Campaign calculus and moral principle collide: whether to treat Rob Ritchie's bait on needle-exchange as a tactical problem to be contained (lower expectations/gamesmanship) or as a moral policy issue to be publicly defended — driving internal staff fi...
Campaign calculus and moral principle collide: whether to treat Rob Ritchie's bait on needle-exchange as a tactical problem to be contained (lower expectations/gamesmanship) or as a moral policy issue to be publicly defended — driving internal staff fights over debate format, messaging, and validators for the President's agenda.
Events in This Arc
In Senator Stackhouse's office a tactical debate becomes a loyalty trial. Susan publicly accuses Amy of serving "two masters" — invoking her White House ties — and demands Stackhouse hit …
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 …
Susan engineers a late-night, private handoff between Senator Stackhouse and President Bartlet where Stackhouse quietly praises Bartlet's restraint and, using a new-pilot/ instruments metaphor, signals a morning endorsement. That tacit …