Toby's Sarcastic Gambit Crumbles Against Media's Coverage Slash
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Toby enters the Roosevelt Room and greets the media directors with a sarcastic joke about an awards show with trap doors for losers, masking tension with humor.
Toby deflects concerns about skyboxes and spinners at the convention, promising improved access and surrogates, while the media directors press for substantive discussions.
Toby outlines the convention's planned events, trying to sell its value, but the media directors reveal their intention to drastically cut coverage to just acceptance speeches.
Toby reacts with disbelief to the media directors' extreme coverage cuts, hinting at underlying power struggles over public spectacle vs. network priorities.
The media directors' serious expressions confirm their drastic plans, leaving Toby's threat about their credibility hanging in the air.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Amused tolerance hardening into resolute determination
Media directors wait seated in the room, exchange greetings, chuckle at Toby's sarcasm, press complaints on skyboxes, spinners, surrogates, and floor passes, then abruptly propose slashing coverage to one hour per convention for acceptance speeches only, staring seriously as Toby laughs it off.
- • Minimize expensive convention coverage to bare essentials
- • Dictate terms by leveraging control over airtime
- • Conventions are ratings-poor beyond acceptance speeches
- • Networks hold unilateral power over political broadcast time
Sarcastic bravado shifting to incredulous disbelief masking rising fury
Toby strides in from the hallway, greets curtly, unleashes sarcastic awards show pitch to break ice, apologizes for past issues, pledges improvements in surrogates and access, touts detailed convention program, then laughs in disbelief at coverage slash proposal while directors stonewall.
- • Secure full convention coverage through charm and concessions
- • Counter media complaints with promises of engaging programming
- • Public airwaves demand comprehensive political coverage
- • Improved surrogates and real-people programming will win media buy-in
Scott O'Leary touted by Toby as Monday night keynote speaker in the revamped convention program, emblemizing 'real people' appeal.
The President referenced by Toby as requiring staffing during big speeches, explaining limited surrogate availability and underscoring White House priorities.
Bruno Gianelli referenced by Toby as the one directing the skyboxes apology for Miami, invoked to show campaign discipline amid past lapses.
Rev. Lydell named by Toby alongside Mrs. Bartlet for Tuesday's convention slot, part of panels blending faith, science, and health to energize coverage.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Miami referenced as site of past convention flaws like skyboxes, prompting Toby's apology at Bruno's request and fueling directors' complaints, contrasting with promises of improvement to heighten stakes.
Madison Square Garden (the Garden) cited by Toby as future convention venue where improvements like better surrogates and floor access will occur, anchoring pitches against coverage cuts.
The Roosevelt Room serves as the high-stakes negotiation arena where Toby confronts media directors, its daylight confines amplifying the tension from sarcastic banter to coverage ultimatum, symbolizing White House's desperate bid for visibility amid crises.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
Harlem Boys Choir highlighted by Toby as Monday night National Anthem performers in the convention program, positioned to inject authentic cultural resonance and counter 'dry' panels, bolstering the pitch for full coverage.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Toby's initial clash with media directors over convention coverage escalates into a full-blown antitrust threat to secure public airwaves."
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"TOBY: "Listen, I've got an idea for a new kind of awards show, you should tell your entertainment divisions about this. At the moment the winner's name is called the four nominees who didn't win drop through a trap door right under their seats. Am I crazy, or is that not pretty good television?""
"MAN: "We're thinking about cutting back on our coverage." / TOBY: "You only covered two hours a night last time. How much more can you...?" / MAN: "See you don't understand. We're talking about an hour for each convention. We cover the acceptance speeches, that's it.""
"TOBY: "One of these times you guys are going to come in here and say that and it's going to be true.""