South Carolina
Detailed Involvements
Events with rich location context
South Carolina looms as the proposed uncontested haven in staff pitch—solo Bartlet run while rivals clash in NH—framed as momentum-builder with Wiley dropout, seeding endorsements/money toward later contests, its absence in NH calculus heightening pivot stakes.
hypothetically sultry and winnable, invoked to contrast NH frost
strategic alternative primary battleground
represents pragmatic shortcut to viability
South Carolina looms as Donna's gauntlet—Charleston's sultry trails rejected over Manchester safety, her vow to chase it via car sale and floor sleeps climaxing pitch, embodying campaign's brutal proving ground where endorsements and splits await Bartlet's surge.
Anticipated humid, high-risk intensity (prospective)
Commitment litmus test in hiring negotiation
Trail fire kindling volatile Josh-Donna bond
South Carolina summoned via Frank Kelly's message as epicenter of textile worker anguish, grounding abstract bailout debate in concrete regional strife—mill towns, family scrimps—fueling Donna's empathetic assault on policy.
Evoked as gritty, economically battered heartland
Source of authentic constituent voice
Stand-in for overlooked American underclass
Events at This Location
Everything that happens here
In a flashback to the frenetic Bartlet campaign HQ, C.J. critiques a live TV misstep where Bartlet missed his cue. Toby pitches abandoning a likely third-place NH finish for an …
In a flashback to the Bartlet campaign headquarters, Donna Moss boldly occupies Josh Lyman's desk, fielding calls and rifling his calendar. Caught red-handed, she admits exaggerating her assignment from 'Margaret' …
In Josh's bullpen, Donna intercepts him with a poignant phone message from South Carolina textiles worker Frank Kelly, whose detailed family struggles—mom's night telemarketing for trumpet lessons—highlight the bailout's human …