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S3E20 · We Killed Yamamoto
S3E20
· We Killed Yamamoto

Donna Diplomatically Rebuffs North Dakota's Rebrand Plea

In a Bismarck conference room, Donna Moss stoically delivers the White House's position, deflecting North Dakota officials' push to eliminate 'North' from their name as a state-level issue amid economic woes. Locals cite studies linking the name to perceptions of cold flatness and tourism gaps with South Dakota, but Donna rebuts with irrefutable climate data and Mount Rushmore's pull, emphasizing her narrow mandate as Josh's assistant. This comic breather spotlights federal-state friction, Donna's unflappable competence, and her role as a conduit for peripheral intelligence, contrasting the episode's high-stakes terrorism crisis.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

4

Donna delivers the White House's official stance on North Dakota's name change, diplomatically deflecting responsibility back to the state.

neutral to defensive ['Conference room in Bismarck, North Dakota']

Local officials challenge Donna with economic data, pressing the urgency of their name change campaign.

defensive to confrontational

Donna counters with brutal climate facts, dismissing their argument with a devastating one-liner about Mount Rushmore.

confrontational to dismissive

Frustrated officials demand direct White House support, forcing Donna to clarify her limited authority in the matter.

dismissive to authoritative

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
Josh Lyman
primary

Professional detachment (inferred via proxy)

Invoked by Donna as her direct superior, framing her role strictly as his assistant with limited authority to convey White House stance, underscoring chain-of-command limits without physical presence.

Goals in this moment
  • • Contain federal involvement to predefined parameters
  • • Delegate peripheral issues through staff
Active beliefs
  • • State issues best handled locally without national entanglement
  • • Aides operate within narrow representational bounds
Character traits
authoritative delegatory
Follow Josh Lyman's journey
Abigail Bartlet
primary

Measured sympathy tempered by strategic restraint

Position articulated verbatim by Donna as sympathetic to economic stakes yet deferring resolution to state level as unripe for national focus, wishing locals well—absent but central to the message's polite rebuff.

Goals in this moment
  • • Acknowledge local concerns without committing federal resources
  • • Prioritize national crises over regional rebrands
Active beliefs
  • • Name changes are valid state prerogatives, not presidential turf
  • • Empathy alone insufficient for policy action
Character traits
sympathetic decisive principled
Follow Abigail Bartlet's journey
North Dakota Man
primary

Insistent determination laced with growing frustration

Interrupts politely as 'Man' to cite studies linking 'north' to cold, flat perceptions depressing tourism and business, then presses directly on White House support, embodying local officials' fervent advocacy in the tense room.

Goals in this moment
  • • Elicit White House commitment or sympathy for name rebrand
  • • Underscore empirical evidence of economic harm from current name
Active beliefs
  • • Word 'north' fundamentally damages perceptions and revenue
  • • Federal intervention could tip scales against South Dakota's advantage
Character traits
persistent earnest pragmatic
Follow North Dakota …'s journey

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

2
Conference Room, Bismarck, North Dakota

Hosts the standoff where desperate North Dakota officials lean into charts and pleas across scarred tables, Donna's resolute delivery clashing with heartland fervor under fluorescent glare, embodying remote federal intrusion into local revival dreams amid scattered data fueling comic tension.

Atmosphere Earnest desperation spiked with polite friction and wry rebuttals
Function meeting venue
Symbolism Microcosm of federal-state disconnect in overlooked heartland
Access Limited to local officials and White House representative
Fluorescent glare over long tables Scattered charts and coffee-ring scars Daylight filtering into tense enclosure
Mount Rushmore

Weaponized by Donna's pithy 'Also Mount Rushmore' as the knockout punch explaining South Dakota's tourism dominance—granite icons of presidents drawing billions despite climatic parity, their horizon-slicing majesty invoked to deflate North Dakota's name-change rationale.

Atmosphere Awe-inspiring monumental pull (referenced)
Function Tourism attraction benchmark
Symbolism Irresistible historical magnetism trumping branding tweaks
Colossal carved presidential faces Wind-whipped Black Hills horizon Pine-scented tourist throngs

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

1
Bartlet Administration (Executive Office of the President)

Looms as the unyielding authority whose nuanced position—sympathy sans action—Donna recites verbatim, deflecting pleas through delegated protocol, reinforcing institutional boundaries on quirky state bids while locals probe for deeper backing.

Representation Via Donna Moss reading pre-approved statement as Josh Lyman's aide
Power Dynamics Exerting superior federal authority over imploring state actors
Impact Highlights White House's selective engagement, prioritizing crises like terrorism over peripheral economics
Internal Dynamics Clear chain-of-command limiting aide improvisation
Segregate state naming issues from national agenda Convey empathy to maintain political goodwill Scripted policy statements Hierarchical delegation through junior staff

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Key Dialogue

"DONNA: "Eliminating the term "north" from North Dakota is an important state issue and the President feels it should be resolved on a state level. While the President is sympathetic towards the cause and understands the large economics ramifications of this name change, he feels the issue is not yet ripe for national attention. The President wishes you well on your endeavors and thanks you for your support.""
"WOMAN: "We enjoy roughly the same climate as South Dakota. We took in 73.7 million in tourism revenue last year. They took in 1.2 billion. They have the word "south." / DONNA: "Also Mount Rushmore.""
"MAN: "Miss, is the White House behind this or not?" / DONNA: "Please, let me be clear again. I have very narrow parameters in terms of representing the position of the White House. I'm an assistant to Josh Lyman, and I was sent here to read a statement.""