History Recap / TheWestWingS02E09Galileo

* HypocriticalHumor: C.J. gets dragged to the concert along with the President to discuss broader themes for the classroom, and tells Sam the President wants him there too. Sam thinks it'll be great, and it was a privilege to be asked to come. C.J. then informs him Mallory will be there. Sam: "I can't go."

* SeriousBusiness: The comment about the President not liking green beans is seen as this to Oregonians, as a huge portion of America's green bean output is grown there and C.J and Toby are worried that this will be seen as insulting to green bean farmers (particularly as the President barely won the state). Subverted by Charlie, however, who points out that this actually ''is'' a nothing issue, the Oregonians he's met aren't dumb, and that C.J and Toby assuming that they'll all angry vote against Bartlet just because he doesn't like to eat a particular crop they happen to grow is in fact a hugely condescending and insulting attitude for them to take.

** The subplot involving the worry about a potential media storm over the President's dislike of green beans is a reference to a real life gaff made by President George H. W. Bush when he stated in public that he didn't like broccoli and had 'banned' it from Air Force One, resulting in a bit of a media circus when a bunch of offended broccoli farmers ended up dumping several tons of broccoli on the White House lawn.

* MeaningfulEcho: Bartlet chides C.J. for not saying the name "Galileo V" with a sense of wonder, and when Sam reads an intro he's written for the briefing, Bartlet points out Sam "said it right." At the end, however, when C.J. tells Bartlet he should have the briefing anyway, and says "Galileo V", Bartlet tells her, "You said it right."

-->'''President Bartlet:''' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny I converted it to Celsius in my head]].

* ShoutOut: Bartlet compares hearing the name "Galileo V" to the time his generation first heard "[[Music/TheBeatles Yellow Submarine]]".

* SeriousBusiness: The comment about the President not liking green beans is seen as this to Oregonians, as a huge portion of America's green bean output is grown there and C.J and Toby are worried that this will be seen as insulting to green bean farmers (particularly as the President barely won the state). Subverted by Charlie, however, who points out that this actually ''is'' a nothing issue, the Oregonians he's met aren't dumb, and that C.J and Toby assuming that they'll all angry vote against Bartlet just because he doesn't like a particular vegetable they happen to grow is in fact a hugely condescending and insulting attitude for them to take.

'''C.J:''' We won Oregon by ten thousand votes. I don't know how many green bean farmers they have out there, but if there are ten thousand and ''one'' then we're screwed. This is a big thing now.\\

'''Charlie:''' ''Education's'' a serious thing. Crime, jobs, national security. In eighteen months, I've been to Oregon four times, and not a single person I've met there's been stupid.

-->'''C.J:''' Everyone's stupid in an election year, Charlie.\\

* ColdWar: President Bartlet accuses the Russians of still living under this mentality.

'''Charlie:''' No, everyone gets ''treated'' as if they were stupid in an election year, C.J.
** C.J then delivers this exact sentiment to Toby, Sam, Josh and Bartlet in the Oval Office... then gets a bit carried away and begins to lecture Josh at length on why he should recommend Marcus Aquino be put on a stamp despite his views on Puerto Rican statehood for much the same reasons. Josh then defensively points out that he was going say exactly that before C.J cut him off and started lecturing him.

* RightBehindMe: Mallory does this to Sam *twice*.

* WhatTheHellHero: Charlie, as it turns out, is the one who was quoted about President Bartlet not liking green beans, and can't believe C.J. (or, by extension, Toby) is making a big deal of it, because it's treating voters as if they were stupid.

-->'''Sam:''' Yes, I suppose, if you broaden the definition to those who can’t spell.

-->'''C.J.:''' They said modern music. I thought they meant, you know, Jackson Browne.

--'''C.J.:''' They said modern music. I thought they meant, you know, Jackson Browne.

To avoid offending Iceland after he cancelled a meeting with the Icelandic ambassador, President Bartlet reluctantly attends a concert given by the Reykjavik Symphony Orchestra, though he ends up liking them. President Bartlet also makes C.J. and Sam attend (back before NASA lost the signal, Bartlet wanted them along so they could discuss a broader theme for the briefing), and they don't want to be there either; Sam because Mallory's there, and it's the first time he's seen her since [[Recap/TheWestWingS01E21LiesDamnLiesAndStatistics his relationship with Laurie became public]], and C.J. because she just chose a new deputy, and the concert attendees will include people she rejected for the position. Sam does see Mallory there (though he tries to avoid her), but they reconcile; C.J. runs into one of the people she rejected (who also was an ex-boyfriend), and that doesn't go so well.