President's Georgetown Speech Draft

Will offers to read the President's Georgetown speech draft aloud to the Oval Office group, but Bartlet brushes it off, claiming nothing exists on paper yet. He commits to joining Will later for brainstorming, transforming the unwritten text into an immediate collaborative pivot amid assassination confessions and terror alerts. Staff—Leo, Toby, Josh, C.J.—witness the exchange, underscoring Bartlet's off-the-cuff preparation style.

3 appearances

Purpose

Draft text for President Bartlet's upcoming Georgetown University speech

Significance

Anchors a moment of transition from crisis revelation to forward planning, revealing Bartlet's improvisational reliance on Will and signaling staff unity under pressure

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S4E22 · Commencement

Bartlet Owns the Hit; Threat Con Bravo Raised

The President's Georgetown speech draft is the looming public task that Bartlet almost dismisses; it underscores competing duties—public oratory versus private security decisions—and is used to transition the scene back to scheduled public work.

Before: Unwritten or inchoate—Bartlet claims he has nothing on paper despite the speech being scheduled.

After: Deferred briefly as Bartlet sends Will to begin, while he attends to security business and meeting the agents for Zoey's detail.

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S4E22 · Commencement

Domestic Distance and the President's Confession

The President's Georgetown speech draft (not yet written) is discussed as an upcoming obligation; its absence on paper underscores Bartlet's off-the-cuff style and the intrusion of crisis into public-facing responsibilities.

Before: No substantive draft on paper; speech planned for 4:00 with little prepared text.

After: Preparation postponed; Will is asked to start thinking about themes while Bartlet handles security business first.

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S4E22 · Commencement

Confession, Commencement, and the Daughter's Detail

The Georgetown speech draft is invoked as an impending public performance; Will offers to read it aloud, but the President reveals there is nothing on paper, using the absence to underline his distracted, paternal priorities.

Before: Expected to exist as a draft for the President's commencement remarks, but actually not written on paper.

After: Unchanged — still no written draft; Will will begin preparatory work without a text to edit.

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