C.J. Confesses Green Bean Truth and Defends Aquino Stamp
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
C.J. lists pending issues including the televised classroom, green beans, and an odd rumor about her being 'good in bed,' provoking Toby's sudden interest.
Toby proposes a green bean photo-op for Bartlet, masking the president's dislike with exaggerated enthusiasm for new recipes.
C.J. spontaneously confesses Bartlet's dislike of green beans, then pivots to passionately defend honoring Marcus Aquino beyond politics—swaying Josh.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Calmly attentive amid mounting petty pressures
Sam remains part of the murmuring senior aides cluster during C.J.'s briefing on petty crises and stamp debate, contributing to the huddle's tension post-NASA update but silent in this segment.
- • Stay aligned with team on crisis management
- • Monitor scandals for communications strategy
- • Unified senior staff handles crises effectively
- • Petty issues must not derail larger priorities like NASA
Slyly amused with intrigued curiosity under strategic focus
Toby perks up curiously at C.J.'s 'good in bed' rumor quip; slyly proposes presidential green beans photo-op with crafted quote to mask distaste; shoots weird looks at C.J. while pitching amid ongoing crisis murmurs.
- • Propose spin tactic to neutralize green beans scandal
- • Protect President's image from petty vulnerabilities
- • Photo-ops and quotes effectively conceal personal weaknesses
- • Political damage control requires clever misdirection over blunt truth
reflective and hopeful
enters Oval Office unnoticed by aides, removes jacket, sits at desk, questions aides on NASA update and crises, smokes cigar on Colonnade while discussing concert and receiving C.J.'s advice on televised classroom, looks at night sky hoping for Galileo contact
- • resolve petty crises including green beans and stamp amid NASA uncertainty
- • await and act on NASA Galileo update
Boldly passionate, channeling righteous conviction to champion transparency
C.J. initiates briefing on petty crises including classroom, green beans, rumors, and stamp; confesses President's green bean aversion first in whisper then openly; pivots to fierce defense of Aquino stamp, invoking Vietnam trust lessons to persuade Josh amid team murmurs.
- • Brief team transparently on scandals to enable damage control
- • Sway Josh and staff to approve Aquino stamp despite politics
- • Restore public trust by modeling government honesty
- • Public can grasp nuance: honor contributions without endorsing politics
- • Vietnam eroded trust because government stopped trusting people first
opens door for C.J. as she exits Oval Office
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee emerges as a flashpoint when Josh raises its role in the Marcus Aquino stamp debate, prompting C.J.'s vehement defense of issuance to honor Vietnam contributions despite political rifts, framing it as a test of governmental trust.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Leo's assignment of the stamp issue to Toby and Josh culminates in C.J.'s passionate defense of honoring Marcus Aquino, influencing Josh's decision."
"Leo's assignment of the stamp issue to Toby and Josh culminates in C.J.'s passionate defense of honoring Marcus Aquino, influencing Josh's decision."
"Bartlet's unnoticed entry into the Oval Office narratively follows into Toby's proposal for a green bean photo-op, masking the president's dislike."
"Bartlet's unnoticed entry into the Oval Office narratively follows into Toby's proposal for a green bean photo-op, masking the president's dislike."
Key Dialogue
"TOBY: (while giving C.J. weird looks) Let's do a photo-op with the President... eating green beans. We can drop in a quote. He's always looking for new green bean... recipes."
"C.J.: He doesn't enjoy them. He doesn't think they're bad for you, and he doesn't think the people who make them are evil. They're simply not his cup of tea. He doesn't care for them. Why do we think the adults of Oregon would be okay with that if put to them just that way?"
"C.J.: And Josh, why do you think the people, adult Americans, why do you think they can't understand that we can honor a man's contribution without necessarily subscribing to his politics? They can understand a lot of things. People stopped trusting the government during Vietnam, and it was because government stopped trusting them. It's a cautionary tale, Josh."