Perfection missing a line ... "Go sneak a cigarette somewhere else", unless, cause I didn't see the show, they're not portrayed as equal. Maybe I'm wrong, but if these two are attacking each other for who they're, then the non-intellectual guy missed a freaking rocket.
"In the future, if you're wondering, 'Crime, boy, I don't know...' is when I decided to kick your ass." One of my all-time favorite lines in a show whose hallmark is amazing dialogue!
Senator Ritchie here is sort of like the West Wing world's version of the Bush family. "Crime, boy, I don't know." is him basically saying "Meh. I don't care about your murdered friend, and I care so little about the problem that killed him that I have no plans to fix it if I'm elected."
@@AndreWalker Republicans always say democrats are soft on crime. In the show, that was this dudes hallmark campaign. So Prez gets deep with him, and he insults him by implying its his fault for being soft on crime. No empathy.
The Yankee centerfielder Jed referred to was a reference to the Yankees' RL CF at the time Bernie Williams, who actually was (and is) a classic guitarist.
The guy with the smirk on his face as he catches the lighter being flipped to him by the POTUS is one of the best Bartlett moments. It’s TWW’s “say my name!” moments like in Breaking Bad. Epic!
Wow. Remember when it took a character like Ritchie to match our perception of an inept candidate? Hell, he's a dreamboat compared to what just got sworn in.
Bartlet begins smiling at some of the labels that Ritchie's applying to him... but the smile vanishes and he looks up when Ritchie says "you can't be trusted." At this point in the show, Bartlet's MS is public knowledge and has been for some time... but it's apparent that the accusation still stings. Nice subtle touch.
I think it mostly about being called Hollywood... Bartlett was still sore for a few seasons when MS and FEVER had him bedridden. And he turned to television, boy what a mistake. Jerry Springer. A bad soap opera. He was still pissed about it during that scene where he came back from church flirt arguing with Abbey and giving a discourse on oratory. Dr. Bartlett called him out and said that he was an oratory snob. And ge goes on to link late night hosts, soap óperas and st. Paul in an appeal against hackery
Aaron Sorkin was supposedly angry about the 2000 election. So he created a cartoon character to represent what he thought about George W. Bush. He even made this character Governor of Florida (Bush's brother was Governor of Florida). Sorkin made the story arc into what he wanted to happen two years earlier.
“Crime…boy I don’t know.” The human thing to say would have been “I’m sorry for your loss. He sounds like a good man.” Bartlett is trying to have a human moment with his opponent, but Ritchie doesn’t even realize that Bartlett is offering an olive branch. If that happened to me, I’d want to kick his ass too.
Never understood how Democratic Catholics could attend Mass and receive the sacraments. Saw Pelosi with the cardinal at Mass and she fights for abortion.
Religion and politics are similar but not inseparable. I'm sure many Catholic Democrats wouldn't have an abortion, and would condemn you if you did, but that doesn't mean they don't think there's a legal right to the procedure.
As a catholic I would never condemn people because they had an abortion. Frankly any catholic should be very careful to condemn anyone. You adhere to a faith based on accepting imperfection and celebrate forgiveness. I would doubt their judgement if they had multiple abortion, but abortions are many times a traumatic experience, and the people should be met with comfort and solace.
@@mmac8462 I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you're not confused how Republican Catholics can receive the sacraments after supporting the death penalty. Have you seriously not noticed that neither political party is aligned with Catholic dogma?
Sadly, “Crime, boy I don’t know” seems to be the response from most of our government officials lately. Normally I’d apologize for getting political, but this is a West Wing clip so I have a feeling you all don’t need that apology. Please, if you’re reading this. VOTE. Elect people with empathy, with the drive to create change in response to failure. I just can’t take any more of this “Crime, boy, I don’t know” mentality...
I'm not sure if I ever answered this. I thought I did, so if not, I want to apologize for the long delay. That's an excellent answer, and it puts the whole clip into a much clearer perspective than I had before. So, thank you very much for that.
I remembered this scene to motivate myself for this years school. To school in the future if you were wondering "Calculus boy I don't know" is when I decided to kick your ass.
It doesn't really mean anything, beyond perhaps "What is the world coming to?" - it's a verbal shrug of the shoulders and it comes in place of any expression of sympathy for either CJ or the agent who was shot. It suggests that while Bartlett is focused on the human factor, Ritchie thinks of it purely in terms of the politics - if you told a person someone had been shot dead, how many people would take that as a chance to comment on the crime rate?
Every time I use a zippo I have to resist the urge to say “in the future, if you’re ever wondering ‘crime. Boy. I don’t know. Is when I decided to kick your ass’” and then throw it. Damn it!
This scene and Sheen's line about "Bartlet College" keeps coming to mind as I watch the train wreck that is the clown car of the republican nominees for president. He admitted he didn't know anything at the start of his bid for the office, but al the anti intellectual heard was Bartlet tell him he was stupid. Which kind of proves the point. Every time the rethuglicans say something stupid (which seems to be every time they open their mouths and sounds come out) or just plain hateful and nasty I'm reminded how far down we've sunk. The yokels cheering Trump and physically attacking anyone who disagrees with them might as well be wearing brown shirts.
Yep, Mum was telling me about a friend of hers in New Mexico. When she went to vote early two guys stood at the front of the hall where voting was and had guns! When asked why, they said "so people can see how much us republicans with true American values love our guns." People called the cops but the cops did nothing. It was scary for this elderly lady. She was voting dems and when she received the pamphlets the gun guys stared her down when she went inside and made a snide comment as she left. They did this to everyone collecting 'how to vote for the dems'. I'm from Oz and we don't have electoral colleges here but I'm learning to understand the American presidential system from my law and business class in year 9/10. In Oz we learn about other country's systems of voting and their constitution but I wonder if any American studies the Australian constitution? LMAO.
We're now living in opposite West Wing land where intelligence and reason have been drummed out of our government. It's a terrifying ride and I want off.
Funny how democrats feel the need to flex their supposed intellectual luster to feel prideful in their capability. Even when that vast plethora of knowledge more often then not equates to jack shit when it comes to actually being a leader. What I get annoyed with democrats is they seem to scoff and dislike the average person who defines a leader not by how book smart they are but more for their capability to lead. Is that always the defining factor? No, but I also don't think just being smart is the ideal leader either. Also if you watch the season you'd know that the Bartlet crew have gone out of their way to paint his opposition like a moron. So I'm not surprised he would assume Bartlet himself might've thought the same thing with the Bartlet college comment. Which can just as easily have meant "get educated you dumb fuck" as it could "get engaged your running for president."
@@robosoldier11 If you're saying great knowledge and weak leadership ability makes for a bad president, then does powerful leadership ability without sufficient knowledge to contextualise events and decisions make for a bad president too? Came here from the West Wing clip where Bartlett steps down after Zoe is kidnapped and hands the presidency to the Republican Speaker of the House, who is a strong and forceful leader who understands his situation and the decisions he has to make in the context of the cascading events that lead to World War One. Personally I'd say humanity is the most important characteristic for a great leader, but then I've been told I'm a bit of a soy boy beta cuck libtard pussy bitch.
@Kevitivity You can't deny that the West Wing was liberal, but that's not to say that they haven't presented several compelling conservative characters. The best example being Arnold Vinick.
Love this scene. I only wish we got to see more of the Ritchie campaign. He was just painted as a "dumb" Republican politician compared to the academic Bartlett. That aside, James Brolin played him very well.
Well of course the main focus is Bartlett. But we don't even hear much about his running mate apart from them being from Texas. Were they like a Cheney-type? Could have been used to show that fools like this can be used by more dangerous individuals.
Yeah, same here. I think the first presidential campaign was oversimplified and just cut too short. Especially in the light of the Vinick-Sanchez campaign and, well, that amazing debate, which is, to be fair, really-really hard to top. (I understand there might be a chronological anomaly).
The West Wing was one of the top rated shows on television. There was absolutely no chance they were going to let Bartlet lose reelection. What would they do then, cancel the show? So Sorkin drew up the most simple-minded buffoon opponent they could so they didn’t have to waste any drama on that storyline.
Bartlet did have an opposition Congress for the whole of his presidency, while Obama still has the Senate, and around season 6 there was a potential economic meltdown.
@PoliticCynic It means Governor Ritchie doesn't care. You can tell by the underlying tension and the barely controlled disgust in his demeanor that he has absolutely zero sympathy for Bartlet and zero empathy for C.J Cregg. George Orwell said that a cliche is a statement we use when we want to avoid critical thinking. "Crime, boy I don't know" is a cliche Governor Ritchie uses to deflect any impulse toward sympathy and keep himself from having to think about what just happened.
“Music starts playing” “They’re playing my song” (Gets up and start to leave )has to be the best political flex ever! Like Don’t you forget who I am..so sit down & shut up
2:03 Other guy: [GENERAL BULLSHIT] You're, uh,Hollywood. I mean, he's kind of got you there Mr. Sheen. The Republican Party: The only political party ready and willing to break the fourth wall.
Unfortunately for the GOP, that fourth wall is a dozen feet tall, a mile wide and made of lime-green jello. The rest of us recognized it for what it was back in the 20th century, helicoptered over it and have long since moved on.
Considering that the Republican speaking was also Hollywood (being played by an actor for a television production and all), that kind of makes him a hypocrite, don't it?
Its sad conservatives will never understand this. It doesn't matter if you think you're right, that doesn't justify being so mean spirited. If you're ideas are based around hatred for another person people will always find you repulsive.
***** It's not just the right. The liberal "elite" stereotype has a kernel of truth to it, too, and it doesn't matter if you can prove that you're right if you can't treat anyone who opposes you with common decency, if not respect. Disagreement is not a reason to think less of someone, and that's something that everyone has to learn, especially the Gen X'ers who are about to step into the upper echelon of government.
Okay, I'm a centrist, but if somebody held a gun to the heads of a hundred people and made me pick either the left or the right, I'd be forced to choose the right. Why? Because there are far more hypocritical people on the left who actually HATE people on the right, than the opposite.
Actually, I think it's good to respectfully compare our actual President to fictional ones. Okay, Bartlet and Obama may not be the best pairing, but people have said for over a decade that they would vote for Bartlet in real life. Sheen portrays a damn good President, one lessons can be learned from in any walk of life. While the situation is different and there aren't any TV writers on Obama's side, Bartlet DID face issues with Congress similar to Obama's. Maybe fiction can help reality a bit.
True, and the funny thing is, Bartlett is portrayed as a moderate Democrat that's always fending off attacks from his left flank as well as the right. Sadly since The West Wing, politics has shifted, now Bartlett is a staunch liberal by today's standards, Ritchie is probably moderate and we'd be lucky to have a republican like Vinnick with a chance.
@philWynk And this highlights the problem...nearly ALL the conversation in the media and legislature is batting things back and forth between center and hard right. Those who want to pretend there's no crisis, so corporate profits can stay obscenely high, argue with Obama types who include a few more but offer NO public option for those who cannot afford insurance, and not only won't allow single payer into the conversation, advocates were arrested trying to speak at the hearing.
AJBfc Would have been 20X cooler if after Bartlett delivered that stinger at the end, he flicked the cigarette behind him and didn't even stop to see where it landed.
+Geoffrey Zoref Absolutely, but that scene would have itself made the original scene 25X less cool if the cigarette flew over his shoulder and then down the back of his shirt and started burning him, and he screamed in pain and the agents, and the political opponent all came running over to see what was wrong and to try to help him.
True, you have a good point but it was not a place where nothing could get done. In those shows they at least came to some compromise or aggreement after a few episodes. There was not any 4 years of saying NO to everything and the ecomonic problem was not on top of a housing crisis. All in all its fictional. Though I hear you KunfFu it would be nice if it wasn't
"You turned being unengaged into a zen like thing"......wait till social media becomes more popular sir, they thrive on being uninformed....while acting informed
It's a long time since I watched the episode, and either I've forgotten, or I never knew. Why does Ritchie say "Crime. Boy, I don't know". Don't know what?
The Republican candidate was Aaron Sorkin's version of George W. Bush. The whole election plot line was how Sorkin thought Al Gore should have campaigned against Bush in 2000.
Fun thing to do at a backyard party (or similar gathering): Shake your head wearily and drop the line, "Crime...boy, I don't know!" There will always be one or two people who will grin knowingly at you, and the rest will think you've just introduced a new topic of discussion. One of the best verbal grenades ever.
Do you know what song this is? Genuinely curious. Sorkin probably is probably making a bit here that I don't get because I don't listen to a lot of this kind of music.
Seven months late, but it's a song he had mentioned earlier in the episode was one of his favorites from the show. "And victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace"
@philWynk As for "Marxist", I freely and proudly admit to being a Democratic Socialist. It's NOT the same as "Marxist," at all. I'm not a tool for anyone, I'll say what I know and what I think and it's not "code" and it's not a "front" for something and I'm not a "tool", it's what I know and what I think, that's it. Funny how you never answered any of my questions, though. What about my liberalism has been "cut off from humanity," pray tell?
Hollywood's view of US politics is this: Republicans bad, Democrats good. Sometimes I wish TV and film writers would grow a pair, reach deep down and find some intellectual curiosity, and wright a political script that wasn't so shallow and reductive. I'm looking at you Aaron Sorkin!
They didn't go overboard with it, though. And since they were portraying a democrat white house, it fit. But there were several times they worked with the republicans, and even hired a few. So it wasn't completely us vs them mentality, which is to be applauded. I couldn't watch the show if it was entirely one-sided. (I'm a centrist, btw)
@Kevitivity "...and "wright" a political script..."? For a group of people who think English should be the official language, you might want to learn how to use it properly first. How's that for reductive?
+mike spence I look at the news today, at the current US presidential race, and I don't believe mr. Sorkin was that much off target. I look forward to when this show is considered humorous and lowbrow, but I doubt it'll happen in my lifetime.
@4thengle A pro-choice, pro-environmental Republican who criticizes politicians for religious displays and doesn't go to church? If you think the Republicans are reluctant to get behind Romney, imagine if Vinick was real.
@PrisonerNumber9653 Oh, I see. But those who died while not having health insurance, died BECAUSE they did not have health insurance. Your West Wing "analysis" does not apply to your own arguments, eh? The classic book on the subject is Charles Murray's "Losing Ground." You should read it. But for the short version, google "Sowell war on poverty revisited" and read the article at Capitalism Magazine.
One of Bartlet's all-time best exit lines.
Yeah. I’m just gonna start exiting every room saying this now.
Perfection missing a line ... "Go sneak a cigarette somewhere else", unless, cause I didn't see the show, they're not portrayed as equal. Maybe I'm wrong, but if these two are attacking each other for who they're, then the non-intellectual guy missed a freaking rocket.
"In the future, if you're wondering, 'Crime, boy, I don't know...' is when I decided to kick your ass."
One of my all-time favorite lines in a show whose hallmark is amazing dialogue!
Classic line.
That guy takes so much pride in his anti-intellectualism. Crime, boy, I don't know.
That's been a hallmark of the Republican party since Adlai Stevenson was denigrated for being an "egghead."
Senator Ritchie here is sort of like the West Wing world's version of the Bush family. "Crime, boy, I don't know." is him basically saying "Meh. I don't care about your murdered friend, and I care so little about the problem that killed him that I have no plans to fix it if I'm elected."
Very deliberately written by Sorkin as everything he despised about George W. Bush.
@@AndreWalker Republicans always say democrats are soft on crime. In the show, that was this dudes hallmark campaign. So Prez gets deep with him, and he insults him by implying its his fault for being soft on crime. No empathy.
Oh...
You beautiful four years ago person!
Anti-intellectual bemoaning summer child.
That is tragically the path of our futures.
😭😑
The Yankee centerfielder Jed referred to was a reference to the Yankees' RL CF at the time Bernie Williams, who actually was (and is) a classic guitarist.
Ken Henderson Bernie Williams did a cameo in Treme on HBO
Bernie plays Take Me Out to the Ballgame for Derek Jeter at Fenway Park. Boston crowd singing along…Pretty epic!
The guy with the smirk on his face as he catches the lighter being flipped to him by the POTUS is one of the best Bartlett moments. It’s TWW’s “say my name!” moments like in Breaking Bad. Epic!
The secret service guy who perfectly catches the lighter with zero expression deserves an Emmy.
Wow. Remember when it took a character like Ritchie to match our perception of an inept candidate? Hell, he's a dreamboat compared to what just got sworn in.
rugbynimbus I'd give my left nut to have someone as unqualified as Ritchie in office right now...
He was supposed to be George W. Bush. So, yeah. Trump makes Bush look good, now.
Trump's response would have been "I'll have the best Secret Service agents. They won't get shot, they'll be the best bodyguards."
Id take Pres Trump over the complete ineptitude that just took over....
@@avae5343 I'll take recent dementia over lifelong crazy any day of the week.
The flip of the Zippo at the end makes that last line amazing
Bartlet begins smiling at some of the labels that Ritchie's applying to him... but the smile vanishes and he looks up when Ritchie says "you can't be trusted." At this point in the show, Bartlet's MS is public knowledge and has been for some time... but it's apparent that the accusation still stings. Nice subtle touch.
I think it mostly about being called Hollywood... Bartlett was still sore for a few seasons when MS and FEVER had him bedridden. And he turned to television, boy what a mistake. Jerry Springer. A bad soap opera. He was still pissed about it during that scene where he came back from church flirt arguing with Abbey and giving a discourse on oratory. Dr. Bartlett called him out and said that he was an oratory snob. And ge goes on to link late night hosts, soap óperas and st. Paul in an appeal against hackery
This show still shows the ugly side of government, both sides. 2 things you never want to see made. Law's and sausages!
Richard Schiff's latest tweet sent me here. So refreshing to see a president with class and dignity. If only.
Epic scene. I'm rewatching the show as we speak. It's a good escape from the news and President Cheeto.
The moment he hears, “Crime, boy, I don’t know.” Bartlett becomes Michael Corleone when Moe Green said he had to slap Fredo around.
Exactly!!!
Yep.
He went, "Oh, bugga. Now I CAN'T lose! Damnit!"
Aaron Sorkin was supposedly angry about the 2000 election. So he created a cartoon character to represent what he thought about George W. Bush. He even made this character Governor of Florida (Bush's brother was Governor of Florida). Sorkin made the story arc into what he wanted to happen two years earlier.
Who can blame him? If that moron GWB hadn't been loitering in the WH, there wouldn't have been a 911. What a different world we'd all be living in.
I've watched every episode at least 179 times.
This has always been my favourite scene.
“Crime…boy I don’t know.” The human thing to say would have been “I’m sorry for your loss. He sounds like a good man.” Bartlett is trying to have a human moment with his opponent, but Ritchie doesn’t even realize that Bartlett is offering an olive branch. If that happened to me, I’d want to kick his ass too.
TV has never been this good since.
I can't think of a President less "Hollywood" than Bartlet.
One of television's greatest scenes.
It’s when he threw the cigarette lighter - coolest guy ever !
Jed Bartlet-- where are you, man?
Never understood how Democratic Catholics could attend Mass and receive the sacraments. Saw Pelosi with the cardinal at Mass and she fights for abortion.
Religion and politics are similar but not inseparable. I'm sure many Catholic Democrats wouldn't have an abortion, and would condemn you if you did, but that doesn't mean they don't think there's a legal right to the procedure.
As a catholic I would never condemn people because they had an abortion. Frankly any catholic should be very careful to condemn anyone. You adhere to a faith based on accepting imperfection and celebrate forgiveness. I would doubt their judgement if they had multiple abortion, but abortions are many times a traumatic experience, and the people should be met with comfort and solace.
That's President Barlett to you
@@mmac8462 I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you're not confused how Republican Catholics can receive the sacraments after supporting the death penalty. Have you seriously not noticed that neither political party is aligned with Catholic dogma?
Sadly, “Crime, boy I don’t know” seems to be the response from most of our government officials lately. Normally I’d apologize for getting political, but this is a West Wing clip so I have a feeling you all don’t need that apology. Please, if you’re reading this. VOTE. Elect people with empathy, with the drive to create change in response to failure. I just can’t take any more of this “Crime, boy, I don’t know” mentality...
Love this scene. Thank you so much.
I'm not sure if I ever answered this. I thought I did, so if not, I want to apologize for the long delay.
That's an excellent answer, and it puts the whole clip into a much clearer perspective than I had before. So, thank you very much for that.
by the way, the reason the entire government shut down was because the republican speaker of the house refused to make policy concessions on a bill.
I remembered this scene to motivate myself for this years school. To school in the future if you were wondering "Calculus boy I don't know" is when I decided to kick your ass.
Man you can tell how much he,s enjoying that cigerret.
"They're playing my song."
It doesn't really mean anything, beyond perhaps "What is the world coming to?" - it's a verbal shrug of the shoulders and it comes in place of any expression of sympathy for either CJ or the agent who was shot.
It suggests that while Bartlett is focused on the human factor, Ritchie thinks of it purely in terms of the politics - if you told a person someone had been shot dead, how many people would take that as a chance to comment on the crime rate?
Every time I use a zippo I have to resist the urge to say “in the future, if you’re ever wondering ‘crime. Boy. I don’t know. Is when I decided to kick your ass’” and then throw it. Damn it!
what exactly did that guy mean by "crime boy i dont know"
@@JoefromNJ1 He had no idea or suggestions to offer. He even failed to offer condolences.
This scene and Sheen's line about "Bartlet College" keeps coming to mind as I watch the train wreck that is the clown car of the republican nominees for president. He admitted he didn't know anything at the start of his bid for the office, but al the anti intellectual heard was Bartlet tell him he was stupid. Which kind of proves the point. Every time the rethuglicans say something stupid (which seems to be every time they open their mouths and sounds come out) or just plain hateful and nasty I'm reminded how far down we've sunk. The yokels cheering Trump and physically attacking anyone who disagrees with them might as well be wearing brown shirts.
Yep, Mum was telling me about a friend of hers in New Mexico. When she went to vote early two guys stood at the front of the hall where voting was and had guns! When asked why, they said "so people can see how much us republicans with true American values love our guns."
People called the cops but the cops did nothing. It was scary for this elderly lady. She was voting dems and when she received the pamphlets the gun guys stared her down when she went inside and made a snide comment as she left.
They did this to everyone collecting 'how to vote for the dems'.
I'm from Oz and we don't have electoral colleges here but I'm learning to understand the American presidential system from my law and business class in year 9/10. In Oz we learn about other country's systems of voting and their constitution but I wonder if any American studies the Australian constitution? LMAO.
We're now living in opposite West Wing land where intelligence and reason have been drummed out of our government. It's a terrifying ride and I want off.
Come live in Aus. It's good here -still (or should I say "yet").
Funny how democrats feel the need to flex their supposed intellectual luster to feel prideful in their capability. Even when that vast plethora of knowledge more often then not equates to jack shit when it comes to actually being a leader. What I get annoyed with democrats is they seem to scoff and dislike the average person who defines a leader not by how book smart they are but more for their capability to lead. Is that always the defining factor? No, but I also don't think just being smart is the ideal leader either.
Also if you watch the season you'd know that the Bartlet crew have gone out of their way to paint his opposition like a moron. So I'm not surprised he would assume Bartlet himself might've thought the same thing with the Bartlet college comment. Which can just as easily have meant "get educated you dumb fuck" as it could "get engaged your running for president."
@@robosoldier11 If you're saying great knowledge and weak leadership ability makes for a bad president, then does powerful leadership ability without sufficient knowledge to contextualise events and decisions make for a bad president too?
Came here from the West Wing clip where Bartlett steps down after Zoe is kidnapped and hands the presidency to the Republican Speaker of the House, who is a strong and forceful leader who understands his situation and the decisions he has to make in the context of the cascading events that lead to World War One.
Personally I'd say humanity is the most important characteristic for a great leader, but then I've been told I'm a bit of a soy boy beta cuck libtard pussy bitch.
Jed Bartlet For President.
I wish they could go back and make Ritchie the villain of the first 4 seasons.
James Brolin is great as this character.
Don't piss Ritchie off, his son Thanos might take it personal...
@@davidcombs3617 Suitably his son also played the guy Ritchie is probably based on.
Should have been walken
He was likeable, intelligent, serious, honourable and a worth adversary to Bartlett
@Kevitivity You can't deny that the West Wing was liberal, but that's not to say that they haven't presented several compelling conservative characters. The best example being Arnold Vinick.
Thank you!
"In the future, if you're wondering, "Crime. Boy I don"t know." is when I decided to kick your ass." Bartlet 2012, Bartlet 2016. Bartlet anytime!
Bartlett 2020.
@KaizerRyu83 Yes, god, yes. 100% yes!
I so wish it worked like that ..... :)
Who's here form DODGERFILMS???
@TheFrogger15 I think the previous poster was saying that the President should emulate Bartlet, not that the President was like Governor Ritchie.
I hope Rick Perry wins the primary so we can get a real life re-enactment of this election.
Everyone who wants to be president should have to have at least one conversation like this with the guy who's job they're trying to take.
It's scary how much this guy looks like Mike Pence, Trump's VP. .-.
That is James Brolin.
Love this scene. I only wish we got to see more of the Ritchie campaign. He was just painted as a "dumb" Republican politician compared to the academic Bartlett. That aside, James Brolin played him very well.
Well of course the main focus is Bartlett. But we don't even hear much about his running mate apart from them being from Texas. Were they like a Cheney-type? Could have been used to show that fools like this can be used by more dangerous individuals.
Yeah, same here. I think the first presidential campaign was oversimplified and just cut too short. Especially in the light of the Vinick-Sanchez campaign and, well, that amazing debate, which is, to be fair, really-really hard to top. (I understand there might be a chronological anomaly).
The West Wing was one of the top rated shows on television. There was absolutely no chance they were going to let Bartlet lose reelection. What would they do then, cancel the show? So Sorkin drew up the most simple-minded buffoon opponent they could so they didn’t have to waste any drama on that storyline.
Whats that song????
When will Martin Sheen run for President
I would vote
#stuffhappens
@pseudonym32 Vinick and Walken was also redeemable. As was Lassiter, albeit he was never portrayed
STILL SPOT AFTER A DECADE
Crime, boy I don't know......so scary how fiction mirrors reality
Bartlet did have an opposition Congress for the whole of his presidency, while Obama still has the Senate, and around season 6 there was a potential economic meltdown.
@PoliticCynic It means Governor Ritchie doesn't care. You can tell by the underlying tension and the barely controlled disgust in his demeanor that he has absolutely zero sympathy for Bartlet and zero empathy for C.J Cregg.
George Orwell said that a cliche is a statement we use when we want to avoid critical thinking. "Crime, boy I don't know" is a cliche Governor Ritchie uses to deflect any impulse toward sympathy and keep himself from having to think about what just happened.
Okay, to be fair, he didn't want to hurt his brain. Understandable...
Happily, Robert Ritchie (y'know, the real one? 'Kid Rock'?") has announced it was just a troll; he's not running for US Senate in '18.
“Music starts playing” “They’re playing my song” (Gets up and start to leave )has to be the best political flex ever! Like Don’t you forget who I am..so sit down & shut up
2:03 Other guy: [GENERAL BULLSHIT] You're, uh,Hollywood.
I mean, he's kind of got you there Mr. Sheen.
The Republican Party: The only political party ready and willing to break the fourth wall.
You're trying to make a point here, but I'm not sure what it is.
He's calling a fictional character played by a mainstream actor "Hollywood"
It's purely meta. Otherwise fuck the GOP.
Unfortunately for the GOP, that fourth wall is a dozen feet tall, a mile wide and made of lime-green jello. The rest of us recognized it for what it was back in the 20th century, helicoptered over it and have long since moved on.
Considering that the Republican speaking was also Hollywood (being played by an actor for a television production and all), that kind of makes him a hypocrite, don't it?
Raguleader It also makes him a Republican. Sorkin's just that fucking real.
Its sad conservatives will never understand this. It doesn't matter if you think you're right, that doesn't justify being so mean spirited. If you're ideas are based around hatred for another person people will always find you repulsive.
***** It's not just the right. The liberal "elite" stereotype has a kernel of truth to it, too, and it doesn't matter if you can prove that you're right if you can't treat anyone who opposes you with common decency, if not respect. Disagreement is not a reason to think less of someone, and that's something that everyone has to learn, especially the Gen X'ers who are about to step into the upper echelon of government.
Okay, I'm a centrist, but if somebody held a gun to the heads of a hundred people and made me pick either the left or the right, I'd be forced to choose the right. Why? Because there are far more hypocritical people on the left who actually HATE people on the right, than the opposite.
Actually, I think it's good to respectfully compare our actual President to fictional ones. Okay, Bartlet and Obama may not be the best pairing, but people have said for over a decade that they would vote for Bartlet in real life. Sheen portrays a damn good President, one lessons can be learned from in any walk of life. While the situation is different and there aren't any TV writers on Obama's side, Bartlet DID face issues with Congress similar to Obama's. Maybe fiction can help reality a bit.
True, and the funny thing is, Bartlett is portrayed as a moderate Democrat that's always fending off attacks from his left flank as well as the right. Sadly since The West Wing, politics has shifted, now Bartlett is a staunch liberal by today's standards, Ritchie is probably moderate and we'd be lucky to have a republican like Vinnick with a chance.
President Obama, meet President Bartlet. Here's a pen and notebook. There will be a test.
@philWynk And this highlights the problem...nearly ALL the conversation in the media and legislature is batting things back and forth between center and hard right. Those who want to pretend there's no crisis, so corporate profits can stay obscenely high, argue with Obama types who include a few more but offer NO public option for those who cannot afford insurance, and not only won't allow single payer into the conversation, advocates were arrested trying to speak at the hearing.
Would've been 10X less cool if the agent dropped the lighter
AJBfc Would have been 20X cooler if after Bartlett delivered that stinger at the end, he flicked the cigarette behind him and didn't even stop to see where it landed.
+Geoffrey Zoref Absolutely, but that scene would have itself made the original scene 25X less cool if the cigarette flew over his shoulder and then down the back of his shirt and started burning him, and he screamed in pain and the agents, and the political opponent all came running over to see what was wrong and to try to help him.
It was funny back when it was written. Now it's outright hilarious.
True, you have a good point but it was not a place where nothing could get done. In those shows they at least came to some compromise or aggreement after a few episodes. There was not any 4 years of saying NO to everything and the ecomonic problem was not on top of a housing crisis. All in all its fictional. Though I hear you KunfFu it would be nice if it wasn't
I remember watching this scene for the first time thinking "did they really just have him say that?"
What does "Crime, boy I don't know" mean anyway?
Nothing. It's a verbal shrug.
Ritchie doesn't give a s**t that CJ was being threatened or that a Secret Service agent was just murdered.
Mee I love Dogerfilms
DODGERFILMS...
They switched the order of the lines of the president and candidate richie
I love this comment. Go you.
who else is here from dodgerfilms?
i am
Meh
Wazuuuuuuuuuuup?!
"You're Hollywood"? What does that even mean?
I wonder where Bartlet keeps his I own your ass stamp?
For a good laugh, click "(Show the comment)" below.
"You turned being unengaged into a zen like thing"......wait till social media becomes more popular sir, they thrive on being uninformed....while acting informed
Especially that Tak-Tuk thingy.
@@CollaredDom see...you don't even know the name of it but somehow know it's bad. ....lol just kidding
I like how he went to a Yankees game as though that would signify he's a man of the people. That's just how ignorant he is. Shoulda gone to the Mets.
It's a long time since I watched the episode, and either I've forgotten, or I never knew.
Why does Ritchie say "Crime. Boy, I don't know". Don't know what?
@Daniel_V it took 7 years but I think that's a damn fine answer to your question Hansel lol
@Daniel_V Exactly. It would've been better to just remain silent and somber than to say what he did.
i am
This is a funny comment to read a month later.
Me
Mike Pence
Gov. Ritchie used the word "LIberal" as an insult...
is the desire to move past the 18th Century such a bad thing?
Absolutely not, and should be applauded. The problem is when people (of any party) place emotions above logic.
@marcusstromeyer I don't know, most real-life politicians are just as scripted as this.
The Republican candidate was Aaron Sorkin's version of George W. Bush. The whole election plot line was how Sorkin thought Al Gore should have campaigned against Bush in 2000.
Unfortunately, Al Gore was not at Bartlett's level either.
Fun thing to do at a backyard party (or similar gathering): Shake your head wearily and drop the line, "Crime...boy, I don't know!" There will always be one or two people who will grin knowingly at you, and the rest will think you've just introduced a new topic of discussion. One of the best verbal grenades ever.
oops, just a bit off...
His "song" should have been Hail to the Cheif
Do you know what song this is? Genuinely curious. Sorkin probably is probably making a bit here that I don't get because I don't listen to a lot of this kind of music.
Correction: i don't think Sorkin was involved in this episode but nonetheless.
No I don't but your more than likley has some signifiance
Seven months late, but it's a song he had mentioned earlier in the episode was one of his favorites from the show. "And victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace"
Just rewatched. Forgot it was same time a the assisanation. Makes since now and it works great with the episode
me
@philWynk As for "Marxist", I freely and proudly admit to being a Democratic Socialist. It's NOT the same as "Marxist," at all. I'm not a tool for anyone, I'll say what I know and what I think and it's not "code" and it's not a "front" for something and I'm not a "tool", it's what I know and what I think, that's it.
Funny how you never answered any of my questions, though.
What about my liberalism has been "cut off from humanity," pray tell?
I feel like Robert Ritchie was a dig at Jeb Bush and the whole family in general
More George but yeah I believe so too
Bobby Crosby!
Hollywood's view of US politics is this: Republicans bad, Democrats good.
Sometimes I wish TV and film writers would grow a pair, reach deep down and find some intellectual curiosity, and wright a political script that wasn't so shallow and reductive. I'm looking at you Aaron Sorkin!
They didn't go overboard with it, though. And since they were portraying a democrat white house, it fit. But there were several times they worked with the republicans, and even hired a few. So it wasn't completely us vs them mentality, which is to be applauded. I couldn't watch the show if it was entirely one-sided. (I'm a centrist, btw)
u mad bro?
yeah pres. bartlett's government was never under threat of being shut down by the republican speaker. Class dismissed.
@maven21 Bartlet did have an opposition Congress actually. Obama is the closest to Bartlet though. Obama 2012.
@Kevitivity "...and "wright" a political script..."? For a group of people who think English should be the official language, you might want to learn how to use it properly first. How's that for reductive?
@KaizerRyu83 I agree that Bartlet kicks ass but there is a difference between TV and reality.
It means nothing. It's a dumb comment to a tragedy said by an inarticulate politician. That's, like, the joke here.
George Bush, meet Governor Ritchie. Oh, what's that? You already did..?
little bit over the top Aaron
+mike spence I look at the news today, at the current US presidential race, and I don't believe mr. Sorkin was that much off target. I look forward to when this show is considered humorous and lowbrow, but I doubt it'll happen in my lifetime.
@4thengle A pro-choice, pro-environmental Republican who criticizes politicians for religious displays and doesn't go to church? If you think the Republicans are reluctant to get behind Romney, imagine if Vinick was real.
@PrisonerNumber9653 Oh, I see. But those who died while not having health insurance, died BECAUSE they did not have health insurance. Your West Wing "analysis" does not apply to your own arguments, eh?
The classic book on the subject is Charles Murray's "Losing Ground." You should read it. But for the short version, google "Sowell war on poverty revisited" and read the article at Capitalism Magazine.
The character of Rob Ritchie has aged horribly poorly.