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"Previously on the West Wing" spoken by Donna

It's election night, and Bartlet (Martin Sheen) isn't the only winner. The late Horton Wilde won his House race in Orange County, Cal., which puts Sam (Rob Lowe) in a delicate position, especially since someone leaked his promise to Wilde's widow.

And Andy Wyatt (Kathleen York) won her House race in Maryland (with 85 percent of the vote), but Toby's (Richard Schiff) still worried about how her pregnancy will play politically. Meanwhile, a coup is developing in Venezuela, and it's the first night in the situation room for Cdr. Jack Reese (Christian Slater), the gallant Ritchie supporter who swapped votes with Donna (Janel Moloney).

Bartlet's attempt to celebrate the win with a romantic night with Abbey (Stockard Channing) keeps getting interrupted, not least by the coup in Venezuela.

Summary

Opening - Election Night, 12:15am

Amidst the celebrations going on in the White House over the President's victory, people are watching closely the race in Orange County, CA.  Sam and Donna are talking - Sam is telling Donna about what possessed him to stand in if Wilde were to win.  They leave Sam's office to see on the television that Congressman Webb has conceded the election in the California 47th.  Sam yells for Ginger and Bonnie to get Will Bailey or Kay Wilde on the phone immediately.  The reporter on the TV announces that she has learned that Sam Seaborn is rumored to have agreed to run in a special election.  Sam goes to find C.J., Toby, and Josh - who are in C.J.'s office and they all question Sam about what is going on.

Act I

Sam explains to Toby, C.J., and Josh what happened - C.J. tells Sam that he needs to go an tell the President before he does anything else.  In the residence - Abbey and Jed are sharing a romantic moment - when Charlie knocks on the door to tell the President that Sam is waiting to see him.  Sam comes in to tell the President about what has happened in California and that the President may be asked if he is endorsing Sam - but Sam is going to try and get out of having to run.

Wyatt Victory Party - 1:15am

Toby arrives at Andy's victory party to try and convince Andy they need to release a statement about Andy's pregnancy - she doesn't want to do it, she just wants to celebrate her victory with 85% of the vote.

Back at the White House, Leo and Jordon are dancing on the portico when Colonel Whitcomb arrives to tell Leo there is a coup developing in Venezuela.

Act II

C.J. and several others are in her office, while C.J. is trying to focus on a "talking head" on the TV.  She asks the group if anyone knows who it is - they tell her it's a pollster that Bruno hired - and he's talking as if he was the key to the electoral victory.  She goes to find Bruno, who couldn't care less about the pollster - C.J. tells Bruno she is going to keep an eye on what he says.  On the way back to her office - she sees Donna and tells her that partygoers from the Women's Coalition have arrived and Donna may want to tell Josh, who appears in the lobby at the same time.  He and Amy find each other and go off to talk.

After Amy leaves to go to the party - Josh calls to Donna to get Will Bailey on the phone.  In California - Will is going to bed - but his sleeping is interrupted by the phone call from Josh.  Josh wants to know the President's numbers in Orange County and how they might affect Sam's campaign.

Josh hangs up with Will and asks Donna to find Leo for him.  Donna then spots Jack Reese who is arriving for his first day of work at the White House (he is the overnight watch commander) - Donna helps him find his way to his office.  They talk on the way, she questions why he was going to vote for Ritchie.  As they arrive in his office, his phone rings and he answers the phone to find out about Venezuela and that he is now on alert.

Act III

Jack arrives in the Situation Room and is introduced to the team and then briefed on what is happening in Venezuela.  He comes back to his office to find Donna still in his office - she wants an answer as to why he was going to vote for Ritchie.  Jack was concerned about the President's pledge to roll back Pentagon procurement, which he demonstrates by hitting an ashtray in his office with a hammer, breaking it into three pieces - and tells Donna that's why somethings for the Defense Department cost more money.

Toby and Andy are still talking about a statement regarding Andy's pregnancy.  Andy asks Toby if he has told the President about the twins - he says he hasn't.

Back at the White House - Bruno is still talking to an attractive woman - when C.J. arrives to talk to Bruno about the pollster she saw on TV.  He really doesn't care.  C.J. heads back to her office and runs into Josh and they talk about Sam - they both think he should run in the special election.

Toby returns to the White House and passes C.J., Josh, and Amy - telling them his is on his way to see the President to tell him about the twins.

Act IV

In the Residence, Jed and Abbey are still trying to have their romantic moment when Charlie knocks to tell the President that Leo and then Toby need to see the President.  Leo comes in to tell the President about Venezuela and then bids the President good night - Toby comes in next to tell the President about Andy.

Downstairs, C.J. runs into the pollster who had been on TV earlier in the evening.  She tells him not to disrespect Leo and Bruno and that she will crush him if he continues to talk like that into a microphone.

C.J. then finds Sam and brings him to C.J.'s office where Toby, Josh, and Amy are waiting - they all tell him that he should run in the special election.  Leo returns to his office where Jordon is still waiting for him.  He tells her about Sam and Venezuela and the two of them pick up where they left off earlier in the evening.

Quotes

C.J.: Josh, Sam Donaldson from the ABC Nightly News program's on the phone. He'd like to know if the President is endorsing Sam.
Josh: Toby, is the President endorsing Sam? Hmm? Is the President endorsing Sam?
Toby: I don't know. He's asleep, but let's go ask him.
[Toby, Josh, and C.J. start to get up.]
Sam: All right.


Colonel Whitcomb: Mr. McGarry need you to call the pertinent intelligence data and put together a two-page briefing he can give the President. So, how much time do you need?
Jack Reese: Um... three hours?
[Everyone in the room begins to laugh.]
Leo: 20 minutes, son.


Leo McGarry:  Boy, you're in the Air Force, the private sector, the Labor Department, two Presidential campaigns and rehab and you think you've seen it all, but it turns out you haven't 'cause Sam Seaborn is going to be the Democratic candidate for Congress in Orange County.
Donna: A $400 ashtray?
[Reese sighs, grabs a wrench, and breaks the ashtray on his desk into three pieces.]
Donna: What was that?
Jack Reese: A $400 ashtray. It's off the USS Greeneville, a nuclear-tech submarine and a likely target for a torpedo. When you get hit with one, you've got enough problems without glass flying into the eyes of the navigator and the officer of the deck. This one's built to break into three dull pieces. We lead a slightly different life out there and it costs a little more money.
Donna: I can't believe you broke a $400 ashtray.
Jack Reese: Yeah, I wish I hadn't done that. It's cuz you're blonde.

Trivia / Goofs

  • The Maryland 5th Congressional District (the district represented by Andy Wyatt) is currently represented by House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer.
  • There is no such radio station as WNKW (although it is near the top of "fictional radio stations" used in TV); nor is there an FM radio station that airs "oldies" programming in the DC area.
  • The US Navy banned smoking on all of its submarines in 2010. Before that though, there was only one designated place on a submarine where a sailor could smoke, referred to as the "smoking pit, which was usually down near the engine room. Jack's reasoning for a $400 ash tray (that it prevents shattered glass from "flying into the eyes of the navigator and the officer of the deck" if there was a torpedo hit) makes no sense, because smoking up near the navigator or officer of the deck would not be permitted in the first place....only down in the smoking pit.

Cast

Starring

Special Guest Stars

Guest Starring

Co-Starring

Template:Season 4

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