Bartlet Defends Historic Map Against C.J.'s Backlash Warning
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
C.J. warns Bartlet about political backlash over the map's exclusion of Israel.
Bartlet defends the map's historical accuracy and mocks potential critics.
C.J. tries pragmatic diplomacy while Bartlet insists on spinning the controversy.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
cautious
vets rumor from book about Bartlet's underwear choices, urgently warns against displaying 1709 map due to predicted political offense, suggests alternative placement, reluctantly engages in spinning strategy
- • Vet potentially embarrassing book rumor
- • Prevent political backlash from displaying controversial map
Politely baffled by the President's whimsical rhetoric amid tension
Charlie announces C.J.'s arrival at the start, facilitating her entry into the Oval Office; later knocks and enters during the heated map debate, standing by as Bartlet rhetorically addresses him about 'philistines,' responding with polite confusion before being dismissed.
- • Usher communications smoothly
- • Respond appropriately to presidential address
- • Historical artifacts like his gifted map deserve display
- • Presidential whims warrant unquestioning support
defiant
dismisses trivial book rumor about his underwear choices, passionately defends historical accuracy of 1709 map omitting Israel, uses analogy of Leo's map, insists on displaying it and spinning it as 'an old map'
- • Defend principle of historical truth over political expediency
- • Display the 1709 map despite warnings
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Bartlet vividly invokes Leo's historical map of pre-U.S. territories—depicting 13 colonies, French Louisiana, and Mexico without any states—as a powerful analogy to defend the 1709 map's accuracy, underscoring that historical documents reflect their era's reality, not modern anachronisms, to counter C.J.'s political caution and affirm truth over expediency.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Leo's former residence is referenced by Bartlet as the current home of his analogous historical U.S. map, invoked to parallel the 1709 map's controversy—evoking personal history to steel his argument against relocation, layering domestic nostalgia onto the political standoff.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Bartlet's dismissive humor about his underwear in both beats reflects his discomfort with personal revelations."
"Bartlet's dismissive humor about his underwear in both beats reflects his discomfort with personal revelations."
Key Dialogue
"C.J.: "It doesn't recognize Israel." BARTLET: "There was no Israel in 1709.""
"C.J.: "Which is what some people are going to find offensive." BARTLET: "That's ridiculous.""
"BARTLET: "I'm having it enlarged and bolting it to the hood of my limo. They don't want us to put up our map, Charlie. They're philistines..." C.J.: "It's not like I'm agreeing with the people who are going to be offended. It's just that you're asking for a whole lot of pain..." BARTLET: "Spin that.""