The West Wing
S2E3
· The Midterms

81% Approval — 'All We Had to Do Was Get Shot At'

The scene fades in on the White House exterior on August 14th, 12 weeks before election day, under a voice-over from Toby, Sam, and C.J. Toby starkly announces the administration's staggering 81% approval rating post-assassination attempt. Sam voices incredulity, and C.J. lands dark, wry humor: 'And all we had to do was get shot at.' This opener hooks with shocking poll numbers while undercutting triumph with gallows wit, framing the core moral conflict—exploiting tragedy's sympathy surge for midterm gains amid ethical qualms and a tainted candidate—propelling staff deliberations.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

The voice-over narration from Toby, Sam, and C.J. reveals the administration's 81% approval rating, setting the political stakes with dark humor about the assassination attempt.

surreal triumph to morbid humor

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
C.J. Cregg
White House Press Secretary
 primary

Wry sarcasm veiling trauma's bitter aftertaste

C.J.'s voice-over caps the opener with wry, dark humor in 'And all we had to do was get shot at,' delivering gallows wit off-screen that twists victory into ethical indictment.

Goals in this moment
  • • Undercut poll euphoria with pointed irony
  • • Signal the human cost behind political windfall
Active beliefs
  • • Tragedy exploitation undermines true leadership
  • • Humor disarms the horror of violence
Character traits
wry sarcastic resilient
Follow C.J. Cregg's journey
Sam Seaborn
Deputy Communications Director
 primary

Incredulous disbelief laced with wary caution

Sam's voice-over interjects with direct incredulity via 'Can you believe it?', challenging the poll's reality from off-screen, injecting immediate skepticism that tempers the opening high.

Goals in this moment
  • • Voice doubt to ground hype in reality
  • • Foreshadow ethical qualms over sympathy surges
Active beliefs
  • • Post-tragedy polls defy normal political logic
  • • Unexamined highs risk moral compromise
Character traits
skeptical incredulous principled
Follow Sam Seaborn's journey
Toby Ziegler
White House Communications Director
 primary

Stark detachment masking underlying gravity of trauma-fueled politics

Toby's off-screen voice-over delivers the stark, minimalist declaration of '81%', anchoring the scene with the raw poll number that frames the administration's post-shooting surge, no physical presence but commanding narrative authority.

Goals in this moment
  • • Establish the staggering approval baseline
  • • Propel the story into midterm exploitation debates
Active beliefs
  • • Tragedy has artificially inflated polls to unprecedented levels
  • • Raw data demands unflinching presentation
Character traits
blunt factual somber
Follow Toby Ziegler's journey

Narrative Connections

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Key Dialogue

"TOBY (VO): "81%.""
"SAM (VO): "Can you believe it?""
"C.J. (VO): "And all we had to do was get shot at.""