Bartlet's Stricken Foreign-Policy Speech

Intern Stacy delivers this document to Will in his office during the day. The pages contain President Bartlet's foreign-policy speech, struck from the Congressional Record at his own request. Will pores over it obsessively to capture Bartlet's authentic rhetorical voice. Elsie stands nearby as Toby glances at the text, flashes a brief approving smile, then exits—transforming Will's abstract tonal research into tangible source material.

2 appearances

Purpose

Authentic reference text for studying and replicating President Bartlet's rhetorical style in new speeches

Significance

Marks a turning point: supplies concrete language for the administration's values-based foreign policy amid the Khundu crisis, elevating Will's efforts from imitation to strategic asset

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S4E14 · Inauguration Part I

Decoding Bartlet — Tone, Time, and a Stricken Speech

The stricken Bartlet foreign-policy speech is delivered by Stacy and becomes the critical bridge from character study to actionable rhetoric: Will takes it, beginning to read immediately—transforming archival material into a drafting tool for the inaugural address.

Before: In the possession of the Congressional Research Service, delivered to the intern; physically catalogued as stricken from the Congressional Record.

After: In Will's hands and on his desk; active source material being read and absorbed for immediate drafting use.

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S4E14 · Inauguration Part I

Stricken Bartlet Speech Resurfaces

The stricken Bartlet foreign‑policy speech is delivered by intern Stacy, handed directly to Will, and placed on his materials pile; it functions as the narrative pivot from abstract tone study to concrete source material that can be mined for inaugural language.

Before: In the custody of the Congressional Research Service and temporarily held by the intern (not publicly on the Congressional Record because it had been stricken at the President's request).

After: Physically in Will's possession on his desk/pile and being read — now active source material for drafting.

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