The West Wing
S2E3
· The Midterms

Sacrificing Jordan for the House

In Josh's apartment, a raw and pacing Josh, still recovering, ruthlessly prioritizes retaking the House by urging Leo to redirect resources from flagging districts, framing Tom Jordan as a toxic liability that risks national backlash and depressed turnout. Leo backs the cold calculus—Jordan's down 7, unrecoverable—overruling Sam's anguished protests over personal betrayal and promises made. Leo declares it over, Sam storms out slamming the door, fracturing team unity; Josh's awkward post-mortem levity via Superstring Theory draws Leo's biting sarcasm before he hangs up, underscoring emotional toll amid strategic triage.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Josh, recovering and agitated, argues for strategic focus on winning the House, prioritizing it over individual candidates.

agitation to insistence ["Josh's apartment"]

Leo and Josh justify their decision with cold political calculus, emphasizing the risk Jordan poses to broader electoral goals.

defensiveness to resignation

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

3
Sam Seaborn
primary

Anguished betrayal boiling into righteous anger.

Vehemently protesting the abandonment of Tom Jordan over speakerphone, reminding Leo of personal recruitment promises and full support pledged; erupts in fury at the White House implication of racism, then storms out slamming the door.

Goals in this moment
  • • Honor personal commitment to Tom Jordan
  • • Preserve integrity against perceived racism charge
Active beliefs
  • • Promises demand unwavering support
  • • Abandoning Jordan brands the White House as hypocritical
Character traits
principled loyal passionate impulsive
Follow Sam Seaborn's journey
Tom Jordan
primary

N/A (not present)

Tom Jordan is centrally discussed but not present; framed by Josh and Leo as a down-7-point candidate whose scandal risks national backlash and depressed Black turnout if supported.

Character traits
deliberative personable composed thoughtful
Follow Tom Jordan's journey
Josiah Bartlet
primary

referenced as needing to be directed with money to winnable areas by Leo

Character traits
protective resolute self-aware principled
Follow Josiah Bartlet's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
Leo's Glasses

Leo deliberately puts on his glasses after declaring Jordan's campaign 'over,' the act serving as a symbolic and narrative punctuation of final authority, shutting down debate and underscoring his unflinching resolve in the face of Sam's protests and Josh's advocacy.

Before: Off his face, likely on a side table …
After: Perched on his nose, signaling conversation's end
Before: Off his face, likely on a side table nearby
After: Perched on his nose, signaling conversation's end
Hang-up Button on Josh's Apartment Phone

Leo reaches over and pushes the red-glowing hang-up button on Josh's apartment phone after his sarcastic retort, abruptly severing the speakerphone connection with ruthless finality, amplifying the emotional isolation and strategic rupture among the staff.

Before: Active on speakerphone, glowing red amid ongoing call
After: Pressed, call terminated with static silenced
Before: Active on speakerphone, glowing red amid ongoing call
After: Pressed, call terminated with static silenced

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Josh's Apartment Stoop

Josh's intimate apartment interior, marked by his pacing in sweat-drenched vulnerability, hosts the tense speakerphone triage; its confined space heightens the claustrophobic clash of loyalties, transforming a recovery haven into a brutal arena for midterm sacrifice.

Atmosphere Tense and charged with pacing urgency, slammed doors, and crackling speakerphone static.
Function Remote command post for strategic political decision-making.
Symbolism Embodies Josh's scarred resilience and the personal toll of power.
Access Private residence, limited to Josh physically and remote participants via phone.
Sweaty T-shirt emphasizing physical recovery strain Speakerphone enabling fractured team confrontation

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

2
U.S. House of Representatives

The U.S. House looms as the paramount strategic prize, driving Josh and Leo's ruthless pivot to redirect resources from Jordan's district to competitive races, framing the midterms as a zero-sum battle for recapture amid post-assassination momentum.

Representation Invoked as central electoral objective in staff debate.
Power Dynamics Exerting pull on White House resource allocation, prioritizing institutional control.
Impact Highlights triage costs in polarized midterm warfare.
Democratic recapture through targeted wins Avoid national scandals depressing turnout Electoral math dictating resource shifts Competitive district pressures
Bartlet Administration (Executive Office of the President)

The White House senior staff enacts cold calculus via speakerphone, abandoning Jordan to evade racism charges, testing loyalties as Sam's outburst accuses it of betrayal, revealing fractures in unity under Leo's command.

Representation Through key principals (Leo, Josh, Sam) in real-time decision.
Power Dynamics Wielding authority to cut support, overriding individual promises.
Impact Exposes moral costs of power preservation.
Internal Dynamics Loyalty rift between idealism (Sam) and pragmatism (Leo/Josh).
Safeguard national image and turnout Optimize midterm resource deployment Hierarchical override by Chief of Staff Strategic abandonment of liabilities

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What this causes 2
Causal

"Sam's confrontation with Leo and Josh over abandoning Tom Jordan leads to Sarah Jordan's bitter remarks about the White House's lack of support."

Twelve Races Too Close to Call
S2E3 · The Midterms
Causal

"Sam's confrontation with Leo and Josh over abandoning Tom Jordan leads to Sarah Jordan's bitter remarks about the White House's lack of support."

Sarah's Vengeful Rebuke and Ominous Exit
S2E3 · The Midterms

Key Dialogue

"JOSH: "Not only that, we stand by him, this is a national thing. It could drag down black turn out in districts where we're competitive.""
"SAM: "I told him we would stand by him. I told him he would have our full support. I was the one who asked him to run.""
"LEO: "We can't afford all the things we want, Sam. It's over.""