This was one of the great scenes in a TV series that was full of great scenes. Unfortunately, when you look at it a second time, you notice the "big error." It's supposed to be January. One of the White House reporters comments that it's freezing outside. And yet - when Bartlett walks to Capitol Hill, all the trees in Washington, DC, are green and full of leaves!
Interesting fact. The Jayhawks are from Lawrence, Kansas. While Kansas is mostly republican, Lawrence typically votes democrat. Wonder if the writers had that in mind when writing this scene.
You cut this too soon. You've left out the conniving Republicans plotting their next move, taking so long that Bartlett just walks away. Republicans had won and then just threw it away. Loved this episode.
I haven't seen this series since '16. Once we're finished with the rapist-fraudster, I want to dig it out and binge watch it to clear the current resident crap from my memory banks.
There used to be a clip here on RU-vid that showed the whole scene right up to Haffley opening the door to an empty corridor. I haven't been able to find it.
I remember this episode and my wishing they'd started a poker game to casually accept the dis of the door to the chamber being shut in their face. When 'summoned'..." I'm on a winning streak. Who'd like a seat at the table. Not one second of eye contact.
The payoff is that Haffley makes the president wait, and wait, and then Bartlett leaves with an "I tried" shrug, a clear message to the American people that Haffley is the problem, not Bartlett.
It you want to see a president remotely like Bartlett, you need to stop wasting your vote and your support for the two party center-right/right-wing corporate duopoly. You're going to have to vote third-party, and you're going to have to vote Leftist. Not " Liberal " or" Progressive ", but Leftist. And you have to abandon the false narrative that capitalism is synonymous with being American. No other group of People on earth tied their nationality to an economic system. Only we do that. And it's stupid. Someone in China was still Chinese, rather lived under the Emperor or the Communist party or a Republic in Taiwan, they are still Chinese. They could switch governments or economic system tomorrow, and they would still be Chinese. So tell me exactly where it is written you have to be a Capitalist to be an American. I'm a Socialist and a Foundational Black American. My people literally built and maintained the United States. African American culture is American Culture. No amount of whitewashing history will change that fact. I'm also Native American and a Veteran. I dare you to fine someone more American than me. And I am morality opposed to any economic system that is inherently unstable undemocratic unsustainable and oppressive, and I fundamentally opposed white supremacy anti-black racism and its regular and irregular agents and " institutions. "
It is great symbolism for the POTUS. Not for Congress though haha. The President literally walking to MEET you then having to WAIT on you. Abysmal optics.
Oh no this cuts the best part. After weighting a while he just ups and leaves like a president. And the pressure is on congress who refused to even see him in the eye of the media (they were ready for him just after he left)
Leo is the best political mind & strategist in this series but its with his years of experience. The things Josh achieved in this age with less than half experience of Leo makes Josh the best "political mind & strategist".
What is often understated about this scene is how quickly CJ realized how to take advantage of it. Yes Josh came up with the idea, the President enacted it, but CJ figured out how to exploit it best (and then Haffley screwed it up totally) (don't get me wrong, Josh quickly realized after CJ's comments how to take advantage of it also)
They cut this clip too soon. Bartlett is kept waiting so long that he walks out and heads back to the white house. The press had a field day because it made the republicans look like losers who refused to negotiate. Cutting this clip short misses the entire point of what happened.
This series made me proud to be American - not an American by birth but an American who chose to be an American - the precepts highlighted by this series should be a guiding light for all Americans no matter their ethnicity!
