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| Josiah Bartlet | |
|---|---|
| The West Wing character | |
 Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlet | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" (episode 1.01) |
| Last appearance | "Tomorrow" (episode 7.22) |
| Created by | Aaron Sorkin |
| Portrayed by | Martin Sheen Jason Widener (flashbacks) Emilio Estevez (flashbacks) |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Josiah Edward Bartlet |
| Nickname | Jed Liberty, Eagle and Potus (Secret Service code names) |
| Occupation | President of the United States (1999–2007; two terms) Pre-series Governor of New Hampshire (1991–1999; four terms) U.S. Representative forNew Hampshire's 1st district (1985–1991; three terms) Member of theNew Hampshire House of Representatives (1971–1985; seven terms) Professor emeritus atDartmouth College Economist |
| Affiliation | Democratic |
| Family | Dr Bartlet (father) Mrs Bartlet (mother) Jonathan Bartlet (brother) Annie Bartlet Westin (granddaughter) Gus Bartlet Westin (grandson) Unnamed Faison (grandchild) |
| Spouse | Dr Abigail "Abbey" Bartlet |
| Children | Elizabeth Bartlet Westin Eleanor Bartlet Faison Zoey Bartlet |
| Relatives | Doug Westin (son-in-law, via Elizabeth) Victor Faison (son-in-law, viaEleanor) Josiah Bartlett (real-life ancestor) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Home | Manchester, New Hampshire |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Notre Dame (B.A.) London School of Economics (M.Sc.,Ph.D.) |
| Awards | Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters fromDartmouth College |
Josiah Edward "Jed"Bartlet is a fictional character from the American television serial dramaThe West Wing created byAaron Sorkin and portrayed by actorMartin Sheen. The role earned Sheen aGolden Globe Award forBest Actor – Television Series Drama in 2001, as well as twoSAG Awards.
Bartlet's tenure as a fictionalDemocraticPresident of the United States is a preeminent aspect of the series. His origin as a recurring character evolved due to Sheen's acting finesse; Sorkin and fellowWest Wing writers shaped Bartlet's role within the show accordingly. Thefirst season depicts part of Bartlet's first two years in theWhite House. The remainder of the series fleshes out the details of Bartlet's administration, including friction between his policies and those of theRepublican-dominatedCongress, his tribulations withmultiple sclerosis, his reelection, and the campaign of his successor, Matt Santos. Bartlet is characterized by manifest integrity, quick witticisms, a fierce intellect, and compassionate stoicism.
Show creator Aaron Sorkin had not initially intended to feature the president at all. He envisioned the series as focused on theWhite House senior staff who execute and advise on major policy and political matters. "Then I felt that would becomehokey," he said. "We'll constantly be just missing the president. As he walks around the corner, we'll see the back of his head." The character of Josiah Bartlet was then created as a recurring figure, andMartin Sheen was signed to appear in four episodes.Alan Alda (who went on to portray SenatorArnold Vinick),Jason Robards, andSidney Poitier were also considered for the role.[1] After seeing Sheen's dailies, the producers were so impressed that they asked him to join the regular cast. "They realized that people might catch on that I'd be there only once a month, so they talked to me about a longer commitment," says Sheen. The actor said that part of the reason he took on the role of Bartlet was his involvement in social issues.[2]
Sorkin's main interest in writing for the character was exploring the side of the president that the public does not generally see.[3] Sheen described the character as being drawn largely fromBill Clinton: "He's bright, astute, and filled with all the negative foibles that make him very human," he toldRadio Times.[2] Sheen said elsewhere that he adored Clinton and was welcomed into the Clinton White House for visits during the period between the show's beginning in the fall of 1999 and the inauguration ofGeorge W. Bush as president in January 2001. Sorkin said he took some of Bartlet's characteristics from his own father, namely his "great love of education and literature [and] all things old," his "[belief] in a genuine goodness in people," and his "'Aw, Dad' sense of humor."[4]
In the middle of the show's first season, it is revealed that Bartlet hasmultiple sclerosis. According to Sorkin, this was not planned; the plot came about because he wanted to write anepisode in which the president was in bed watching a soap opera and the audience discovered that the first lady was aphysician. "When I wrote the pilot, I didn't have any idea what was going to happen in Episode 2, much less 12," he says.[2]
Bartlet was born in 1942 and raised inManchester, New Hampshire. He is a descendant of DrJosiah Bartlett, a real-world signatory of theDeclaration of Independence.
Bartlet is a devoutRoman Catholic. This is due to the influence of his mother, as his father would have preferred that he be raisedProtestant. His relationship with his father was often strained from parental abuse. In a discussion with his subconscious, personified by the "ghost" of Mrs Landingham, his father is described as "a prick who could never get over the fact that he wasn't as smart as his brothers".[5] Sorkin has stated that Bartlet's father, "obviously convinced he married some Catholic whore, treats his son terribly for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that he adopted his mother's religion." Sorkin said that Bartlet's tirade against God in the episode "Two Cathedrals" is therefore directed just as much at Bartlet's own father as it is at God.[2] However, when his father's unkind and sometimes abusive treatment of him is mentioned byToby Ziegler, Bartlet attempts to defend his father. Though he is long dead, Toby suggests that Bartlet is still trying to get the man to like him, hoping that "maybe if you get enough votes, win one more election," Bartlet will finally be able to earn his father's approval.[6]
He displays a remarkable ability for chess. Once, he engaged several members of his staff in separate matches at the same time and won.
Bartlet scored 1590 out of 1600 on hisSAT college admission test. Later he retook the exam, and received the same result, something bothLeo McGarry and Dr Stanley Keyworth find amusing.[7] He was accepted toWilliams,Harvard, andYale, but instead chose to go to theUniversity of Notre Dame, as he was considering becoming a priest, though decided against it after meeting Abbey, his future wife.[8] He graduatedsumma cum laude with a B.A. inAmerican studies and a minor intheology. He received aMaster's and aPh.D. in economics from theLondon School of Economics, as well as anHonorary Doctorate in Humane Letters fromDartmouth College, where he was a tenured professor prior to entering politics.[9] He speaks four languages, including Latin, English, and German.[10][11][12] He is aNobel Laureate in Economics, and is generally portrayed as amacroeconomist sympathetic toKeynesian views. He was required to split hisNobel Prize with another economist, a much more conservative Japanese man whom Bartlet respects but does not particularly like. He is the author of a book entitledTheory and Practice of Macroeconomics in Developing Countries,[9] and his research in economics is described as being focused on thedeveloping world.
Bartlet's wife,Abigail Bartlet, is athoracic surgeon and they have three daughters: Elizabeth Anne Westin,Eleanor Emily Bartlet, andZoey Patricia Bartlet. There are two grandchildren from his oldest daughter, Elizabeth: Annie, who is 12 in the pilot (although she is shown as and is referenced as being much younger in later episodes), and Gus, who is about 5 in the fifth season. It is also revealed in the seventh season that middle daughter Ellie is pregnant with Bartlet's third grandchild. He is depicted as a stern but very loving and indulgent father, in contrast to his own father, who (as is seen in flashbacks) was cold and physically abusive.[5] President Bartlet also has paternal feelings towards members of his staff, referring toCharlie Young (his personal aide, with whom he is especially close, denoted by the gift of the Bartlet family carving knife made byPaul Revere) andJosh Lyman (his deputy chief of staff) as his sons,[5][13] and tellingC.J. Cregg (hispress secretary and laterchief of staff) that she is part of his family.[14]
Bartlet suffers from relapsing-remittingmultiple sclerosis, which at one time puts the future of his presidency in doubt. He and his wife concealed his illness during his initial presidential run and would not disclose the information until well into his first term, leading to allegations offraud. He receives a Congressionalcensure for covering up his MS while running for president.
Bartlet began his political career when he was elected to theNew Hampshire House of Representatives. He later served three terms in theUnited States House of Representatives, representingNew Hampshire's 1st congressional district. Like his ancestor, Jed Bartlet served asGovernor of New Hampshire, and he won re-election to his final term with 69% of the vote.
A recurring motif throughout the series is Bartlet's inability to remember the names of junior staffers, a trait taken directly from Sheen's own memory tendencies. However, in the series finale episode, he meets and thanks a long series of White House staff members and addresses them all accurately by name.Bartlet also displays an obsession with trivia, often quizzing family, friends, and staff, whether they are interested or not — generally not.
Bartlet's best friend,Leo McGarry, persuades him to run for president around the fall of 1997, writing the slogan "Bartlet for America" on a cocktail napkin.[15] Although initially adark horse, Bartlet eventually defeats the Democratic frontrunner,U.S. SenatorJohn Hoynes of Texas, whom Bartlet asks to join the ticket as his vice-presidentialrunning mate. He defeats the Republican nominee for president, winning a close election with just 48 per cent of the vote, 48 million popular votes, and a 303–235 margin in theElectoral College. He is sworn into his first term on January 20, 1999.
Bartlet's accomplishments as president include appointing the first HispanicSupreme Court Justice and first femaleChief Justice, negotiating a peace settlement betweenIsrael andPalestine, creating millions of new jobs, providing strong support for alternative energy, and orchestrating aSocial Security reform plan (although it is never made clear whether the plan is passed by theUnited States Congress, the show indicates that a revolutionary agreement is achieved with bi-partisan support). He does, however, express regret at his inability to balance the budget in his eight years in the White House.[16]
Bartlet does not shy away from using the military when he feels it is necessary during his eight years in theWhite House, and deals with major foreign policy crises in various parts of the world. TheMiddle East is a recurring source of problems, particularlyIran,Syria, theIsraeli–Palestinian conflict and the fictional gulf state ofQumar. Bartlet is able to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by negotiating a historic agreement atCamp David in 2005 and deploying peacekeepers to the region, despite opposition to these efforts from both Democrats and Republicans. Terrorism, particularly from the Bahji network based in Qumar, is a continual problem and in the season 4 finale, Bartlet has to confront the kidnapping of his own daughter at the hands of the group. In Latin America, Bartlet has to deal with situations inHaiti,Colombia andBolivia. A conflict and genocide in the fictional African nation ofEquatorial Kundu lead Bartlet to intervene militarily and declare a boldinterventionist foreign policy doctrine. InAsia, Bartlet deals with tensions and near-conflicts between India and Pakistan, China andTaiwan, andRussia and China. The latter crisis, in his final year, leads to him deploying 140,000 peacekeepers to prevent a full-blown conflict over oil inKazakhstan, and this becomes a key issue in the 2006 presidential campaign to succeed him.
President Bartlet shows the most affection among his staffers toJosh Lyman,C.J. Cregg, andSam Seaborn. He predicts that Sam will one day run for president and expresses his faith in Sam's capability.[17] While he clearly respectsToby Ziegler, the two are prone to clash, usually when Toby feels the President is not acting according to his true morality or is ducking important issues. He is pained when he finds out Toby has leaked classified national security information and fires him. Bartlet eventually signs a pardon for Toby in his last official act as president.[18] He does not get along well with either of his vice presidents,John Hoynes orBob Russell, saying at one point he does not know what either of them is good for. For reasons presumably tied to his own lack of military service, he is somewhat intimidated by acid-tonguedSecretary of Defense Miles Hutchinson and deferential to respectedChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Percy Fitzwallace.
Bartlet is shot in the first seasoncliffhanger finale "What Kind of Day Has It Been". While it is revealed in the season 2 opening episode that his wounds are not serious (quick medical intervention having him on his feet within a few hours), Josh Lyman is critically injured. It is eventually discovered that the shooters were white supremacists fromWest Virginia and that hisbodyman Charlie Young was the intended target of the assassination attempt, not Bartlet himself.[19]
In the second-season finale, "Two Cathedrals", Bartlet announces to the country that he suffers frommultiple sclerosis, and has been keeping it a secret, although this had previously been revealed to the show's audience in the first-season episode "He Shall, from Time to Time..." This leads to an investigation of Bartlet's administration by aspecial prosecutor and by theUnited States House of Representatives, a storyline which dominates much of the show's third season.[20] Eventually, Bartlet accepts acensure from Congress, which settles all investigations against him.[21] While Bartlet's campaign efforts are damaged by the controversy, he nonetheless defeats the Republican nominee, GovernorRobert Ritchie of Florida, by a landslide and is returned for a second term. The election is forecast to be close until Bartlet scores a decisive debate win over Ritchie.[22]
Zoey Bartlet is kidnapped on the day of her graduation fromGeorgetown University, possibly in retaliation for the assassination of the Qumari defence minister, Abdul ibn Shareef, which her father authorized. While Zoey is missing, President Bartlet fears he is incapable of maintaining the necessary dispassion while his daughter is in such danger and invokes Section 3 of theTwenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, declaring himself incapacitated and transferring the powers of the presidency to the next person in thepresidential line of succession. Due to the resignation a few days earlier of Vice President Hoynes, theSpeaker of the House, Republican Glen Allen Walken, becomesActing President of the United States.[23] Zoey recovers with only minor injuries several days later and President Bartlet reassumes his office shortly thereafter.
Soon after Bartlet resumes the presidency, he faces off against Jeff Haffley, the newly electedSpeaker of the House (replacing Walken, who was forced to resign in order to fulfil his duties as acting president) on intense budget negotiations that break down to the point where the federal government is shut down (similar to the real world 1995 and 1996shutdowns during the Clinton administration). Eventually, Bartlet topples Haffley's influence and sees to it that the Speaker's power declines thereafter.
At the end of the fifth season and the beginning of the sixth, the Bartlet administration is dragged into the Israeli-Arab dispute after terrorists attack U.S. government officials on a trip toGaza. Eventually, after intense negotiations atCamp David between the Israelis and thePalestinians, Bartlet manages to secure a peace agreement but at a great cost, firing his chief of staffLeo McGarry in a disagreement over the conflict. McGarry has a heart attack but later returns to work as Special Counsellor to the President.CJ Cregg succeeds him as chief of staff.
On a trip to China, Bartlet is left temporarily paralyzed by an attack of multiple sclerosis. As a result, he briefly uses a wheelchair but soon recovers although he is left somewhat weakened by the attack. After seeing Congressman Matt Santos' stirring speech at theDemocratic National Convention, Bartlet has a chat with aNew York Democratic leader who had previously refused to support Santos due to concerns over education policy; the leader reverses his course and Santos becomes the Democratic nominee for president.
In the seventh and final season ofThe West Wing, Bartlet is in the last year of his term as president. Near the end of the season, CongressmanMatt Santos of Texas defeats the Republican nominee, SenatorArnold Vinick ofCalifornia, in the 2006 presidential election and thereby becomes Bartlet's successor. After Santos' inauguration, Bartlet returns to hisNew Hampshire home aboardAir Force One with his wife and while en route has the last word of the series. Mrs Bartlet asks the introspective former president what he is thinking about, and Bartlet replies: "Tomorrow."
The Bartlet Presidential Library opens three years after the end of his term and Bartlet is present at the opening ceremony, along with Kate Harper, C. J. Cregg, Danny Concannon,Charlie Young, Toby Ziegler, Josh Lyman, and Will Bailey. The new president does not appear, as this scene occurs in a flash forward during season seven, before the election.
West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin briefly revived the character forMaureen Dowd's September 20, 2008New York Times column, where he scripted a hypothetical meeting between Bartlet and then-Democratic presidential nomineeBarack Obama. He did the same after Obama's first debate againstMitt Romney in 2012.[24][25]
The West Wing's portrayal ofmultiple sclerosis through Bartlet was applauded by Mike Dugan, president of theNational Multiple Sclerosis Society. Dugan stated that the group was especially pleased that the affected character was a world leader, that the show educated viewers about MS and made it clear the disease is not fatal, and that Bartlet was shown as taking advantage of medical breakthroughs to treat his condition. "Since fiction often becomes more real to people than fact, President Bartlet's life with MS has the potential for great good," he said, suggesting that as Bartlet was able to overcome the challenges of his disease to succeed, "the public will become more accepting of individuals with MS and individuals with MS will become more accepting of themselves and their abilities to lead fulfilling lives."[2]
Mike McCurry, a formerpress secretary for the Clinton administration, described Bartlet as the ideal president, possessing "the compassion and integrity ofJimmy Carter... that shrewd decision-making and hard-nosed realism of aRichard Nixon... the warmth and amiability and the throw-the-arm-around-the-shoulder of aBill Clinton; and... the liberal passion of aTeddy Kennedy."[26][27]James Poniewozik described the character in 2002 as "a folksy Nobel laureate with touches ofF.D.R.,Stephen Hawking,Will Rogers and theBuddha."[28]
At one point, the producers ofThe X-Files considered having Sheen portray Bartlet in thefinal episode of the show, in a scene where he would be informed by members ofThe Syndicate thatFox Mulder escaped from government custody. Instead, Bartlet was replaced by an actor playingGeorge W. Bush, although the scene was cut from the final episode altogether.[29]
AWall Street Journal poll in 2016 named Martin Sheen's Josiah Bartlet as the second greatest fictional president, behindHarrison Ford's President James Marshall inAir Force One.[30]