The Great West Wing Rewatch: 4.9 "Swiss Diplomacy"

Joel: The Hoynes storyline in this episode is upsetting. Not for the character himself, but because it shows a reality of Washington. The Presidential election cycle just ended. It’s going to be four years before another election is held. We are literally as far away from a Presidential election as we can get, and yet for Hoynes (and I’m sure several other people in Washington) it’s time to start campaigning all over again. Sure it’s not the “Vote for me,” on the road type of campaigning we see during the actual year of an election, but make no mistake, it’s still campaigning. I remember being a kid and thinking that four years was forever (mind you, I was six at the time so it was two thirds of my lifetime) and surely we needed to hold elections at least every year. But now, it seems like half of the first four years is focused on getting the second four years. And even then, some of the second four years is focused on the making sure the next guy is from the same party. And it’s not just a presidental issue. The minute a senator is elected, he is already working toward making sure he wins the next election as well. With all the campaigning, it’s a wonder that any governing ever gets done at all.

Chris: Election coverage is big ratings and it almost seems like people convince themselves fairly early on over who they're going to vote for in the next presidential election. So what's the strategy to use to combat that? Start earlier than your potential opponent especially when news organizations gladly welcome it and that's why it feels like presidential campaigns are starting earlier every time. Truthfully, the only time someone in DC isn't in campaign mode is after a president gets a 2nd term and even then, their probably devoting at least a little time promoting the next person from their party. With West Wing, we find out that Hoynes isn't even the one starting the campaigning, it's the president doing it on his behalf days after he already won his final election. The reasoning behind this is fairly simple, Bartlet felt like he owed it to Hoynes and felt responsible for leading the charge for him to be the next guy, especially since Bartlet had just won in such a landslide election, so why not use that momentum to build up the VP?

A good president holds the door open for the next guy...when the next guy is still down the hall and around the corner from the door.