Coast of Maine
Detailed Involvements
Events with rich location context
Maine is named as an always-iffy state for the President; the reference is used to inject a weary, almost comic sense of unpredictability into the electoral calculus.
Resigned bewilderment mixed with strategic concern.
Wild-card electoral territory that can be nudged by policy stances.
Represents inexplicable electoral quirks that complicate clean strategy.
Maine is mentioned as historically iffy for Bartlet and therefore an electoral concern; its mention underlines the thin margins and past vulnerabilities that make principled stands politically risky.
Evoked as a perennial political trouble-spot.
Reference point for prior electoral weakness and potential immediate risk.
Symbolizes long-standing regional skepticism toward the President.
The Coast of Maine is one scenic leg in Sam's recounting, used to paint Mendoza's return as relaxed sightseeing rather than urgent travel—this amplifies staff incredulity and the political cost of his absence.
Picturesque and slow-moving in contrast to the Oval Office's quick panic.
Provides color to the nominee's delay and underscores the irony of leisurely priorities amid urgent national politics.
A foil to Washington's urgency; a place where political consequences feel distant.
Events at This Location
Everything that happens here
President Bartlet receives confirmation that the tax plan has passed technical vetting across Treasury, OMB, NEC and Hill counsel. He immediately pivots from validation to politics — ordering validators and …
After the tax plan is cleared and Bartlet orders validators lined up, a political emergency erupts around Ritchie’s attack on needle-exchange. Toby pushes a forceful, moral-and-evidence-based rebuttal; Josh immediately flags …
The senior staff confront the fallout of a chaotic night: Sam’s absurdly detailed travel itinerary for Judge Mendoza underscores how out-of-sync the team has become, while Josh confesses he mishandled …