIE
Yeah. Can you make a run to the staff's secretary office? Ellen's not there, but someone should be. Make sure you just take what needs to be signed today. They're going to try and give you a whole stack, and right there is where you become a man, Emily.
EMILY
Should I use sex as a tactic?
CHARLIE
If you need to. Hell, even if you just want to.
Two, TWO sexist jokes in a half a minute-long exchange. “Right there is where you become a man, Emily”. Now, it could be that Emily is just being insouciant and mocking Charlie’s gendered language by “becoming a man” by using sex as a tactic. Although, somehow, I just don’t feel that. It seemed more like a gratuitous use of “sex”.
Anywhere, here is where the Charlie/Anthony scenes start to go downhill for me. Charlie is really unnecessarily condescending and controlling. Yeah, not fond of Charlie in this scene at all.
CHARLIE
You want to know what I'm doing?
ANTHONY
How long is this going to take?
CHARLIE
I don't know.
ANTHONY
I'm leaving.
CHARLIE
Okay, see ya. Emily, can you get me Ms. Toscano at Social Services.
Then:
ANTHONY
It makes you feel like something, huh? That you've got power over me?
CHARLIE
In about two minutes the Deputy Communications Director is going to come in here and tell me that the speech he's writing for Red Mass isn't going well and could I read it for him. And you think you're what makes me feel like something?
Then Anthony tries to make more neutral conversation by asking what “Red Mass” is in a perfectly audible voice. Charlie’s response?
CHARLIE
I didn't hear you.
ANTHONY
I said what's Red Mass?
CHARLIE
The Supreme Court convenes on the first Monday in October. On the Sunday before the first Monday there's a mass held for the members of the Court that's attended by the cabinet, Congress and the President.
ANTHONY
What about church and state?
CHARLIE
I swear to God I can't hear you when you speak can you help me out?
ANTHONY
I said it's church and state.
CHARLIE
What about it?
ANTHONY
You're not supposed to do it.
CHARLIE
Who told you that?
ANTHONY
I'm talking about the law.
CHARLIE
What law?
ANTHONY
All right, you know, you like to slap me 'cause that's you power thing, so I'll sit here and not say nothing. [pause] The law-- seperation of church and state.
CHARLIE
Who told you that?
ANTHONY
You know exactly what I'm talking about. The government and the church are not supposed to do... they're not supposed to be the same thing.
CHARLIE
And you think there's a law?
ANTHONY
There is.
CHARLIE
What kind of law?
ANTHONY
What the hell.
CHARLIE
City, state, federal?
ANTHONY
I don't know about those things but I know there's a law.
CHARLIE
Prove it.
Charlie hands Anthony a copy of the Constitution and then Sam, as predicted, asks for Charlie’s help on the speech for the Red Mass.
We arrive at Sam’s exit story.
SAM
Janet. Or Jeanette, as I sometimes like to call you.
JANET
Sometimes I like to call you cupcake. Is that okay?
SAM
Totally.
Cupcake is the third best nickname for Sam on this show after 1) Robin (in the context of Toby being Batman) and 2) Sam, Sam the Sunshine Man.
Anyway, they have a short little meeting on what Congresswoman Janet, the third ranking non-male member of the minority on Ways and Means, can do to help the tax deductions for college tuition plan. However, the meeting’s purpose isn’t as important as Janet’s throw-away goodbye.
JANET
Oh, by the way, I was just called. Horton Wilde is in the hospital. He's had a heart attack.
SAM
Horton Wilde isn't the same as Thorton Wilder, is it?
JANET
I'm talking about California.
SAM
'Cause if Thornton Wilder had a heart attack, that would be remarkable news.
JANET
You don't know who Horton Wilde is.
SAM
He wrote "Skin of Our Teeth."
JANET
He's the Democrat running in the 47th. How is it possible that you don't know who he is?
SAM
Has a Democrat won the California 47th in the last hundred years?
JANET
No.
SAM
That's how.
JANET
Well, maybe if when the Democrats had the White House there was a little more attention paid...
SAM
To Orange County? What kind?
JANET
Knowing the candidate's name, say. This was his fourth one by the way.
SAM
Fourth what?
JANET
Heart attack.
SAM
The Democrats have nominated someone who's had three heart attacks?
JANET
Yes.
SAM
And you think I don't care enough about...? What kind of signal does this send to...? I have to talk... No, this isn't going to be a part of my life.
JANET
Wow, you just did a whole thing all by yourself.
SAM
Yeah, I do that.
Again, I’m going to miss Sam so much. Will Bailey had his cute moments but come on, he wasn’t nearly as adorable as Sam.
Anyway, cue to the Sit Room where the usual suspects plus Mike Casper are discussing how to break into the survivalist/pipe bombers’ house. One of the boys in the house has heart failure and has been stuck in the house because of the standoff. The only way to save him is to take the house immediately. Here’s how:
CASPER
We put a hole in the wall with a C-4 explosive. 12 men storm the house wearing special made googles and earplugs.
BARTLET
Why?
CASPER
'Cause they're going to throw flashbangs. A flashbang is about the size of a grenade but instead of spraying shrapnel, it releases a deafening sound and releases a flash seven times brighter than the sun.
BARTLET
You hear that?
LEO
I've seen them.
Leo is still thinking of Yosef while Amy comes into the break-room for one of the best Josh/Amy scenes ever while she wears one of her least flattering outfits ever.
AMY
What do you think of him?
JOSH
Stackhouse?
AMY
Yeah.
JOSH
I've always liked Stackhouse. I'd vote for him too but he's not on the ballot in Connecticut or 22 other states. Perhaps I should vote in New York or California where he's polling at four percent.
AMY
Of likely voters.
JOSH
I'm sorry?
AMY
Those polls sample likely voters.
JOSH
Yeah.
AMY
When a third candidate get elected, it's going to be by unlikely voters.
JOSH
And why is that good? Why are we eager...Why are we encouraging a group of people who are so howl-at-the-moon, lazy-ass stupid that they can't bring themselves to raise their hands? Why is it important that they be brought into the process?
Josh is a creature of big league mainstream Democratic politics. Everything is about who is likely to vote to implement the Democratic big picture agenda. Meanwhile , Amy is a creature of special interests like women's rights which are about getting the disenfranchised and unlikely to be educated into the process so they can liberate themselves.
AMY
You know, I lost my job because of a strategy you organized.
JOSH
You lost your job in a fashion that insured you 93 better offers.
AMY
That's sweet of you to look out for me, but I liked the job I had. And when I lost it, I didn't pitch anything. I didn't stage a nutty. I fought you, I lost, I had a drink, I took a shower. 'Cause that's how it is in the NBA. You know what I do when I win? Two drinks! I didn't start consulting with Stackhouse to piss you off. There are things here I believe in. I didn't come out here to piss you off, either. I wanted to tell you that if the Senator responds on needle exchange, the President shouldn't take the bait.
I love her *so* much. She refuses to accept Josh's "It was for the best" bullshit argument but it's not about pity. She accepts that she lost because she had less power because she's a goddamn professional. I don't understand how people could think that she was a bitch to Josh. She isn't going to let him rewrite history but she really couldn't be more gracious in defeat- loss of her job, her cause and Josh, himself.
JOSH
He's taking the President's votes. It's as simple... He is taking the President's votes.
AMY
Listen, I'm not indifferent to the situation, but that right there, that's the crazy part of your argument.
JOSH
Why?
AMY
They're not his votes.
And just when I thought that I couldn't love her more, she ends the conversation on this note. She couldn't be more correct and frankly, people should be shaping the conversation of "no guaranteed" votes with politicians MORE.
Josh finished one of his best scenes with Amy and heads into one of his funniest scenes with Donna.
Donna pretends to be in-thrall to the self-help guru.
JOSH
How was it?
DONNA
It was...I don't know. It was... I don't... I don't think... maybe I'm not ready to talk about it yet.
JOSH
What was...?
DONNA
It was a transforming... no, that's the wrong word. We are not "transformed," we "locate the light switch." I own myself, Josh. You don't mind if I say that out loud at frequent intervals with no provocation for a little while, do you?
JOSH
Why?
DONNA
Because I live my life out loud.
JOSH
You're reading the book?
DONNA
The owner's manual.
JOSH
Are you serious?
DONNA
No, you idiot! I need a shower!
JOSH
All right.
DONNA
I've got, like, radioactive stuff all over me.
JOSH
Man, and you call me a snob.
LOL. I love how Donna fakes Josh out.
DONNA
Oh, please. It was like a meeting for the There But For the Grace of God Society.
JOSH
Anybody ask you out?
DONNA
Shut up.
The only time that I can recall the demeaning phrase, "There but for the Grace of God Go I Club" is when Josh is mocking the Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee to Donna in Galileo. Even my non-shipper self would like to view it as not just Sorkin self-plagiarism but Donna choosing to adopt Josh's funny phrase.
DONNA
This is cheap.
JOSH
I'll say.
DONNA
I'm talking about this. So the guy's consulted for Ritchie. He's a buffoon, but he's harmless.
Why should it be part of the campaign?
JOSH
Because it's not harmless in an American President.
DONNA
Nothing he said was wrong or objectionable. As suppose to the man who was sitting next to me
whose name was Fern.
JOSH
Open this book to any page.
Josh hands the book to Donna who opens the book and hands it back to Josh.
JOSH
Okay, well. This is an order form to buy "Owning Yourself," follow-up to the bestseller...
DONNA
"Leasing Yourself."
JOSH
"It's good to be trapped in a corner. That's when you act."
DONNA
That happens to be true.
JOSH
It is. In my case, it's the only time that I do.
DONNA
So?
JOSH
It's Immanuel Kant! "Duty! Sublime and mighty name, that embraces nothing charming or insinuating but requires submission." Every year a million freshman philosophy students read that sentence.
DONNA
And change their major?
LOL. Spoken by a true expert of changing majors.
JOSH
You've just got a mouth full of wiseass today, don't you?
Anyway, there's some more pretentious but delightful witty banter and then Josh gets to the point of sending Donna to the meeting and to Sorkin's main point, a little Bush-bashing.
JOSH
What does this remind you of? "I believe in hope, not fear." "I'm a leader, not a politician." "It's time for an American leader." "America's earned a change." "I before 'E' except after 'C'!" It's the fortune-cookie candidacy! These are important thinkers, and understanding them can be very useful and it's not ever going to happen at a four-hour seminar. When the President's got an embassy surrounded in Haiti, or a keyhole photograph of a heavy water reactor, or any of the fifty life-and-death matters that walk across his desk every day, I don't know if he's thinking about Immanuel Kant or not. I doubt it, but if he does, I am comforted at least in my certainty that he is doing his best to reach for all of it and not just the McNuggets. Is it possible we would be willing to require any less of the person sitting in that chair? The low road? I don't think it is.
Great speech and BW delivers it well. However, he does affect a Texas accent when saying "Ritchie-stuff" which I have mixed feeling about. It's clear that Sorkin's point here is to attack George W. Bush (which I have zero problems with). However, Ritchie doesn't actually speak with Texas accent. There's a little "good ole" boy posing from James Brolin because everyone knew that Ritchie=Bush but Ritchie's default accent isn't Southern. It makes this speech into a Breaking the Fourth Wall sort of thing which is an interesting choice to be sure. Overall, I approve- it's just something to note.
Anyway, that all moves Donna which is a very sweet moment. She had legitimate ethical issues doing this. Josh talked it out with her (with a little speechifying) and she changed her mind on well-argued grounds.
Sam and Leo have their last quality alone time. For the rest of Sam's duration on the show, they will only be together in group scenes and Leo doesn't even go to California to see Sam off.
Sam tells Leo about the indignity of the Democrat's candidate in Orange County being very sick and gives us a little quirky election humor to make points about the Democrats putting up weak candidates.
SAM
It's his fourth. In the Idaho 2nd we're running a guy who lost the race for city council. In the Texas 22nd our candidate's an electrical engineer who paid his filing fee by dumping the cash out of a cigar box. The Arizona 6th features a Democrat who nine weeks ago, registered as... a Democrat.
LEO
You just named three districts that are impossible for Democrats. Finding qualified sacrificial
lambs ain't easy.
The story about the guy paying his filing fee out of cash from a cigar box has the potential to be super-heartwarming. I see a sappy Hollywood movie already. Then, they find out that they only got two debates- exactly what Ritchie wanted.
LEO
Yeah. Margaret! Would you let Josh, Toby and C.J. know that the report came out? It's two debates and I'm here.
I love the resigned way that John Spencer says, "and I'm here..." like he's expecting angry senior staffers to give him a headache which is totally true.
LEO
Do you read much internatinal news?
SAM
Herald Tribune. Whatever C.J. puts in front of me. Agence-France.
LEO
Then you've read that Qumar's reopened the investigation into Abdul Shareef's plane going down.
Interesting that Leo is acting that this is only a story in international news. Is American news not covering this because a) American news is weak or b) Leo gave CJ messages to suppress the story without telling her America's role which would help explain why she was so credulous when Danny told her that Leo and Jed assassinated Shareef.
SAM
Yeah. Watch. They're going to say Israel had something to do with it.
LEO
Do you think they did?
SAM
What do I know? Shareef was a bad guy. Feels like he had money in the Bahji cell.
This also makes me feel like stuff about Shareef came out after his death because Shareef's double-crossing-nature was a big surprise to Jed only several days before they found out everything about him.
LEO
He did. He was also behind the plot to blow up the Golden Gate Bridge.
SAM
Bridges and tunnels. That's my nightmare. What's yours?
LEO
Well, now it's bridges and tunnels, Sam.
SAM
Then my work here is done.
Macabre humor at it's best.
LEO
It's that I don't know what winning looks like. What does it look like. Is it... I mean, is it honestly the U.S. flag flying over Mecca? Is that what's going to straighten this out? And if that's the case, why are we postponing that? What are we hoping is going happens in the meantime?
SAM
That somebody will think of something before we have to do the unthinkable.
LEO
You're one of the big minds of your generation. Have you thought of anything yet?
SAM
No.
LEO
Neither have I. Neither has the Preisdent of the United States-- also a pretty good mind.
SAM
The Golden Gate Bridge?
LEO
Yeah.
SAM
Leo, we didn't have anything to do with Shareef's plane going down, do we?
Leo just looks at him and changes the subject in warning way. I do think that this scene was there so that Sam could leave the White House aware of the biggest secret since MS. It's pretty clear that Sam figures that the US assassinated Shareef.
One of the doors is locked and Toby wants to come in to rant.
SAM
Sorry. Two debates?
LEO
Yeah. The President and Bruno aren't going to take it well.
SAM
There's actually one person who's going to take it worse.
LEO
Who?
TOBY
Somebody open the damn door, please?
SAM
It's locked or something. Don't try to force it. I'm going to try...
The statement of the debate committee?
TOBY
"Given the inability of the two major..." Do you mind that I'm reading this?
LEO
Would it matter?
TOBY
"...the two major parties to agree upon earlier Commission proposals, the uncertainty caused by recent Court rulings, and the shortened time period in which to schedule debates for maximum viewing, the Commission hereby amends..." He got exactly what he wanted! For dragging his feet!
LEO
Well, that's why he did it. You can't fault him for having a winning strategy.
TOBY
I'm not faulting him; I'm faulting them.
In better news, Casper's mission was a huge success. They've apprehended the suspects with no injures to the FBI agents and found a ton of evidence in the house.
BARTLET
Mike, pick yourself out a daughter. My oldest is married, but I can have it annulled. The Pope said he'd do it, I swear to God.
CASPER
That's very friendly of you, sir. Thank you.
See, that's sexism that I have little trouble with. It's such OTT humor and it really meshes with one of the themes of this show- President as the King and White House as the story of a palace with its legendary intrigue. Plus, I enjoy Agent Casper's restrained trying to be proper FBI agent response.
However, the mood goes downhill. Ben Yosef's plane went down in southern Lebanon.
LEO
Ben Yosef's plane is missing. Now, how did I not see that coming?
Because CJ and Jed are strange, they're having tea with their football.
BARTLET
Yeah, call that play on first down again, Coach 'cause I'm sure they're not ready for it this time. You know, if you ask a professional athlete what the hardest thing is to do in sports, they'll all say "hit a baseball." But a coach once told me that the hardest thing to do in sports is to walk into your Super Bowl locker room at half-time and change the strategy that got you there 'cause it's no longer working.
C.J.
It's really okay that after almost every play, somebody requires medical attention?
LOL. Apparently, it's okay for CJ to snark on football. Just not Notre Dame specifically.
BARTLET
It's not even the number of debates, as much as the format. 2 minute response followed by a 1 minute reply. That's not a debate. That's not a debate! It's a joint press conference.
Sam enters this cozy abode
BARTLET
Nice job on the Red Mass. First rate. You don't mind if I change everything, do you?
SAM
No, sir.
BARTLET
Here... here... and I added a section here.
SAM
Ah! Cute. Let's take a look.
This is just going to fuel Sam's speech-anxiety more. Sam should blame Charlie for all of the parts that Jed doesn't like.
Anyway while everyone is grousing about the two debates, CJ is quietly brainstorming ways to make the debate rules and situation work for them. I love her so much. It's a pretty consistent theme that when CJ gets dealt a crappy hand, she'll figure out a way to change the rules of the game so that is the winning hand. Ways and Means, Internal Displacement, the gas tax in Institutional Memory, Liftoff, etc. I think her ideas here are so unsung. Out of the box thinking, FTW.
C.J.
Sam, what do you think about me writing you an urgent memo? "I think Ritchie's a more skilled debater than we're anticipating. He has, after all, debated three gubernatorial candidates and won each time."
SAM
And leak the memo?
C.J.
Yeah.
SAM
I think you'll look silly.
C.J.
I'm used to that.
SAM
I don't think it'll do much.
C.J.
Me, neither.
Although, that's what political operatives do and political reporters do fall for it. It was the crux of Leo's gambit in Running Mates but that was even less subtle. That was Leo pretending to be Annabeth directly talking to a reporter about what a "sucky" debater Leo is. That's less subtle than having what seemed like a private correspondence between two Bartlet aids (presumably subtly) leaked.
Presumably, there was more to work with by undermining Leo's expectations because no one had ever seen Leo debate and he's not a charismatic candidate. However, I can imagine a Ritchie who was able to pull off a semi-competent performance in the Florida debates. His people seem to handle him well and it's not like he was incoherent in Game On. He seemed to better at delivering a sensible-sounding, snappy sound-bite that answered the moderator's questions than Palin, Bush and arguably Biden. It's that Bartlet challenged him on *everything*.
BARTLET
Cicero wanted to restore the overthrown king of Egypt, and the Roman Senate debated all day and into the night, every military and diplomatic consequence until they collapsed on the Senate floor. Lentulus is trying to overthrow the Republic. Ceaser goes up against Cato-- by the way, in the very first public debate on the death penalty. They were against each other, it was a debate and they explored the meaning of spirituality and suffering.
SAM
And then they put Lentulus to death.
BARTLET
That's right, but my point...
C.J.
Why not?
BARTLET
Why not, what?
C.J.
Ask for a different format. We didn't get the number of debates we wanted, so why not ask for a different format?
LOL. CJ's idea face.
BARTLET
We'd never get it.
C.J.
We might.
BARTLET
The Ritchie people wold put up too much of a fight.
C.J.
They might consider it. They might consider it if we give them something else they wanted.
BARTLET
Other then this House, we don't have anything else they want.
SAM
Sure we do. Sure we do. We wanted five debates, they wanted none. We have exactly one thing left that they want.
BARTLET
Wow. Isn't this exactly why casino's don't play with a one-deck shoe?
This, this right here, gave Jed the opening to directly pummel Ritchie in Game On which is what won him the election. If I have to assign credit to people for Jed's victory knowing how much of it hinged on the debates, here's my order.
1) Jed Bartlet. His intellect. His performance in the debate. His personality that carried the day.
GAP
2) Toby. He was the one pushing Bartlet to be more, to feel confident enough to make the election about intelligence and experience.
SMALLER BUT SIGNIFICANT GAP
3) CJ. She figured out how to get a debate that would let Bartlet shine the best.
4) Leo's words of confidence before the debate and Leo encouraging Jed to let Toby in no matter how much Jed wanted to push Toby away contributed were key and rather unsung as well.
5. Sam. Helped push CJ's idea along by finishing the thought and said the uncomfortable thought aloud at negotiating their second debate away.
6) I feel bad putting Josh in sixth place just because his storylines weren't tied with this huge watershed moment. Suffice it to say that I'm sure that in the debate, Jed was able to appear credible because he had legislative successes that were largely orchestrated by Josh. However just on the core message of Bartlet and his debate, Josh wasn't as much a player.
7) Abbey. The tie. It was the energy getting him on stage. :-)
Charlie summons Jed.
BARTLET
He's still running that screen pass. Get Toby to sign off, and I'm in.
Jed explains why Red Mass isn't really a violation of separation of church and state in his opinion. The woman Emily from before gives Charlie a note for Anthony.
EMILY
Nice note?
CHARLIE
No, at several points he suggest that I might have an improper relationship with my mother.
EMILY
Why are you smiling?
CHARLIE
He wrote it on the back of the First Amendment.
Cute fellas rendezvous to bitch about football but then Josh does that thing again where he has to leave mid-conversation to chat up Amy.
Amy is waiting to go to Red Mass with another White House friend. I don't think that White House security lets visitors going to events with White House employees just chill in the Mural Room but we'll go with it.
JOSH
Can you give me any indication, what's the senator's thinking?
AMY
I really can't. He spoke to me for a while yesterday, and... again today, and I don't know what he's thinking, but... I can tell you what I told him at the end.
JOSH
What?
AMY
I told him I thought he'd been an extraordinary public servant--thoughtful and energetic and compassionate and courageous, and I told him I'd be voting for the President.
JOSH
Why?
AMY
First of all, I'm crazy about the President, Josh. I've been crazy about him for longer than you've known who he was. And I'll keep poking him with a stick. That's how I show my love. But... as a women's issue, it's a no-brainer. The next Justice can overturn Roe and... you don't screw around with that. Hey, you want to see what I learned to do since you got me fired?
Yup, agree with every word. But enough of that, she also has party tricks.
She blows up the balloon.
AMY
Right away that's impressive, right? But that's just the preparaation. This is the thing.
She folds the balloon into what looks like an abstract penis.
Josh is very much charmed by this. LOL.
The Red Mass! It's a very classy affair. Big shot politicians. Lavish Catholic decorations. Vivalid's "Gloria" playing.
Lovely shot.
Sam and Leo have their last deep exchange. Luckily, it's a very nice one.
SAM
I was thinking about what you asked me before, about have I been able to think of anything and I said, "No." And you said, "Neither have I or neither has the President."
LEO
What about it?
SAM
I wouldn't speak for anybody else but you know I'm not done yet, right?
Leo is still looking at Ben Yousef's yamaka, Sam is giving the usual Sorkin idealistic speech and he does mean every word of it. It's not insincere- it truly is optimistic and that has it's merit. However, Leo experienced a casualty today and he's personally killed over the subject so Leo doesn't respond to Sam. They're on different wave-lengths.
I always thought that knowing CJ is Catholic, it's interesting that she's not inside during Red Mass but instead looking very serious in front of the stained glass window. I always took that to mean that unlike Leo and certainly Jed and Abbey, CJ may have been born Catholic but she's not religious at all and has issues with the religion.
Anyway, hilarious scene coming up.
C.J.
Toby...
TOBY
Nope. Stay there. I'm first looking for something to beat you with.
C.J.
Look...
TOBY
I'm going to do it with my hands.
C.J.
Let me tell you something.
TOBY
One debate?
C.J.
What's really the difference between one debate and two debates?
TOBY
What's the difference betw...? It's a whole other debate. It's a second debate! It's 100% more debate!
First, CJ appeals to Toby's sense of righteousness.
C.J.
Someone should ask him if he's aware taxpayers pay $9,000 this instead of $200,000 that. And somebody should ask him what he means by, and somebody should ask him how he plans on..." You said that, and you were right!
TOBY
What if he has a bad night? It's happened. What if he gets himself into trouble? What if Ritchie comes after Abbey or the kids and the President goes postal? That's what I'd try to do. Stress, hot lights... What if he has an episode?
C.J.
We lose. When you can't lower expectations, you only have one thing you can do. You have to meet them.
See, that's the crux of the thing. Not to say that their efforts to get another debate were a waste of time, but viewership and caring about the debates just craters after the first debate. So giving up the second debate for a better chance that Bartlet will win the first debate really makes sense.
As for Toby's argument about Jed having an MS attack or going postal, that would be covered and run all over the screens and if it was bad enough, it would be the reason why Jed would lose. No matter if it occurred in the first debate and then Jed did superbly in the second. If Jed has an MS attack in public during this election, he loses. If anything, having two debates just increases the risk that the attack or the going postal could occur during one of them and that it becomes the story.
Anyway, CJ convinces Toby.
TOBY
Clear 24 hours from the President's schedule. We're going away.
CJ's silent thank you. Because she gives credit in victory.
Susan tells CJ that Stackhouse wants time with Jed.
STACKHOUSE
That was a wonderful talk, Mr. President.
BARTLET
Thank you. I didn't write much of it.
STACKHOUSE
The 80-20 section.
BARTLET
That part I wrote. I added it.
STACKHOUSE
When you first started... You talk about how much politicians hunger after the 80-20 issue, I thought, "My God, I'm about to watch a train wreck. He's going to make a political speech to the Supreme Court while standing in the middle of a church." But of course you didn't. I should've known better. "Who among the 80 will stand up for the 20?"
BARTLET
You did, Howard. You did all the time.
Aw, very nice scene of respect between these guys. Grandfathers, all. Unfortunately, that's the last that we see of Stackhouse. I'm gonna miss that horse's patoot!
STACKHOUSE
I was telling Josh Lyman about a friend who just got his pilot's license. He told me the most remarkable thing. He said a new pilot will fly into cloud cover. There'll be no visibility. And they'll check their gauges, they'll look at the artificial horizon, it'll show them level, but they won't trust it. So, they'll make an adjustment and then another and another... He said the number of new pilots who fly out of clouds completely upside-down would knock you out. My office will make arrangements for me to endorse you in the morning. You keep your eyes on the horizon, Mr. President.
As I said before, there's a theme about planes in this episode. More discussion of Shareef, Ben Youself's plane, Stackhouse's pilot stories all with the metaphor of Jed as the pilot of his presidency.
Like a good Catholic, Jed asks CJ to move the press off church grounds so he can take questions on needle exchange. It's subtle but CJ gives a definite smile that indicates that she knows Stackhouse just dropped out. Jed won't take questions on a subject because he got politically played or because Stackhouse just intimidated him or something in that chat. It had to have been because Stackhouse recused himself so Jed can just address Ritchie mano a mano. It's appropriate for these characters and this idealistic setting even though I hardly think the political default is, "Single digit leftist candidate who was trying to keep everyone honest drops out so more centrist Democrat starts taking the tough questions."