Character

Janet Ritchie

outspoken critical adversarial

Janet Ritchie publicly denounces First Lady Abbey Bartlet's remark framing herself as 'just a wife and mother.' C.J. quotes Ritchie's on-the-record criticism aboard Air Force One, where it heightens campaign crises alongside market drops. Bruno later invokes Ritchie alongside Abbey during strategy talks on women's voter issues, dismissing smears but underscoring Ritchie's role as a pointed comparator in political attacks. Her statements force the Bartlet team into damage control, marking her as a sharp external voice amplifying opposition narratives.

3 appearances

Janet Ritchie's Journey

A timeline through the narrative

3 moments

S4E1 · 20 Hours in America Part I

Confession at Cruise Altitude — Memory, Missteps and Market Shock

Not present; characterized as aggressive and opportunistic through quotation.

Mentioned by C.J. as having gone on the record criticizing the First Lady; functions as an external antagonist shaping the soundbite's political impact.

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S4E1 · 20 Hours in America Part I

Market Shock, First Lady Fallout, Descent to Andrews

Combative by implication; seeking political advantage.

Mentioned via C.J.'s quotation: went on the record contrasting 'ambition' with the First Lady's phrasing, acting as an opposition voice converting a line into political critique.

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S4E1 · 20 Hours in America Part I

Rolling‑Pin Smear and the C.J./Bruno Tonal Fight

Not present; functions as a rhetorical device in Bruno's argument.

Referenced by Bruno as a comparative political figure in the smear-discussion; not physically present but invoked as part of the rhetorical framing.

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