# Source of "The West Wing" quote **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 5, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093 "2013-09-05T17:18:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093/1 "2013-09-05T17:18:13Z")
At least, I think it’s a quote. The final scene of the pilot episode feature Pres. Bartlet in the Oval Office surrounded by his staff. He’s handed a piece of paper, informing him of the status of the Cuban refugees trying to sail to Miami. He then either quotes a line, or speaks these original words: “With the clothes on their backs, they came through a storm. And those that didn’t die want a better life. And they want it here.” Any idea if that quote is from something else? I can’t seem to find anything other than West Wing sources on the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093/2 "2013-09-05T18:54:52Z")
Why do you think it is not an original quote? It doesn’t ring any bells for me (other than having seen the episode before). ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093/3 "2013-09-05T19:11:49Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Why do you think it is not an original quote? It doesn’t ring any bells for me (other than having seen the episode before). Bartlet’s tone when saying that sounded as if he was quoting something. But I’m certainly not discounting it. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093/4 "2013-09-05T19:37:16Z")
Google isn’t pointing to anyone else saying it… ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093/5 "2013-09-05T19:38:11Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Bartlet’s tone when saying that sounded as if he was quoting something. But I’m certainly not discounting it. I’m with Skammer here. That was just Sorkin (through his proxy, Bartlet) being poetic. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093/6 "2013-09-05T20:19:56Z")
Damn, now you’re reminding me why I loved The West Wing so much. (And why The Newsroom doesn’t seem to inspire as much love.) ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093/7 "2013-09-05T20:22:12Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Damn, now you’re reminding me why I loved The West Wing so much. (And why The Newsroom doesn’t seem to inspire as much love.) If it makes you feel any better, The West Wing was never as good as Sports Night. Tolkien would have called it subcreative exhaustion, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093/8 "2013-09-05T21:55:42Z")
I’ve been binging on West Wing on Netflix. Never watched it during it’s original run for partisan reasons, however I have to say I’m really liking it. it’s far more even-handed in many ways than I had thought, even though it does get into loopy-land sometimes (as would any TV series after a few years, the plots start to get a bit yeah-right). ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/source-of-the-west-wing-quote/668093/9 "2013-09-05T22:18:03Z")
While it was on, for the first four seasons at least, West Wing was the best comedy on TV. After Sorkin left, the humor faded quite a bit.