The West Wing
S3E6
· Gone Quiet

C.J. Presses Bartlet: Why Do You Want to Be President?

In the Oval Office, Bartlet banters lightly with C.J. about Marine One's rotor blades and the Majority Leader's zoo gaffe, urging her to go easy on him as a 'conscientious guy' facing a tough question. C.J. turns the spotlight on Bartlet, challenging him to answer why he wants to be President. His heavy sigh and admission—he's been pondering it for hours but 'almost had it'—reveals profound vulnerability and authenticity struggles amid re-election pressures, scandals, and crises. This raw exchange deepens their bond, exposes personal stakes, and underscores the campaign's quest for a genuine core message.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Bartlet and C.J. engage in light banter about Marine One's rotor blades, masking deeper tensions about answering 'Why be President?'

playful to contemplative ['Oval Office']

C.J. confronts Bartlet about formulating an authentic answer to 'Why do you want to be President?', exposing political vulnerability.

cordial to uneasy

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
Charlie Young
primary

Cheekily defiant, buoyed by intimate rapport

Sasses Bartlet post-ballot confirmation with bold reminder of nuclear codes, secured perimeters, and submarine rescues versus 'man of the people' pretensions, then crisply directs him to waiting C.J. inside Oval Office, bridging Outer Oval banter to inner exchange.

Goals in this moment
  • • Ground Bartlet in presidential realities
  • • Prompt timely meeting with C.J.
Active beliefs
  • • Presidential power demands realism over populism
  • • Directness strengthens aide-boss bond
Character traits
cheeky bold loyal sassy
Follow Charlie Young's journey
Abigail Bartlet
primary

pensive and vulnerable

returns to Outer Oval Office, confirms ballot filing with Charlie through banter about Roman history, enters Oval Office, banters with C.J. about Marine One and defends Majority Leader, sighs and admits struggling to articulate why he wants to be President

Goals in this moment
  • • confirm placement on New Hampshire ballot
  • • grapple with and articulate authentic reason for seeking presidency amid re-election pressures
Character traits
supportive poised strategically vital
Follow Abigail Bartlet's journey
Senate Majority Leader
primary

Stammering under scrutiny, politically cornered

Invoked by C.J. as foil—his prior press gaffe dodging 'Why President?' with zoo tangent, prompting Bartlet's defense and her counter-challenge, underscoring partisan pressure cooker.

Goals in this moment
  • • Deflect ambition-probing questions
  • • Maintain dignified public facade
Active beliefs
  • • Personal motivations stay private
  • • Partisan loyalty trumps introspection
Character traits
evasive conscientious
Follow Senate Majority …'s journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Marine One

Casually invoked in Bartlet-C.J. banter as symbol of executive isolation—query on ducking rotors underscores perks alienating presidents from 'people,' echoing Charlie's earlier perks critique and contrasting Oval candor amid axed New Hampshire trip tensions.

Before: Idling with whirring rotors on White House portico
After: Still idling on portico, blades slicing air
Before: Idling with whirring rotors on White House portico
After: Still idling on portico, blades slicing air

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 2
Emotional Echo medium

"Bartlet's humorous banter about traditions persists even amid crisis."

Leo Abruptly Halts Bartlet's NH Filing Trip with U.S.S. Portland Silence
S3E6 · Gone Quiet
Symbolic Parallel weak

"Both C.J.'s analysis of media and her push for authenticity tie to navigating public perception."

C.J. Dances in Triumph Over Rival's 'Why President?' Flop
S3E6 · Gone Quiet

Key Dialogue

"BARTLET: Yeah, listen. I want you to go easy on him. He's a conscientious and dedicated guy. It's not an easy question."
"C.J.: Can you answer it? BARTLET: Why do I want to be President? C.J.: Yeah."
"BARTLET: [sighs] I've been thinking about it for the last couple of hours. I almost had it."