# West Wing fans- Do you have a single favorite moment from the show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [November 1, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344 "2015-11-01T16:55:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Allthegood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Allthegood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Allthegood)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/101 "2015-11-05T03:37:22Z")
“Never talk to me during The Jackal.” ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/102 "2015-11-05T04:57:07Z")
“Oh, Mr. Lyman, I see your picture in the magazine. Tell me, if I swallow my ballot…” ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/103 "2015-11-05T07:36:57Z")
Sure TWW jumped the shark by having CJ appointed Chief of Staff - press secretary, like the person who manages the media message? He may as well have appointed that psychiatrist guy. But I guess, at that point, such was the status of Allison Janney in that role … ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/104 "2015-11-05T17:07:05Z")
Another Ainsley moment. Sam asks her to polish a position paper, and she re-writes it to completely reverse the position. He complains and she explains why he’s completely wrong. And he changes his mind and her reversed policy suddenly becomes the official White House policy. And then she’s _astounded_ that the political system can actually work that way, that she can actually have an impact on real world events. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/105 "2015-11-05T17:15:09Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Another Ainsley moment. > > Sam asks her to polish a position paper, and she re-writes it to completely reverse the position. He complains and she explains why he’s completely wrong. And he changes his mind and her reversed policy suddenly becomes the official White House policy. And then she’s _astounded_ that the political system can actually work that way, that she can actually have an impact on real world events. I thought that was a good point to make. Of course it’s policy and not law but nonetheless influential. it reminded me of something like a criminal court; it’s a huge drama for the defendant, can take over your life, and then the jury comes in. If it’s not guilty you just walk out, people turn their papers over, someone notes the verdict, no one says anything, it’s … decided and you leave. It’s kind of weird. As a lawyer she knew that, but Sorkin and artistic license are not strangers. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/106 "2015-11-05T17:49:55Z")
We’re rewatching TWW right now; we’re up to S.6 Ep. 9. If I’m remembering from a few weeks ago when we saw it, they deliberately did not elevate Josh because they had a whole lot of stuff going on legislatively and he was “their man on the Hill”. In RL, everyone is right, CJ would not have jumped that high that fast, but it works for the plot lines. Everyone has already mentioned all my favorite episodes, but there was a moment last night (S.6, Ep.8): they are on Air Force One heading to Bejing for the China Summit, and Jed has an MS attack where he is largely paralyzed. They are getting ready to make the announcement to the press that the President will be in a wheelchair for a little while, and Jed refuses to be wheeled to the press area. He figures out how to wheel himself, even with the paralysis in one of his hands. Very moving. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/107 "2015-11-05T18:37:34Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > As for the reality of promoting CJ, in real life I don’t think we’d see it. Chief of Staff is usually just a much more credentialed and broadly experienced person. It varies from one White House to the next though. But in general the Press Secretary, while important, is actually much less involved in policy and basically a “more junior” position than CJ was portrayed as being in the show. If you look at the White House website today for example, there’s a page about Senior White House Leadership, it lists five people: > > Denis McDonough - Chief of Staff But before that, he was Deputy National Security Advisor – which, unless I’m missing something, _wasn’t_ a Senior White House Leadership position (but _was,_ apparently, what Al Haig was doing when he got tapped for Chief of Staff likewise). And, looking back at the others, the only common denominator seems to be _‘the President thinks this is the guy for the job’_: sometimes it’s a Cabinet Secretary and sometimes it’s the Director of the OMB, but sometimes it’s just the ambassador to NATO. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/108 "2015-11-05T21:18:55Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > But before that, he was Deputy National Security Advisor – which, unless I’m missing something, _wasn’t_ a Senior White House Leadership position (but _was,_ apparently, what Al Haig was doing when he got tapped for Chief of Staff likewise). And, looking back at the others, the only common denominator seems to be _‘the President thinks this is the guy for the job’_: sometimes it’s a Cabinet Secretary and sometimes it’s the Director of the OMB, but sometimes it’s just the ambassador to NATO. Because I’m bored, working backward, here’s what the past few were doing right before they were Chief of Staff: Jack Lew - Director of OMB Bill Daley - On the advisory board of transition team Pete Rouse - Senior Advisor Rahm Emanuel - Chairman of House Democratic Caucus Josh Bolten - Director of OMB Andrew Card - Worked on campaign john Podesta - Deputy Chief Erskine Bowles - Deputy Chief Leon Panetta - Director of OMB ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/109 "2015-11-05T21:47:27Z")
Again, though, the one that really jumps out at me is the current guy: one day you’re the _Deputy_ National Security Advisor, and the next you’re the Chief of Staff? ---
**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:** [November 5, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/110 "2015-11-05T22:19:10Z")
The Sorkin run of West Wing was the best sitcom on TV. Ever. I particularly liked Toby’s little rant when he discovers his pregnant ex-wife on Airforce One, \*Listen to me. We’ve got all kinds of atmospheric cabin pressure up here. We’re a little late, so the Colonel’s put the hammer down in a 747. You’ve got wind shear, downdraft, massive turbulence, not to mention four giant engines burning jet fuel at galactic temperatures. We’re standing in a flying death tube! … No, not the rest of you, it’s just my family.\* ---
**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:** [November 6, 2015, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/111 "2015-11-06T09:26:19Z")
I’ve been working my way through the series again also. Just this week I saw the scene where Kristen Chenowith and Allison Janey are doing a walk and talk in the west wing and was amused by the difference in their heights. Janey even asked her how tall she was. There had to be some cheating going on, maybe just Chenowith in flats and Janey in heels. It wasn’t CJ sitting next to Big Bird, but it was good. ---
**Author:** ![ads95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5daacb/32.png) [@ads95](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ads95)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/112 "2015-11-07T00:53:17Z")
President Bartlett calling Donna’s High School English teacher so that Donna can say “I’m standing in the Oval Office with the President of the United States and it’s because of you” Charlie figuring out that the letter from a seven year old boy to the President was actually a letter to President Roosevelt from about 70 years earlier, and bringing him to the White House for the picture they owed him. And then the President makes him stay and tell him about the speech. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/113 "2015-11-07T07:23:33Z")
> [@ads95](#): > > President Bartlett calling Donna’s High School English teacher so that Donna can say “I’m standing in the Oval Office with the President of the United States and it’s because of you” > [@](#): > > Charlie figuring out that the letter from a seven year old boy to the President was actually a letter to President Roosevelt from about 70 years earlier, and bringing him to the White House for the picture they owed him. And then the President makes him stay and tell him about the speech. :) Being reminded of all these great scenes is making me want to get the DVDs and go through the series all over again! ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/114 "2015-11-08T00:07:33Z")
I love that series but i still think the whole MS thing _should_ have been disqualifying. As is explicity pointed out when, I _think_ it’s Toby talking to Abbey Bartlet. Attacks can be brought on by stress An attack can cause reasoning and judgement impairment You can be having an attack without visible sign to anyone else. That’s a bad combination for the guy with the Nuclear codes. ---
**Author:** ![snowmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@snowmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowmaster)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/115 "2015-11-08T02:12:32Z")
Everyone, Potus included handing in their resignation on CJ’s first day as chief of staff ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/116 "2015-11-08T09:19:26Z")
> [@DeptfordX](#): > > I love that series but i still think the whole MS thing _should_ have been disqualifying. > > As is explicity pointed out when, I _think_ it’s Toby talking to Abbey Bartlet. > > Attacks can be brought on by stress > > An attack can cause reasoning and judgement impairment > > You can be having an attack without visible sign to anyone else. > > That’s a bad combination for the guy with the Nuclear codes. Undoubtedly true. I guess, for the purpose of art, Sorkin might have have relied on Eleanor and FDR as a general precedent. Though neither of whom had to be concerned with nuclear codes. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/117 "2015-11-08T18:05:36Z")
> [@DeptfordX](#): > > I love that series but i still think the whole MS thing _should_ have been disqualifying. You mean the voters should have been given the opportunity to vote for someone else with the knowledge that the candidate has MS? Or you think having MS should make the candidate legally unqualified to run for (or be) President? You’re aware (aren’t you?) that if you’re 35+ and born in the US and lived in the US for the last 14 years and not already been President twice (serving more than 2 years of someone else’s term = equivalent of being President for that term for these purposes), you’re qualified? No exceptions for MS, also none for schizophrenia, even being convicted of treason or being a mass murderer as far as I can determine. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/118 "2015-11-08T18:08:36Z")
I think **DeptfordX** is on the side of those on the show who felt that Bartlet should have brought up his MS during his initial campaign for president, and let the voters decide whether or not he should be elected president. Toby certainly had that opinion, in the brilliant episode “17 People”. ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/119 "2015-11-08T20:10:43Z")
Right. Obviously it’s not _legally_ disqualifying. But I do think it ought to be _practically_ disqualifying, as a condition that you can’t risk a POTUS having. On account of the possibilites of say ‘Cuban Missile crisis 2.0’ etc etc. He shouldn’t have run for office in the first place or then gone for a subsequent re-election. Realistically, I don’t think in a real world scenario, there’s the slightest chance he would have won that second election after he came clean. The media eats him alive for both the initial cover-up and the risks already mentioned. Hell, he probably doesn’t even get nominated. Somebody else, not his former VP as he’ll be tainted with the cover-up, runs and gets the Democratic nomination from him. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344/120 "2015-11-08T21:37:13Z")
Considering “he hid the fact that he got his dick sucked” caused such a (fake) shitstorm, de facto ended Clinton’s presidency and might even have cost Al Gore the 2000 election then yes, “he hid the fact that he might just go mental at any given moment” would \*probably \*have been the end of Barlet’s career in the real world :). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-wing-fans-do-you-have-a-single-favorite-moment-from-the-show/736344.md?page=7)