@@gregfaber3417 I mean is there a choice? the 25th Amendment at this time was only a temporary transfer of power, to remain in power he d have to drag the entire congress in to prove Bartlet was still incompetent to lead, that would be petty, and Walken was anything but petty
@@switters8679 what i meant was Walker was a principled politician who wouldn't simply drag a persons name through mud for his own political gain, hence there was really no other choice to be made but the right one
Can I just say how I kind of love the fact that the guy in the scene who brings up two different presidents is the same guy that was chosen to be "the guy" during Bartlett's State of the Union speech in an earlier episode and is the one who gave him a copy of the United States Constitution in Latin..... Also the line "Leo would know what to do" seems to be an oath, a hope and a prayer. Thank you John Spencer for bringing such an amazing character to life that long after you have passed we still look to.
@@elgordo9525 It is, I promise! I'm pretty sure it's the first season. If I remember correctly it's also the episode where President Bartlett has the flu and Leo finds out he has MS.
My favorite line is in the Situation Room, and John Goodman says "If Zoe Barlet winds up dead, we're going to bomb the hell out of somebody." It showed total unity in command and high positions in Barlet's administration. Loved this show!!
better yet when he gave the press conference and ha backed up the President's decision to assassinate the guy. That would never happen, in the real world he would have thrown the President under the bus and started an investigation. He said something like ' Sharif was a walking talking command center'. Which helped give the Bartlett legal cover for killing shariff.
@@zippyzipster46 I 100% believe If a daughter of the president were killed, the USA is gonna be bombing somewhere. Whether it’s the right place or the right thing morally is a different story.
Technically, as soon as Goodman resigned the speakership in order to take the oath, Bartlett could’ve tricked him and brought in the next guy in the line to be president.
LOL I love how Walkens just walks in & takes charge & shows who's clearly a leader & not a commission yet he doesn't do it tyrannical or just to the uncertain bartlett staff but to his own. Knowing that all of it from Zoey's kidnapping to the assassination & everything in between has been unsettling at the least to everyone regardless of their politics or what team they play for.
He stood, while his cabinet secretaries sat. Not a normal pose. But! It showed that he was subservient to the office and left it to them. Bravo, Mr. Bartlett, bravo!
@@thenewadventuresofhenry6998 Of course, Gingrich was probably used as a template of what not to do. After all, Gingrich had absolutely no respect for even the speakership as evidenced by what he tried to do to “Tip” O’Neill. He also had no respect for the presidency as evidenced by impeachment.
Maybe some of you guys knew but for those who did not. While the scene that follows, (the oval office scene) was being set up, Sorkin called everyone into the rosevelt room to tell them all that he was forced to leave the show. If you watch the next scene you can see a difference in energy from the cast. It was perfectly timed since Bartlet turned over power to Goodman's character. But they delayed filming the final scene for a while so the cast and crew could disect what just happened.
@@nrkgalt There are people who consider that the good of the country is MORE important than the good of their family. It's not wrong, but it's hard to find that person.
@Grumpy468 Money is not the driving force for every US President. Nixon for example was in it for the power. Kennedy was more about filling the role Dad had set out for brother Joe before he was killed in WWII. Eisenhower was all about a desire for order in a chaotic world. These are not always bad things. Who knows what inner demons drove Mother Theresa. The world and the people in it are more complex, beautiful and f--ed up than can be summed up in one sentence.
Nobody going to remark that the writers had enough wherewithal to bring back the man that played the Designated Survivor as the Secretary of Agriculture in "He Shall From Time To Time" to ask the "contradictory orders" question in this scene?
I was able to piece that together because I've been flicking through these clips on youtube, and saw the guy a couple of days ago. The series is littered with these shelved characters, motifs etc.
this scene makes me cry every time, more than any other scene from tww. i always mourn characters leaving the white house, but to lose the president terrified me the first time i watched it. they can't exist without him.
I love the sheer amount of trust and respect everyone in the entire government has for Leo. They dont have an actual answer for a question as terrifyingly monumental as "what if we end up with two conflicting federal governments" other than a true trust that Leo will be able to figure it out.
Because VP Hoynes had stepped down a few episodes before and had yet to be replaced. At the time, there was no VP. So the Speaker became acting president.
It's a great moment. It showed that even though he personally held some controversial views, he was still literate and understood the gravity of the situation.
Sorkin really left them a corker with the season 4 finale, didn't he? I wonder if the writers were making some kind of self-referential point about an outsider taking control of operations... nah, probably not.
This is my second favorite scene of my favorite TV show [first being the entire Brothers at Arms scene at the end of "Two Cathedrals". Like TrainingThespian, the cutting from Bartlet to the yet unknown Walken to the Senior Staff was just chilling. If anyone knows how to get the theme without dialogue, it would be greatly appreciated.
@@jamesgoines7663 The US could hardly have been considered a "fledgling Republic" in 1967. You meant the Founding Fathers. Not the "forefathers" of 1967. Why not just come out and be honest ?Just say, "yep, I thought the Founders enacted this clause into the Constitution, and I was wrong." Why not just say that, instead of doubling down ?
It's interesting that many of your comments are about the framers. Each time an amendment is introduced it is done by framers. Forefathers is a very simple concept. These are individuals who came before our parents. So after 1967, there could have possibly been at least 2 generations since it's was written. And yes, it is a fledgling democracy. Amendments would not have to be written or added if they had established everything when the declaration of independence was originally created.
Our democracy and constitution is constantly tested by some unheard ideas. That's the reason why Congress should write laws and the Supreme Court to bring clarity to the laws written.
The very last bit of Aaron Sorkin for this show. s5 to the end...was just alright. Some brilliance but nothing like when Aaron wrote and Thomas directed.
Someone correct me if I am wrong but, did anybody else notice the The Designated Survivor Assitant Secretary in Season 1 ,sitting in this scene and is now a Secretary of some department. He got promoted.
What this show did was reveal a well kept secret--it doesn't matter what the Constitution says, in many administrations, the president's Chief of Staff is the most powerful (or second most powerful) person in the White House.
I get Josh's questioning what was going on from a political stand point, it's his job. But he didn't have the perspective that Leo and Toby had, when it is your child that has been taken and you have access to nuclear launch codes, it would be highly tempting to blow away anybody that might be involved. Like Toby said, 'he was only a parent less than twenty four hours but if somebody had taken one of his children, it would be everything he could do not to carpet bomb Mecca.' President Bartlet did the best thing he could do and stepped down until Zoey was found.
He had also played this role (Sec. of the Interior, I think?) earlier, and had a wonderful scene with Bartlet. He was chosen as the "designated survivor" for the State of the Union speech, and Bartlet gave him advice, just in case- including the wonderful "Do you have a best friend? Is he smarter than you? That's your Chief of Staff."
@@22especwell yes Barlet and Hoynes personally hated each other but they made a working relationship. This has happened throughout history though. In the 1956 election Eisenhower was seriously considering dropping Nixon as VP because he hated how Nixon was cozying up to the then-budding super right wing elements of the Republican party.
This episode is sad because for me, it was the last one before the series changed forever and was never the same. After Aaron Sorkin left the show, often it felt like watching completely different characters. The writing got flatter, and while there was still good to be found (the final season especially) it was definitely a turning point
@@wallacerose8663 Yea, the show was still "good" especially compared to a lot of the stuff that's been made since but it was missing the humor that had made it so great earlier on. The show did something smart by pivoting to more serious issues so that you wouldn't notice it as much but it was still there especially if you were binging it like I was. I noticed I just wasn't laughing nearly as much anymore.
You can see the fathers in the room and the knowledge they have that if they had the powers at their disposal that President Bartlett has and their child had been kidnapped that they would unleash all sorts of wrath on anything that even looked like a terrorist until they got their child back or they would almost be willing to give anything up to get them back. It really was an extraordinary act of self-sacrifice the President made. He took a chance on never seeing his daughter again by willingly putting her in to the hands of someone else. He put his country over his daughter all the while hoping they would find her.
Ive been interested in politics since 1980 and enjoyed this show several times. My question is this why does the President need so many cabinet members? It boggles the mind how big the White Hose cabinet is in reality.
Why/How would Leo have put "in an impossible situation"? It is quite clear that until Bartlet were to sign the paper returning him to duty, that he would have zero authority to give orders. Any ordered given by Bartlet(until he returned to duty) would have to be ignored. It is quite clear.
It's a moral question, not a political one. Leo believes in Bartlet more than anyone, including himself. Leo's worked for years to make Bartlet president. Although Bartlet's powers might be assigned to the Speaker, the authority he holds in Leo's eyes by virtue of his character, history, and accomplishments, remains with him.
Because theoretically if the vice president is only going to become president for a short period of time due to a situation with the current president (i.e. health, family issues, etc. Also something we have only ever experienced once when President Garland was shot but he didn't die until about 2 months later) then most of the stuff does not change unless the next in the line of succession demands it. So that is why Leo would have been put into an impossible decision because he was, without President Walken asking him to temporarily step aside, still the chief of staff.
@@NatashaRaisor I still don't see what it would be an impossible situation. It would be quite clear that, until Bartlet returned to duty, only Walken could give orders.
Imagine if President Trump invoked the 25th Ammendment and handed power over to Nancy Pelosi (and Mike Pence were somehow out of the picture). That's how it'd be.
it didn't go to shit, it just stepped down...I first watched this show in the last season just recently...I thought it was awesome, so I looked it up and I saw that the popular word was the first 3 seasons were far superior to the latter, yet I thought the latter seasons, the only shows that I had seen, were pretty damn good...I'm now almost caught up to where I began.
@@davidllewis4075 Yeah but you do know that none of this matters ...right ? I'm not a "book smart" person but I started reading the kjv bible for the first time ever ...even though I claimed to be a believer in Christ for 30 years... and the knowledge that the God of Abraham has freely given me, and to all who seek him... also gave me knowledge in the world and things of the world .... The point i am trying to make is that the United States is no longer "we the people" and hasn't been since 1868 . : ( (see the 14th amendment)
I can only guess what would happen, if this happened for real. One thing I know is that all branches of the armed forces would go to Defcon 2, if not Defcon 1 and all government agencies would be placed on Alert status "Severe"
I don’t know if it’s the only time, but it is the first. The cabinet room does not exist on the set for the show. The mural room stands where the cabinet room ought.
@@tadtranclere3729 Actually not the first. There was an earlier episode where Hoynes enters, says the President was going to be late and started the meeting. Bartlett walked in while Hoynes was talking and embarrassed him,.
there was another episode where Bartlet and the Speaker of the House get into it over budget negotiations, and the former goes, "...then shut it down..."
Seems to be a weird little gap in the law. I would assume the Supreme Court would rule that the mechanisms of the Amendment would also apply to the PSA as that was Congress' intent, but it's not explicit.
The First Daughter is in mortal danger, and Josh is worried that a Republican is temporarily in charge. This is why I rarely watched this show. And I so desperately wanted to because, despite the fact that I'm a Republican and Aaron Sorkin is clearly a democrat, I think the man is an amazing writer, I love A Few Good Men, despite its inaccuracies on the military criminal justice system, and Sports Night is my favorite show. The way he wrote such amazing characters, with such depth, and quotable lines, I wanted to like the West Wing. But I won't watch a show that takes every opportunity it can to tell me I'm a bad person because I'm a Republican.
At 2:18 there is an error where the writers didn't do their homework-- there hasn't been a Secretary of Health AND Education since the 1970s! Actually it was Health, Education and Welfare. Now there is a Secy of Education and a Secy of Health and Human Services.
Not an error actually. "The West Wing" seems to occur in an alternate history where all of the presidents post-Nixon are different and the presidential elections happen in the off years. One explanation for that is that instead of serving Nixon's second term, maybe Gerald Ford called for a special election in 1974. Therefore, Jimmy Carter was never president and never reorganized the cabinet. Thus there's still a Secretary of Health and Education.
Hey, I'm a flaming liberal but I think George the First wasn't so bad. (But then again George the Second is making every recent president aside from Nixon and Reagan smell like roses.)
David Gillis the vice president had recently resigned and Bartlett had yet to replace him. Speaker of the House is next in the line of succession, which is, of course, a nightmare scenario for any administration.
Owen Hillis The real nightmare scenario would be if both the president and vice president fell into a coma. There would be a real power vacuum. There’s no mechanism to declare either of them unable to carry out the duties of their office. So the House Speaker would presumably not step in.
@@anthonyle3803 Section 4 of the 25th Amendment authorizes the VP and Cabinet to declare the President unable to carry out the duties of the office. If the VP is also incapacitated, nothing in the 25th Amendment says the House Speaker or anyone eke can act in the place of the VP.
However, the point still holds that, unlike the XXV Amendment, the Presidential Succession Act does not explicitly authorize the President to declare his own incapacity.
Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 authorizes Congress to establish the Presidential line of succession beyond the VP. That is done by the Presidential Succession Act. The XXV Amendment offers the President the ability to temporarily turn over power to the Vice President only. While the PSA mentions the possibility of a temporary transfer of power all the way down the chain, it does not provide for the mechanism implemented in XXV, nor for any mechanism to do so, nor a definition of inability.
Why didn't Walken run for election in season 7? I know that they wanted to use Alan Alda and he was great. But a Speaker of the House who temporarily becomes President would make for a good candidate for your party. In other words the way they depict this is the end of Walken's political career once Bartlet re-takes the Presidency.
He did run, but Arnie Vinnick (Alan Alda) creamed him in the primary. Makes sense internally in their universe, a Republican that can carry California... heck.. that makes sense for the GOP to put their steam behind them even in our actual universe. Not that there is one that exists in our world (not since Reagan at least), but if they did, it would definitely be heavy blow to the DNC in the Electoral College.
@@joemckim1183 Sure, I could see Schwarzenegger winning the GOP primary in 2012, considering the really pathetic candidates they put up like cuckoo Ron Paul, disgraced Newt Gingrich and Santorum assuming Schwarzenegger was eligible to be president. Romney wasn't really that great of a choice for the GOP, I guess it was the best of the lot, putting myself in that timeframe where the Tea Party had made their power play in 2010 but really didn't have enough time to establish the kind of foothold they have now, and effectively pushed out all the moderates at least on the Federal level. I definitely don't think Schwarzenegger could win a national GOP presidential primary in 2020 or going forward though. Its no longer party that caters to moderate voices, its going to be a far right party for years to come.
How many times in this show did the characters resort to “Leo knows what to do.” In this universe the United States was governed by Leo. He was The Man, the Fed, the prime G-Man.
Will’s statement is the best. “A stunning act of patriotism and a normal act of a loving father “. Even the Republicans acknowledged that.
Yeah, we live our life by that. It's the wackos on the left that don't care about patriotism or protecting children
I love Walker’s attitude towards his presidency, he didn’t want it. And was very respectful towards Bartlett
And he willingly resigned his role when Bartlet was able to reassume his duly elected role.
@@gregfaber3417 I mean is there a choice? the 25th Amendment at this time was only a temporary transfer of power, to remain in power he d have to drag the entire congress in to prove Bartlet was still incompetent to lead, that would be petty, and Walken was anything but petty
@@anishgb You question whether a choice exists and then proceed to outline the very existence of the choice...
@@switters8679 what i meant was Walker was a principled politician who wouldn't simply drag a persons name through mud for his own political gain, hence there was really no other choice to be made but the right one
Can I just say how I kind of love the fact that the guy in the scene who brings up two different presidents is the same guy that was chosen to be "the guy" during Bartlett's State of the Union speech in an earlier episode and is the one who gave him a copy of the United States Constitution in Latin.....
Also the line "Leo would know what to do" seems to be an oath, a hope and a prayer.
Thank you John Spencer for bringing such an amazing character to life that long after you have passed we still look to.
No shit? Now I gotta watch it to trust and confirm.
@@elgordo9525 It is, I promise! I'm pretty sure it's the first season. If I remember correctly it's also the episode where President Bartlett has the flu and Leo finds out he has MS.
Hear, Hear, @Natasha Marie.
My favorite line is in the Situation Room, and John Goodman says "If Zoe Barlet winds up dead, we're going to bomb the hell out of somebody." It showed total unity in command and high positions in Barlet's administration. Loved this show!!
better yet when he gave the press conference and ha backed up the President's decision to assassinate the guy. That would never happen, in the real world he would have thrown the President under the bus and started an investigation. He said something like ' Sharif was a walking talking command center'. Which helped give the Bartlett legal cover for killing shariff.
@@PeterSedesse The really best line was his next one: "My only regret was we could only kill the son-of-a-bitch once."
Tv lover. Wow. Just a drone. Sad America believing TV.
@@zippyzipster46 I 100% believe If a daughter of the president were killed, the USA is gonna be bombing somewhere. Whether it’s the right place or the right thing morally is a different story.
Technically, as soon as Goodman resigned the speakership in order to take the oath, Bartlett could’ve tricked him and brought in the next guy in the line to be president.
This was a great oppurtunity for John Goodman. He had such a powerful presence
Yes. He was the perfect actor to fill this role.
LOL I love how Walkens just walks in & takes charge & shows who's clearly a leader & not a commission yet he doesn't do it tyrannical or just to the uncertain bartlett staff but to his own. Knowing that all of it from Zoey's kidnapping to the assassination & everything in between has been unsettling at the least to everyone regardless of their politics or what team they play for.
Exactly. The system has always meant to exist regardless of the person who happens to hold the office
Checks and balances all the way down to Leo would know what to do 😂
Best tv show ever..What great writing and ensemble of actors...
He stood, while his cabinet secretaries sat. Not a normal pose. But! It showed that he was subservient to the office and left it to them. Bravo, Mr. Bartlett, bravo!
This episode is so much more loaded because it was Sorkin's last show. Thanks for posting.
Even if he's from the opposing party. trust John Goodman to do the right thing.
Soumyo Mukherjee For him this would be a lateral move after King Ralph.
Not to mention, he's based on Newt Gingrich. Good situation.
@@nrkgalt from a hereditary head of state to a constitutional head of state. What a life!
@@thenewadventuresofhenry6998 Of course, Gingrich was probably used as a template of what not to do. After all, Gingrich had absolutely no respect for even the speakership as evidenced by what he tried to do to “Tip” O’Neill. He also had no respect for the presidency as evidenced by impeachment.
Maybe some of you guys knew but for those who did not. While the scene that follows,
(the oval office scene) was being set up, Sorkin called everyone into the rosevelt room to tell them all that he was forced to leave the show. If you watch the next scene you can see a difference in energy from the cast. It was perfectly timed since Bartlet turned over power to Goodman's character. But they delayed filming the final scene for a while so the cast and crew could disect what just happened.
"Leo will know what to do."
You can depend on that.
Sunnydale mayor and Charles widmore shit stirring
"Leo would know what to do" is a hell of a coup haha
Literally, at one point.
Imagine a time when a president might consider stepping down in a time of personal crisis for the good of the country.
Now come back to reality.
A person who really cares about his/her family would likely not seek the office of president.
@@nrkgalt There are people who consider that the good of the country is MORE important than the good of their family. It's not wrong, but it's hard to find that person.
@@chrisrautmann8936 Guess we have no frontrunners for 2020...
@Grumpy468 Money is not the driving force for every US President. Nixon for example was in it for the power. Kennedy was more about filling the role Dad had set out for brother Joe before he was killed in WWII. Eisenhower was all about a desire for order in a chaotic world.
These are not always bad things. Who knows what inner demons drove Mother Theresa. The world and the people in it are more complex, beautiful and f--ed up than can be summed up in one sentence.
@@timmooney6910 Great answer, especially coming on a TH-cam comment section. A+, Mr Mooney.
They don't make quality shows like this anymore. Outstanding series
It just great how everybody is so sure that Leo will know what to do, that's trust
God, I miss this wonderful show!
Nobody going to remark that the writers had enough wherewithal to bring back the man that played the Designated Survivor as the Secretary of Agriculture in "He Shall From Time To Time" to ask the "contradictory orders" question in this scene?
Good catch. I see that now.
I was able to piece that together because I've been flicking through these clips on youtube, and saw the guy a couple of days ago. The series is littered with these shelved characters, motifs etc.
The actor was also the Mayor of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's home town and a major baddy.
😁
I'm glad they got that one Cabinet Secretary correct, since they bungled/jumbled so many others.
@@andrew_4747 there are 10 cabinet secretary positions in the scene. 9 are correct; the incorrect one is “Secretary of Health and Education”
they sure know how to add power to a scene in the west wing.. excellent directors!
this scene makes me cry every time, more than any other scene from tww. i always mourn characters leaving the white house, but to lose the president terrified me the first time i watched it. they can't exist without him.
I love the sheer amount of trust and respect everyone in the entire government has for Leo. They dont have an actual answer for a question as terrifyingly monumental as "what if we end up with two conflicting federal governments" other than a true trust that Leo will be able to figure it out.
"Leo will know what to do." Now that's trust, but also so much pressure. No wonder he had a heart attack.
I miss this show so much
Because VP Hoynes had stepped down a few episodes before and had yet to be replaced. At the time, there was no VP. So the Speaker became acting president.
You should post Speaker Walken's swearing in. He gave a very brief history on why WWI started that was brilliant.
It's a great moment. It showed that even though he personally held some controversial views, he was still literate and understood the gravity of the situation.
Sorkin really left them a corker with the season 4 finale, didn't he?
I wonder if the writers were making some kind of self-referential point about an outsider taking control of operations... nah, probably not.
Totally possible
This is my second favorite scene of my favorite TV show [first being the entire Brothers at Arms scene at the end of "Two Cathedrals". Like TrainingThespian, the cutting from Bartlet to the yet unknown Walken to the Senior Staff was just chilling. If anyone knows how to get the theme without dialogue, it would be greatly appreciated.
@Ude Eko - I agree - Two Cathedrals was much more than a TV show. It was one of the best movies I have ever seen.
I love The West Wing
“The Republic Comes First”
My favorite Speaker Walker trait was that his favorite president was Truman.
This was all John Goodman. He's from Missouri (where Truman is from) and is a vocal supporter of unions (again, like Truman).
It's amazing how forward thinking our forefathers considered so many possibilities for the sake of our fledgling Republic.
@Jack Evans thanks for the info.
60 + years ago.
Yep forefathers alright.
@@jamesgoines7663 The US could hardly have been considered a "fledgling Republic" in 1967. You meant the Founding Fathers. Not the "forefathers" of 1967. Why not just come out and be honest ?Just say, "yep, I thought the Founders enacted this clause into the Constitution, and I was wrong."
Why not just say that, instead of doubling down ?
framers didn't come up with this as most comments below tell you. in fact they adopted the position of vp at the last minute
It's interesting that many of your comments are about the framers.
Each time an amendment is introduced it is done by framers. Forefathers is a very simple concept. These are individuals who came before our parents.
So after 1967, there could have possibly been at least 2 generations since it's was written.
And yes, it is a fledgling democracy. Amendments would not have to be written or added if they had established everything when the declaration of independence was originally created.
Our democracy and constitution is constantly tested by some unheard ideas. That's the reason why Congress should write laws and the Supreme Court to bring clarity to the laws written.
The very last bit of Aaron Sorkin for this show. s5 to the end...was just alright. Some brilliance but nothing like when Aaron wrote and Thomas directed.
Just watch santos and Vinicius debate though...that was pretty incredible
@@iansaunders8215 And Glenn Close. That was an utterly solid episode
I'm expecting him to yell "MARK IT ZERO!!"
Naw, I don't become Acting President on the Shabbas"
Still....America's best lesson in Civics
Then....Trump
"Breath regular."
*Wheezes like an asthmatic rhinoceros*
He's handing power...to a guy on the other team!!
Who’s here two weeks before Election Day in 2020?
Revisiting heroes and old “friends”. Dropped ours off Saturday.
#4MoreYears
@@willsco76 r u ok?
I like that Walker’s been the Speaker since the beginning we just never saw him.
Someone correct me if I am wrong but, did anybody else notice the The Designated Survivor Assitant Secretary in Season 1 ,sitting in this scene and is now a Secretary of some department. He got promoted.
What this show did was reveal a well kept secret--it doesn't matter what the Constitution says, in many administrations, the president's Chief of Staff is the most powerful (or second most powerful) person in the White House.
And with the kind of actor John Spencer was, one never forgets that fact!!!!!
I always liked how Walken said "Witness this" in this episode.
It shows that he was well versed and understood the unprecedented role that was thrust upon him
I don't know if it's the brilliance of the West Wing or the predictability of our politics, but this show can almost predict the future.
I love how the script is, "Yeah, we'll commit treason by disobeying the acting POTUS."
@Abhishek Harge The 25th transfers power. There's no question as to who is in command. What the cabinet is discussing a coup.
@Abhishek Harge the acting POTUS is the POTUS. The original POTUS no longer has any power
I get Josh's questioning what was going on from a political stand point, it's his job. But he didn't have the perspective that Leo and Toby had, when it is your child that has been taken and you have access to nuclear launch codes, it would be highly tempting to blow away anybody that might be involved. Like Toby said, 'he was only a parent less than twenty four hours but if somebody had taken one of his children, it would be everything he could do not to carpet bomb Mecca.' President Bartlet did the best thing he could do and stepped down until Zoey was found.
2021 anybody?
Fitting for today.
1:23 Harry Groener who played the mayor in Buffy! This is an awesome, delicate scene.
He had also played this role (Sec. of the Interior, I think?) earlier, and had a wonderful scene with Bartlet. He was chosen as the "designated survivor" for the State of the Union speech, and Bartlet gave him advice, just in case- including the wonderful "Do you have a best friend? Is he smarter than you? That's your Chief of Staff."
@@bbofun He was Secretary of Agriculture as well in that episode (“He Shall, From Time to Time...”).
Big Dan T as president? Fucking cool.
One thing I never understood was why did we hardly ever see jed Bartlett in a cabinet meeting.
He hates them, just look at what he did to the Vice-president in the first one they show up
@@22especwell yes Barlet and Hoynes personally hated each other but they made a working relationship. This has happened throughout history though.
In the 1956 election Eisenhower was seriously considering dropping Nixon as VP because he hated how Nixon was cozying up to the then-budding super right wing elements of the Republican party.
it doesn't say i can't handle it, it says i am handling it - the power of constitution
This episode is sad because for me, it was the last one before the series changed forever and was never the same. After Aaron Sorkin left the show, often it felt like watching completely different characters. The writing got flatter, and while there was still good to be found (the final season especially) it was definitely a turning point
I found the Sorkin humour was missing from the later years. The show seemed a lot more serious all the time, with less funny material.
@@wallacerose8663 Yea, the show was still "good" especially compared to a lot of the stuff that's been made since but it was missing the humor that had made it so great earlier on. The show did something smart by pivoting to more serious issues so that you wouldn't notice it as much but it was still there especially if you were binging it like I was. I noticed I just wasn't laughing nearly as much anymore.
After the Trump Biden debate is John Goodman available?
You can see the fathers in the room and the knowledge they have that if they had the powers at their disposal that President Bartlett has and their child had been kidnapped that they would unleash all sorts of wrath on anything that even looked like a terrorist until they got their child back or they would almost be willing to give anything up to get them back. It really was an extraordinary act of self-sacrifice the President made. He took a chance on never seeing his daughter again by willingly putting her in to the hands of someone else. He put his country over his daughter all the while hoping they would find her.
Contradictory orders? The whole point of the 25th amendment is that it keeps 1 person in charge at a time and only one.
great video love that episode thanks. Does anyone have video where Josh does the briefing when Cj has toothache-very funny episode.
Celestial Navigation. One of my favorites as well.
how to watch it from India the series whole again?
I consider the entire scenario unrealistic. It makes Bartlett appear weak, which he eas not.
This would've been Newt Gingrich's dream...
Contact for America
A-Hem....I prefer to think of him as the befuddled and beloved King Ralph!
Ive been interested in politics since 1980 and enjoyed this show several times. My question is this why does the President need so many cabinet members? It boggles the mind how big the White Hose cabinet is in reality.
Why/How would Leo have put "in an impossible situation"? It is quite clear that until Bartlet were to sign the paper returning him to duty, that he would have zero authority to give orders. Any ordered given by Bartlet(until he returned to duty) would have to be ignored. It is quite clear.
It's a moral question, not a political one. Leo believes in Bartlet more than anyone, including himself. Leo's worked for years to make Bartlet president. Although Bartlet's powers might be assigned to the Speaker, the authority he holds in Leo's eyes by virtue of his character, history, and accomplishments, remains with him.
@@Sardonac Leo also knows the law and cares about the Constitution. He would know who is in charge and who to obey.
@@warblerab2955 Yes, that's why they say that Leo will know what to do when the time comes.
Because theoretically if the vice president is only going to become president for a short period of time due to a situation with the current president (i.e. health, family issues, etc. Also something we have only ever experienced once when President Garland was shot but he didn't die until about 2 months later) then most of the stuff does not change unless the next in the line of succession demands it.
So that is why Leo would have been put into an impossible decision because he was, without President Walken asking him to temporarily step aside, still the chief of staff.
@@NatashaRaisor I still don't see what it would be an impossible situation. It would be quite clear that, until Bartlet returned to duty, only Walken could give orders.
All eps are available on Netflix.
Imagine if President Trump invoked the 25th Ammendment and handed power over to Nancy Pelosi (and Mike Pence were somehow out of the picture).
That's how it'd be.
I’d kill to see what Aaron Sorkin would have done with the next few episodes and Walker as acting President.
In fact, he did a seminar about that, years later. Sorkin had the advantage of never watching the show after he left it, and so was quite fresh.
it didn't go to shit, it just stepped down...I first watched this show in the last season just recently...I thought it was awesome, so I looked it up and I saw that the popular word was the first 3 seasons were far superior to the latter, yet I thought the latter seasons, the only shows that I had seen, were pretty damn good...I'm now almost caught up to where I began.
Brian Ellinger from Akron/Springfield.
...yes,Sir...
And a random recommendation based on current reality in US
It's just a score cue from the show, written by composer Snuffy Walden.
Right, but in the full expanded West Wing score it is not present. I would love to have it without dialogue. Oh well, one can dream.
So why didn't the role fall to the Vice President who is before The Speaker in succession?
Sorry not seen all the shows.
At this point, John Hoynes had resigned as VP, so there wasnt one in place yet.
@@garethskwarczek Aah thank you.
The Vice President had resigned over a sex scandal and they had not yet replaced him, which made it default to Speaker of the House.
@@Nekulturny Oops! So another twist in the storyline. Got to say John Goodman played the part well.
Anyone have a clue what music is playing in the background during this scene?
I can't come up with any results. Much appreciated. Thanks.
Kyzersawsay darude sandstorm
@@HoyaSaxaSD Why respond if you do not have the right information? This was not trance music.
@@kulu3850 where?
How does one stand squarely behind someone AND stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them at the same time?
Get real up close and personal
Election Day 2020?
I'm looking for clip where Walken says, "you are relieved Mr. President" Want to show it to my son. 1/24/2020
West Wing WWI Beginnings ..
why do you want to show it to your son ?
@@chazzlucas6395 want him to know how it is Supposed to be in WH. Thanks
@@davidllewis4075 Yeah but you do know that none of this matters ...right ?
I'm not a "book smart" person but I started reading the kjv bible for the first time ever ...even though I claimed to be a believer in Christ for 30 years... and the knowledge that the God of Abraham has freely given me, and to all who seek him... also gave me knowledge in the world and things of the world ....
The point i am trying to make is that the United States is no longer "we the people" and hasn't been since 1868 . : ( (see the 14th amendment)
I can only guess what would happen, if this happened for real. One thing I know is that all branches of the armed forces would go to Defcon 2, if not Defcon 1 and all government agencies would be placed on Alert status "Severe"
Is this the first and only time they featured the Cabinet Room?
I don’t know if it’s the only time, but it is the first. The cabinet room does not exist on the set for the show. The mural room stands where the cabinet room ought.
@@tadtranclere3729 Actually not the first. There was an earlier episode where Hoynes enters, says the President was going to be late and started the meeting. Bartlett walked in while Hoynes was talking and embarrassed him,.
there was another episode where Bartlet and the Speaker of the House get into it over budget negotiations, and the former goes, "...then shut it down..."
Can someone tell me what season and episode of this show had to do with federalism? plz?
I know when I tried searching for it, with any references related to him, I could not find it. :(
Wouldn't the VP be next in line?
Why Bartlett hands the power over???
Leo knew what to do o7
Seems to be a weird little gap in the law. I would assume the Supreme Court would rule that the mechanisms of the Amendment would also apply to the PSA as that was Congress' intent, but it's not explicit.
Who’s here because Trump might get removed from office?
The First Daughter is in mortal danger, and Josh is worried that a Republican is temporarily in charge. This is why I rarely watched this show. And I so desperately wanted to because, despite the fact that I'm a Republican and Aaron Sorkin is clearly a democrat, I think the man is an amazing writer, I love A Few Good Men, despite its inaccuracies on the military criminal justice system, and Sports Night is my favorite show. The way he wrote such amazing characters, with such depth, and quotable lines, I wanted to like the West Wing. But I won't watch a show that takes every opportunity it can to tell me I'm a bad person because I'm a Republican.
At 2:18 there is an error where the writers didn't do their homework-- there hasn't been a Secretary of Health AND Education since the 1970s! Actually it was Health, Education and Welfare. Now there is a Secy of Education and a Secy of Health and Human Services.
Not an error actually. "The West Wing" seems to occur in an alternate history where all of the presidents post-Nixon are different and the presidential elections happen in the off years. One explanation for that is that instead of serving Nixon's second term, maybe Gerald Ford called for a special election in 1974. Therefore, Jimmy Carter was never president and never reorganized the cabinet. Thus there's still a Secretary of Health and Education.
Hey, I'm a flaming liberal but I think George the First wasn't so bad. (But then again George the Second is making every recent president aside from Nixon and Reagan smell like roses.)
Did I miss something, but isn't the Vice President the first in line of succession?
David Gillis the vice president had recently resigned and Bartlett had yet to replace him. Speaker of the House is next in the line of succession, which is, of course, a nightmare scenario for any administration.
Owen Hillis , thank you. I didn't know that. Only just started following TWW
Owen Hillis The real nightmare scenario would be if both the president and vice president fell into a coma. There would be a real power vacuum. There’s no mechanism to declare either of them unable to carry out the duties of their office. So the House Speaker would presumably not step in.
@@nrkgalt I believe Section 4 is used for that scenario you described
@@anthonyle3803 Section 4 of the 25th Amendment authorizes the VP and Cabinet to declare the President unable to carry out the duties of the office. If the VP is also incapacitated, nothing in the 25th Amendment says the House Speaker or anyone eke can act in the place of the VP.
However, the point still holds that, unlike the XXV Amendment, the Presidential Succession Act does not explicitly authorize the President to declare his own incapacity.
Yes, two different departments.
thank god the HUD secretary didn't break ranks
LOL. And called him a "racist" saying "if the shoe fits" :) Sorry, I was thinking of Season 1 and Deborah O'Leary.
Why did he hand over power?
Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 authorizes Congress to establish the Presidential line of succession beyond the VP. That is done by the Presidential Succession Act. The XXV Amendment offers the President the ability to temporarily turn over power to the Vice President only. While the PSA mentions the possibility of a temporary transfer of power all the way down the chain, it does not provide for the mechanism implemented in XXV, nor for any mechanism to do so, nor a definition of inability.
@An0nym0usMaN I know, right?! Whenever I see John Goodman in any role now, all I can think of is Roseanne lol.
maybe its a hug type situation, or like a huddle.
He also played the King of England in King Ralph, one of the only movies where he was the lead actor. Most say King Ralph sucked but i disagree.
caseyrook He was also the lead actor in The Babe. He was one of the few actors who had to slim down to play Babe Ruth.
Why didn't Walken run for election in season 7? I know that they wanted to use Alan Alda and he was great. But a Speaker of the House who temporarily becomes President would make for a good candidate for your party. In other words the way they depict this is the end of Walken's political career once Bartlet re-takes the Presidency.
He did run, but Arnie Vinnick (Alan Alda) creamed him in the primary. Makes sense internally in their universe, a Republican that can carry California... heck.. that makes sense for the GOP to put their steam behind them even in our actual universe. Not that there is one that exists in our world (not since Reagan at least), but if they did, it would definitely be heavy blow to the DNC in the Electoral College.
@@Nekulturny Schwarzenegger was a Republican Governor. Only problem is that's the highest job he can run for.
@@joemckim1183 Sure, I could see Schwarzenegger winning the GOP primary in 2012, considering the really pathetic candidates they put up like cuckoo Ron Paul, disgraced Newt Gingrich and Santorum assuming Schwarzenegger was eligible to be president. Romney wasn't really that great of a choice for the GOP, I guess it was the best of the lot, putting myself in that timeframe where the Tea Party had made their power play in 2010 but really didn't have enough time to establish the kind of foothold they have now, and effectively pushed out all the moderates at least on the Federal level.
I definitely don't think Schwarzenegger could win a national GOP presidential primary in 2020 or going forward though. Its no longer party that caters to moderate voices, its going to be a far right party for years to come.
I don't remember this, why was he giving away the Presidency
It's a good thing John Goodman recently lose 100 pounds this month!
How many times in this show did the characters resort to “Leo knows what to do.” In this universe the United States was governed by Leo. He was The Man, the Fed, the prime G-Man.
The show was really built around Leo if you dig deep enough. It is also alluded to by the West Wing powers that be.
You just have to get very very uncomfortably close to them ;)