Object

Decoder Rings in Bartlet's Joke

Bartlet invokes decoder rings as a punchline to C.J., Ed, Larry, and Josh in the Capitol, mocking fears that inaugural ball sequencing hides political codes—like messages only children's cereal-box toys could unravel. The staff absorbs the quip amid inauguration bustle, its whimsy cutting through protocol debates before crisis interrupts.

1 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

1 moments

S4E14 · Inauguration Part I

Balls, a Bible, and a Leaked Doctrine

Bartlet's decoder-rings quip is invoked verbally to lampoon the idea that inaugural ball sequencing contains coded political messages; the metaphor provides comic relief and highlights his resistance to over-managed spectacle.

Before: Figurative—only referenced as a joke.

After: Remains a rhetorical device; no physical rings introduced.

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