The West Wing
S1E16
· 20 Hours in L.A.

Drawing the Line — Bartlet Refuses the Pose

In a tense, late-night confrontation in the study, President Bartlet refuses donor Ted Marcus's demand that he publicly threaten a veto on an anti-gay bill as a symbolic gesture. Bartlet explodes — not from personal pique but from strategic conviction — arguing that airing the issue will politicize and damage the cause. Marcus, chastened, concedes and explicitly reaffirms his trust. The exchange ends exhausted and oddly intimate, crystallizing Bartlet's ethical boundaries, political discipline, and the emotional cost of leadership.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

4

Bartlet loses patience, shouting at Marcus for crossing a line with Josh Lyman.

anger to authority

Bartlet delivers a final, forceful argument that presidential intervention would hurt, not help, gay rights.

intensity to resolution

Marcus concedes, affirming trust in Bartlet, easing the confrontation.

defeat to submission

Bartlet and Marcus exchange weary, honest remarks about exhaustion, closing the conversation.

fatigue to closure

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Josiah Edward 'Jed' Bartlet (President of the United States)
President of the United States
 primary

Controlled exhaustion that breaks into righteous anger and paternal protectiveness; weary but unyielding conviction in his political judgment.

President Bartlet holds firm against a donor's demand, moves from quiet refusal into an explosive, disciplined rebuke. He defends staff (explicitly Josh), explains strategic reasoning, and forces Marcus to relent while exposing the political consequences of a public gesture.

Goals in this moment
  • • Prevent the President's name from injecting a divisive issue into national debate
  • • Protect Josh Lyman and the integrity of his staff
  • • Maintain message discipline and avoid politically harmful symbolism
  • • Preserve working relationship with a donor without ceding strategic control
Active beliefs
  • • Public discussion by the President will politicize and harm the cause of gay rights
  • • As President he must manage optics and timing; symbolic gestures can have real policy consequences
  • • Donor pressure should not dictate executive decisions
  • • Protecting staffers is part of his duty and political prudence
Character traits
strategic authoritative protective disciplined weary but resolute
Follow Josiah Edward …'s journey
Ted Marcus
Major Political Donor
 primary

Initially assertive and performative, then chastened and conciliatory; anxious to satisfy his guests while unwilling to be publicly seen as outmaneuvered.

Ted Marcus asserts donor leverage — invoking a 'large microphone' — and demands a public veto threat; when confronted with Bartlet's strategic refusal and moral force, he backpedals, expresses trust, and attempts to smooth the relationship.

Goals in this moment
  • • Secure a public gesture to reassure his donor guests
  • • Demonstrate influence and maintain control over fundraising optics
  • • Preserve his relationship and access to the President
  • • Avoid embarrassment among his peers
Active beliefs
  • • Public symbolic gestures reassure and control donor communities
  • • His platform (microphone, events) can bend political behavior
  • • A personal public repudiation from the President would satisfy his hosts and secure loyalty
  • • Political actors respond to visible demonstrations of support or opposition
Character traits
transactional theatrical conciliatory socially aware insecure about donor expectations
Follow Ted Marcus's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Ted Marcus's Large Podium/Broadcast Microphone (Evacuation Plane)

Ted Marcus invokes the 'large microphone' as a figurative and literal instrument of public pressure — signaling that he can turn private dissatisfaction into public spectacle. The microphone functions as leverage and threat: it represents media amplification and donor influence that Bartlet refuses to let dictate tactical choices.

Before: At Marcus's disposal in concept — a rhetorical …
After: Remains available to Marcus but its implied threat …
Before: At Marcus's disposal in concept — a rhetorical and practical tool Marcus can use to publicly mobilize donors and media.
After: Remains available to Marcus but its implied threat is defused when he concedes and pledges trust; unused as a weapon during the scene.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
NSC Evacuation Plane (Designated Evacuation Aircraft — Airborne Command/Evac Transport)

The NSC Evacuation Plane is referenced by Bartlet as context for his fatigue — he mentions sleeplessness and keeping staff awake on an early‑morning flight. The plane is not present but functions narratively to explain his weariness and the continuity pressures weighing on him.

Atmosphere Not physically present; invoked atmosphere is mechanical, cramped, and sleep‑deprived.
Function Contextual location that explains the President's exhaustion and operational burdens.
Symbolism Symbolizes the relentless, mobile obligations of the presidency and the cost of constant readiness.
Access N/A within the scene (referenced only).
Engines humming, early‑morning departure (referenced) Conveys lack of sleep and administrative burden

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 4
Escalation

"Marcus's initial ultimatum to Josh escalates into a direct confrontation with Bartlet, demanding a public veto threat against the anti-gay bill."

Marcus's Ultimatum: The Fundraiser That Isn't
S1E16 · 20 Hours in L.A.
Escalation

"Marcus's initial ultimatum to Josh escalates into a direct confrontation with Bartlet, demanding a public veto threat against the anti-gay bill."

Marcus Cancels the Fundraiser — The Ultimatum
S1E16 · 20 Hours in L.A.
Thematic Parallel medium

"Zoey's frustration over lost normalcy and Bartlet's paternal concern are mirrored in the weary, honest remarks about exhaustion shared between Bartlet and Marcus."

Guacamole, Guard Detail and a Flag Joke
S1E16 · 20 Hours in L.A.
Thematic Parallel medium

"Zoey's frustration over lost normalcy and Bartlet's paternal concern are mirrored in the weary, honest remarks about exhaustion shared between Bartlet and Marcus."

Kiefer's Numbers-Driven Sell: Burn the Flag, Save the White House
S1E16 · 20 Hours in L.A.
What this causes 1
Emotional Echo medium

"Marcus's concession and affirmation of trust in Bartlet echo the mutual respect concluded in Bartlet's call with Hoynes, both resolving confrontations with dignity."

Midnight Acknowledgment on Air Force One
S1E16 · 20 Hours in L.A.

Part of Larger Arcs

Donor leverage versus presidential integrity: Ted Marcus' theatrical ultimatum (cancelled fundraiser / demand for public posture) forces Josh, Leo and the President to choose between short-term donor-driven theatrics and longer-term moral/political pru... Kiefer's flag‑amendment pitch (poll-driven, numbers-first politics) against the President and staff's commitment to rhetorical and moral integrity — the temptation to trade principle for swing voters vs. the cost of legitimizing a culture-war fight.

Key Dialogue

"BARTLET: "Because I know what I'm doing, Ted! Because I live in the world of professional politics, and you live in the world of adolescent tantrum! Don't you ever slap Josh Lyman around again. That guy is the White House Deputy Chief of Staff. He's not one of your associate producers.""
"BARTLET: "Right now, right this second, the worst thing that could possibly happen to gay rights in this country is for me to put that thing on the debating table, which is happens the minute I open my mouth. Do you get that? I'm a human starting gun, Ted. You got to trust me! I know what I'm doing.""
"MARCUS: "I trust you, Mr. President.""