I think there was a little bit if wish fulfillment at work here. Dee Dee Meyers, the real-life analog to CJ Cregg, was also a writer and consultant on the series up through Season Four. In real life, she was fired from her White House post by Leon Panetta (the real life Leo McGarry). She appealed directly to Clinton to keep her job and got a reprieve, but was fired again almost immediately by Panetta. So in the fantasy Bartlet administration, she got to replace the mean boss who did her dirt (albeit 2-3 years after she left the show).
Part of my hatred for Season 7 was that I really didn’t like Santos. I especially didn’t like the debate, because it was so obvious to me that Vinick won the debate, and then afterwards all you heard was how Santos wiped the floor with him.
Vinick/Sullivan 06!
Only the last two or three episodes of 7 were that bad. It wasn’t a very good series finale, in my opinion.
If for nothing else, the final seasons were worth watching for the final confrontation between Bartlet and Toby. One of the best scenes of the series.
I bought the entire West Wing boxed set as a present for my wife. We JUST finished season 3. We had not seen the show since it went off the air so each episode was almost like watching it for the first time.
I’ll let you know how season 4 through 7 are. 
We REALLY liked the first 3 seasons.