David Dweck

politically connected aspirational qualified contender

David Dweck stands as the politically connected runner-up in Deborah Fiderer's selection for a White House aide position that went to Charlie Young. Fiderer resisted patronage pressure to hire Dweck, opting for merit instead, which led to her firing. During her Oval Office interview with President Bartlet, she names Dweck as the 'second place' candidate and jokes about his name, underscoring the tensions between favoritism and integrity in staffing decisions. Dweck highlights how political networks influence federal hiring amid Bartlet's push for principled personnel choices.

2 appearances

David Dweck's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

2 moments

S4E2 · 20 Hours in America Part II

The Interview: Integrity on Trial in the Oval

Not present; inferred to be beneficiary of patronage if the chain had run its course.

David Dweck is referenced by Debbie and Bartlet as the 'second place' candidate and the recipient of donor-driven patronage pressure; he is not present but his candidacy functions as evidence …

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S4E2 · 20 Hours in America Part II

Integrity Over Patronage: Bartlet Confronts Debbie

Not present; referenced as the beneficiary of patronage, implying expectation and disappointment.

David Dweck is named as the runner-up candidate and invoked as the politically preferred alternative; he does not appear but his name functions as the foil to Charlie's hire.

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