History Recap / TheWestWingS01E19LetBartletBeBartlet

Margaret tries to explain to Toby the only reason the e-mail snafu happened was because she was trying to point out the calorie count listed for a raisin muffin was wrong, and that Toby should take one to the lab to check for himself. [[SarcasmMode Toby tells Margaret to bring him a muffin in a plastic bag]]. Margaret realizes he's making fun of her. Leo invites Toby into his office. After Leo jokes at how Margaret is afraid the FBI is after her for the e-mail, Toby tells him a Creator/{{CNN}} poll puts their approval rating at 42%, which means they dropped five points in a week. Leo can't believe it, and says they didn't do anything during the week, to which Toby replies, "I'll say." Leo snaps at Toby for sounding like he wants to leave, but Toby points out they only thing they've accomplished [[Recap/TheWestWingS01E18SixMeetingsBeforeLunch was getting Mendoza confirmed]], and even though Bartlet only won with 48% of the vote, he was still elected, and adds, "It's not the ones we lose that bother me, Leo, it's the ones we don't suit up for!" Toby also tells Leo he doesn't appreciate having his loyalty questioned. C.J. knocks, and when she comes in, tells Leo President Bartlet is reading Mandy's memo. Leo doesn't like that, but C.J. points out Danny has it and is writing a story on it. Josh and Sam join them. Josh tells Leo while the Senate will confirm Bacon and Calhoun, they'll retaliate by putting English as the national language on the table, among other things. He thinks they should be ready for it, but Leo says they're not going to put Bacon and Calhoun out there, which quiets Josh. Leo asks Sam how his meeting went; Sam starts to say how useless it was, but corrects himself and says it was fine. Charlie comes in and tells Leo the President's waiting for him.

* ArmorPiercingResponse: The floodgates of frustration start to burst when Toby presents Leo with polling suggesting that the administration's approval ratings have cratered 5% in a week, and Leo's dumbfounded reaction leads to an acerbic response from Toby:
-->'''Leo:''' 5% in a week?! We didn't do anything last week!\\

* AskAStupidQuestion: We do not hear the conversation, but Sam starts to suspect that [[InsistentTerminology 1st Lt. Emily Lowenbraun of the U.S Coast Guard]] considered his request for whether or not it was going to rain this, given the obvious clues, and was responding sarcastically (though in full defense of Sam this would be somewhat unprofessional of Lt. Lowenbraun if true, considering it is presumably her job to provide this kind of information even if it seems obvious).

* ContinuityNod: Retiring Justice Crouch [[Recap/TheWestWingS01E09TheShortList accused President Bartlet of running to the middle of the road once he took office]]; also, Sam angrily told Leo near the end of "Take This Sabbath Day" (after the President declined to intervene in the death penalty case), "There are times when we are absolutely nowhere!"

'''Toby:''' One victory in a year ''stinks'' in the life of an administration. But it's not the ones we lose that bother me, Leo, it's the ones we don't even suit up for! And I'm not wild about you questioning my loyalty just now.

...[[DescriptionCut and as President Bartlet, Charlie, Mrs. Landingham, Nancy and several Secret Service agents walk to the meeting, Bartlet grouses about getting it over with]]. He asks Charlie why C.J., Sam and Toby aren't there yet, and Charlie says it's because they didn't know it was going to rain. Bartlet responds, "[[SarcasmMode Nothing like surrounding yourself with the best and the brightest, Charlie.]]" Just then, C.J., Sam and Toby join them. Sam gives him the speech, and President Bartlet grouses about having to go to the event at all. Josh joins them, and tells President Bartlet, among other things, two commissioners resigned from the Federal Election Commission. This gets President Bartlet excited, and though Leo warns him not to go off on an idealistic binge, Bartlet thinks there's nothing wrong with "dangling our feet in the water" by, instead of letting the Senate leadership appoint two replacement candidates as usual, appointing two commissioners they like instead who back campaign finance reform. He tells Josh to pick two candidates. C.J. asks Josh and Leo about the piece of paper; they haven't heard anything either. Bartlet takes the speech and heads inside the auditorium. As Bartlet is about to start the speech, both Sam and Toby [[OhCrap realize Sam forgot to change the speech]]. Sure enough, Bartlet opens with, "As I look out over this magnificent vista..."

-->'''Donna:''' Why's everyone walking around today like they already lost?