The West Wing: The Midterms
Episode score
8.9
Great
The Midterms
- 25.
- Season: 2
- Episode: 3
- First Aired: 10/18/2000
- Prod Code: 226203
- There is currently no trivia. Add trivia!
- C.J.: Sir...the President can't publicly take sides in a local school board election.
Bartlet: Why can't he?
C.J.: Because it's not done. It's not fair. It's personal, and it's irresponsible. It will galvanize Republicans, and the Democracts in Congress will think you've abandoned them, that you don't care about winning back the House.
Bartlet: I don't care about winning back the House. I don't care about winning back the House!
C.J.: Well, I don't believe that's true, so let's just keep that between you and me. edit » - C.J.: You wanna lock up everybody with a white sheet?
Toby: Yes, I do, yes, I do! Who has a problem with that? Bring them to me right now. Yes, I do! edit » - Bartlet: You wanted to talk to me?
Zoey: Not if you're in this mood.
Bartlet: (deep sigh) This is real. And a man who makes the Spanish Inquisition look like a Barbara Walters special is now polling at 46% in your school district for which I have personally baked things to raise money. (To C.J.) You can go, too.
C.J.: You baked things?
Bartlet: You can go. edit » - Leo: Good morning, Mr. President.
Bartlet: Elliot Roush is now polling at 46%.
Leo: How do you know? You had our people check.
Bartlet:(in unison) I had our people check. I have three daughters who grew up in that school district.
Leo: Leave Elliot Roush alone, you beat him already.
Bartlet: And he has come back, like crabgrass pulled from the lawn, not by the root, but by the other thing. edit » - Toby: Donna?
Donna: Yes?
Toby: You going to see Josh?
Donna: I'm taking him his lunch.
Toby: Can I come?
Donna: No.
Toby: Listen.
Donna: No.
Toby: Donna?
Donna: You know the rules.
Toby: The rules are dumb!
Donna: The rules are not dumb.
Toby: Donna, seriously.
Donna: I'm perfectly serious, Toby. He's recovering from an attempted murder, he's supposed to be resting, and I don't want people going over there getting him fartusht.
Toby: Fartusht. Don't bring the Yiddish unless you know what you're doing.
Donna: You know what word should be Yiddish but isn't?
Toby: Huh?
Donna: "Spatula".
Toby: Thank you.
Donna: Also "far-fetched".
Toby: I need to talk to him about...
Donna: The hate crimes and how best to bring it to the President. He's got the papers you wrote, he's got the materials you sent him, you talk to him on the phone 93 times a day.
Toby: I'd like to got to his apartment and talk to him.
Donna: No.
Toby: Donna?
Donna: Maybe if you hadn't said the rules were dumb.
Toby: ...Yeah. edit » - Toby: Sam?
Sam: Right here.
Toby: Oh, I thought you were in there.
Sam: I wasn't.
Toby: I've got it.
Sam: Got what?
Toby: How to avoid the appearance that we're randomly and generically going after extremist groups in violation of their civil liberties.
Sam: We can avoid that appearance by not doing it.
Toby: Yes, or with this: the shooting was the action of not one, but at least three card-carrying members of West Virginia White Pride.
Sam: They have cards?
Toby: What?
Sam: They actually have membership cards?
Toby: Who the hell knows, Sam? It's an expression.
Sam: Okay.
Toby: The key phrase is "at least." At least three members. There might be more! edit » - Sam: Hey, you guys ever been in the White House?
Tom: No.
Sarah: We were looking forward to a tour.
Sam: Well, that's my office over there, and the President works in that round room over there, and nobody else really matters. Come on in. This is the Mural Room.
Sarah: Hmm. Can you tell us anything about it?
Sam: It's called the Mural Room. Have a seat. edit » - (over the phone)
Leo: How'd that bullet not kill you?
Josh: Just lucky I guess.
Leo: Yeah edit » - CJ: Holy interruptus, Batman!
edit » - C.J.: Sometimes in a democracy other people win. edit »
- Bartlet: I wish I could spend more than a few minutes with you, but the polls in the East don't close for another hour, and there are plenty of election results still left to falsify. edit »
- Toby: Why does it feel like this? I've seen shootings before.
Bartlet: It wasn't a shooting, Toby, it was a lynching. They tried to lynch Charlie right in front of our eyes. edit » - Bartlet: I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality an abomination.
Jacobs: I don't say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.
Bartlet: Yes, it does. Leviticus.
Jacobs: 18:22.
Bartlet: Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My chief of staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important, because we've got alot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions would you? One last thing, while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits. edit »
- Jenna Jacobs is likely based on Dr. Laura Schlesinger a well-known, but controversial talk show radio host. edit »
- Credit Was Not Available At Show Level or At All:
Executive Producers: Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme, John Wells
Associate Producer: Julie Herlocker, Mindy Kanaskie
Consultants: Dee Dee Myers, Merlin Fitzwater, Peggy Noonan
Executive In Charge of Casting: Barbara Miller
Key Make-Up: John Damlani
Key Hairstylist: Jeffery Sacino
Costume Supervisors: Emma Trenchard, Michael Long
Special Consultant: Fred Einesman, M.D.
Assistant to John Wells: Shelagh O'Brien
Researcher: Felicia Wilson
Producer: Kristin Harms
Produced by: Llewellyn Wells
Wrong Name or No Name:
Co-Producer: Richard H. Cadell (no H.)
Casting: Kevin Scott (too many Kevin Scott's)
Post Production Supervisor: Rebecca Moline
Re-Recording Mixers: Gary D. Rogers edit » - Awards and Nominations:
This episode won the Scene Stealer award at the 2001 Shine Awards. edit »
Show Score
9.0
great
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