# The West Wing - President Bartlet takes a vacation **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031 "2016-09-04T17:18:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/1 "2016-09-04T17:18:20Z")
I can’t remember an episode in which he was on vacation, either back in his home state of New Hampshire, or in a national park lodge somewhere, or on Martha’s Vineyard, etc. Did we ever see him and the First Lady taking a long break somewhere away from the White House? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/2 "2016-09-05T01:42:26Z")
We see him back in his New Hampshire ranch in one episode (Manchester?) but it’s not like he’s lying by the pool sipping mojitos - he’s strategizing. We also see him at Camp David in another episode, but again, it’s all work. This makes sense because, as you know, the show is about the presidency, not about the president or what it’s like to be a president. I don’t particularly want to see Bartlet on vacation. Indeed I harbour the belief that he is always on the job, never goofing off. Some people are like that. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/3 "2016-09-05T05:54:58Z")
I seem to remember there were a few camera shots in a house after Bartlett invoked the 25th Amendment after Zoe was kidnapped. I don’t recall any other scenes where there wasn’t work being done. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/4 "2016-09-05T06:42:25Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > …This makes sense because, as you know, the show is about the presidency, not about the president or what it’s like to be a president… Incidentally, I think I remember reading that Sorkin’s early concept was that the president himself was never on screen at all, it was all about the staff. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/5 "2016-09-05T07:07:34Z")
President Bartlet was supposed to be an infrequently-recurring character, but the pilot convinced him that the story should shift toward him. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/6 "2016-09-05T07:20:12Z")
Yes, you’re both right. BTW, I also recall in the “20 Hours in LA” episode they all go to a fund-raising party in LA, but it’s all business there too. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/7 "2016-09-05T07:30:14Z")
Bartlett went on working vacations. A POTUS can’t just take off and leave the cell phone at his desk while he’s walking the Appalachian trail for a week. He did go to a “debate camp” prepping for the debate for his re-election campaign. And even when he’s out campaigning or making appearances, Air Force One is a mobile Oval Office (albeit with a smaller West Wing and less staffers). ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/8 "2016-09-05T07:33:13Z")
I still think he got the wording of the 1st Commandment wrong in the Pilot episode. The way I learned it was “I am the Lord, thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” But it’s possible the Catholic version is different than the version I was taught. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/9 "2016-09-05T07:51:47Z")
For Catholics, like Bartlet, the first commandment is “I am the Lord, thy God.” I believe. But it’s not even really a commandment, is it? It should have something like “…and don’t you forget it buddy.” at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/10 "2016-09-05T08:06:53Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > …Air Force One is a mobile Oval Office (albeit with a smaller West Wing and less staffers). I think they just always use the Port Wing on Air Force One, to avoid having to shift all their desks and stuff across to the other side of the aircraft on the return leg. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/11 "2016-09-05T08:15:15Z")
Or fly inverted. Yeah, that’s the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/12 "2016-09-05T15:31:05Z")
Just realized that my previous post was vaguely-worded; the first ‘him’ refers to Aaron Sorkin, and the second to the President Bartlet character. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/13 "2016-09-06T02:47:12Z")
Thanks, all. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/14 "2016-09-06T03:27:03Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > For Catholics, like Bartlet, the first commandment is “I am the Lord, thy God.” I believe. > But it’s not even really a commandment, is it? It should have something like “…and don’t you forget it buddy.” at the end. Doesn’t it include “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”? ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-west-wing-president-bartlet-takes-a-vacation/765031/15 "2016-09-06T21:14:05Z")
They didn’t let Bartlet take vacations for fear he might have another arboreal accident.😉