The California 47th
Encyclopedia
"The California 47th" is episode 81 of The West Wing
.
in Kundu, the President flies to California to campaign for Sam
, right after he lets the Kundunese Ambassador know that he's taken over the country's airport and the President of Kundu has 36 hours to surrender or face the full force of the U.S. military. Unfortunately for the White House (and Sam), Congressional Republicans have just announced a tax-cut proposal. The Administration's response: a plan that would raise taxes on the rich, which no one on the White House staff wants the President to talk about in Sam's affluent Orange County district. And that is just problem No. 1. They must put off their response for 50 hours or it will destroy Sam's campaign. But Sam finds out from one of his aides, and uses his spot on the podium to force the President to mention the tax plan. At least two aides are fired from Sam's employ, each with the riposte "You're gonna get creamed"...
The President makes the decision to leave Toby in California for a week to manage the rest of Sam's campaign. Toby and Charlie are arrested in a bar in Orange County after bigoted locals insult Congresswoman Wyatt over her pregnancy. This was part of a string of mishaps that included a ground transportation snafu that caused massive rush hours delays, Donna accidentally having a meeting with a member of California's Communist Party (and after one of his aides insults her for it, Sam fires him), and a clear disconnect between Sam's ideals and the DCCC plans for his campaign, all of which prompt the President, exasperated, to exclaim, "Every time we come to California we're absolutely the Clampetts
."
Will remains in the White House with instructions to respond quickly to the Republican tax-cut proposal. His first problem is that he is worried about Sam's campaign, he frets that Sam's team are not doing enough to make his campaign stand out against the Republican incumbent
. Secondly, the entire speech-writing staff have quit in protest at him getting the Deputy Communications Director's job. He is left with four young female interns named Lauren, Lauren, Lauren, and Cassie. He makes them wear Washington Redskins' jerseys with numbers on while they work at getting the speech out and he tries to tell them apart.
Leo stays behind to monitor the Kundu intervention with Admiral Fitzwallace, and they both note with helpless horror that the genocide is continuing by forces who want to kill as many civilians as possible before the intervention has enough force in place to stop it. Two ambassadors from neighboring countries warn Leo of the consequences of U.S. casualties in the area, and relay an offer from the Kundunese President that he'll stop the genocide for $500 million in undirected aid, as well as a promise he won't be arrested and charged with war crimes. Leo tells them to forget it, but gets word later on that three American soldiers have been kidnapped by Kundunese militia and he tells the President who then decides to return to Washington to deal with the crisis.
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
.
Plot
While U.S. troops intervene to stop the ongoing genocideGenocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
in Kundu, the President flies to California to campaign for Sam
Sam Seaborn
Samuel Norman "Sam" Seaborn is a fictional character portrayed by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is best known for being Deputy White House Communications Director in the Josiah Bartlet administration throughout the first four seasons of the series.-Creation and...
, right after he lets the Kundunese Ambassador know that he's taken over the country's airport and the President of Kundu has 36 hours to surrender or face the full force of the U.S. military. Unfortunately for the White House (and Sam), Congressional Republicans have just announced a tax-cut proposal. The Administration's response: a plan that would raise taxes on the rich, which no one on the White House staff wants the President to talk about in Sam's affluent Orange County district. And that is just problem No. 1. They must put off their response for 50 hours or it will destroy Sam's campaign. But Sam finds out from one of his aides, and uses his spot on the podium to force the President to mention the tax plan. At least two aides are fired from Sam's employ, each with the riposte "You're gonna get creamed"...
The President makes the decision to leave Toby in California for a week to manage the rest of Sam's campaign. Toby and Charlie are arrested in a bar in Orange County after bigoted locals insult Congresswoman Wyatt over her pregnancy. This was part of a string of mishaps that included a ground transportation snafu that caused massive rush hours delays, Donna accidentally having a meeting with a member of California's Communist Party (and after one of his aides insults her for it, Sam fires him), and a clear disconnect between Sam's ideals and the DCCC plans for his campaign, all of which prompt the President, exasperated, to exclaim, "Every time we come to California we're absolutely the Clampetts
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
."
Will remains in the White House with instructions to respond quickly to the Republican tax-cut proposal. His first problem is that he is worried about Sam's campaign, he frets that Sam's team are not doing enough to make his campaign stand out against the Republican incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
. Secondly, the entire speech-writing staff have quit in protest at him getting the Deputy Communications Director's job. He is left with four young female interns named Lauren, Lauren, Lauren, and Cassie. He makes them wear Washington Redskins' jerseys with numbers on while they work at getting the speech out and he tries to tell them apart.
Leo stays behind to monitor the Kundu intervention with Admiral Fitzwallace, and they both note with helpless horror that the genocide is continuing by forces who want to kill as many civilians as possible before the intervention has enough force in place to stop it. Two ambassadors from neighboring countries warn Leo of the consequences of U.S. casualties in the area, and relay an offer from the Kundunese President that he'll stop the genocide for $500 million in undirected aid, as well as a promise he won't be arrested and charged with war crimes. Leo tells them to forget it, but gets word later on that three American soldiers have been kidnapped by Kundunese militia and he tells the President who then decides to return to Washington to deal with the crisis.