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

A conspicuously large, professional-style microphone referenced in the confrontation: described only as 'large' but implied to be heavy, metallic, and suited to podium or broadcast use. Characters treat it as an instrument to project voice and influence; Marcus invokes its presence as a lever of public pressure.

2 appearances

Purpose

To amplify speech for public address or broadcast; an instrument used to project a speaker's words to a wide audience and thereby apply public pressure.

Significance

Functions as a tangible emblem of donor leverage and media power in the scene: Marcus wields the microphone (literal or figurative) to threaten a public spectacle and force a political concession, catalyzing Bartlet's moral and strategic refusal and crystallizing the conflict between leadership and donor theater.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S1E16 · 20 Hours in L.A.

Bartlet Refuses to Publicly Veto — Demanding Trust Over Donor Theater

Ted Marcus invokes 'a large microphone' as explicit leverage — a symbol of his capacity to broadcast, punish, or reward through public statements. The microphone is not physically used in the room but functions narratively as the threat of publicity and organized pressure from his contributors.

Before: In Marcus's possession or under his control as a rhetorical and practical tool for shaping public opinion.

After: Remains an implied leverage asset — its threat diminished temporarily by Marcus's verbal concession, but still available as future pressure.

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S1E16 · 20 Hours in L.A.

Drawing the Line — Bartlet Refuses the Pose

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 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.

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