Josiah Bartlet

:For the signatory of the Declaration of Independence, see Josiah Bartlett.

Related Topics:
Declaration of Independence - Josiah Bartlett

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Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet, President of the United States, is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing.

Related Topics:
President of the United States - Fictional character - Martin Sheen - Television - Serial - Drama - The West Wing

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Although the show has an ensemble cast, the main character in the series has become the fictional U.S. President Bartlet. Bartlet represents, in many ways, an "ideal liberal president," endowed with a fierce intellect, great (though not infallible) personal integrity and toughness, but tempered with essential compassion for the less fortunate and a sense of humor.

Related Topics:
Ensemble cast - Fictional U.S. President - Liberal

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President Bartlet is an accomplished economist, with a Masters and Ph.D. in economics from the London School of Economics and a Nobel Prize in Economics. He is a fictitious descendant of the real-life Josiah Bartlett, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. Before entering politics Bartlet was a tenured professor of economics at Dartmouth College, where he received an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters.

Related Topics:
Economics - London School of Economics - Nobel Prize in Economics - Josiah Bartlett - Declaration of Independence - Dartmouth College

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Like his real-life ancestor, the fictitious Bartlet was a governor of New Hampshire. Prior to serving two terms as governor, Bartlet served on the New Hampshire State Board of Education and was a three-term member of the United States House of Representatives and either a representative or senator in the New Hampshire State Legislature (the show does not make clear which).

Related Topics:
Governor - New Hampshire - United States House of Representatives - New Hampshire State Legislature

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His close friend, Leo McGarry, convinced him to run for president and, although initially a total outsider for the Democratic nomination, he eventually defeated the presumptive nominee, Texas senator John Hoynes, who was asked by Bartlet to join the ticket as his vice-presidential running mate. He defeated the Republican nominee for President, whose name was not revealed during the show's first six seasons, but does so with just 48 percent of the vote. As the series continued, Bartlet was elected to a second term, defeating the Republican Florida governor, Rob Ritchie, by a considerably wider margin in what had been expected to be an election as close as the one four years earlier.

Related Topics:
Leo McGarry - John Hoynes

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He is a devout Roman Catholic, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame who once considered becoming a priest. He changed his mind upon meeting his future wife, Abigail Bartlet, who became a thoracic surgeon. They have three daughters: Elizabeth Ann "Liz" Weston, Dr. Eleanore "Ellie" Bartlet, and Zoey, and he is depicted as a stern but loving father, in contrast to his own father, who (as we see in flashbacks) was cold and physically abusive. In addition to his three daughters, President Bartlet also thinks of Charlie Young (his personal assistant) and Josh Lyman (his deputy chief of staff) as his sons (as established in the episodes "Two Cathedrals" and "Shibboleth"). The President suffers from multiple sclerosis, which at one time put the future of his presidency in doubt.

Related Topics:
Roman Catholic - University of Notre Dame - Priest - Abigail Bartlet - Zoey - Charlie Young - Josh Lyman - Multiple sclerosis

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Bartlet was shot in the first season cliffhanger finale. The President's wounds were not serious and it was later discovered that Charlie Young was the actual target of the assassination attempt, not the President himself.

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In the Season Two finale Two Cathedrals, Bartlet announced to the country that he suffers from multiple sclerosis, and had been keeping it a secret, although this had previously been revealed to the viewers in the Season One episode He Shall, From Time to Time...

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President Bartlet's daughter, Zoey, was kidnapped on the day of her graduation from Georgetown University, possibly due to the Bartlet-ordered assassination of the Qumari defense minister. While Zoey was missing, President Bartlet invoked Section 3 of the 25th Amendment, giving up the power of the presidency. Due to the resignation a few days earlier of Vice President John Hoynes, the Speaker of the House Glen Allen Walken, a Republican, became Acting President. Zoey was recovered with only minor injuries several days later and President Bartlet reassumed his office a few hours later. On a trip to China, Bartlet was left temporarily paralyzed by an attack of MS.

Related Topics:
Zoey - Georgetown University - Qumari - 25th Amendment - John Hoynes - Speaker of the House - Glen Allen Walken - Acting President

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Bartlet is currently in the last year of his term, with elections likely to occur in November of 2005 (early in the show's seventh season). His potential successors are Rep. Matt Santos (D-TX) and Sen. Arnold Vinick (R-CA).

Related Topics:
November - Matt Santos - Arnold Vinick

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As a matter of trivia, the President was not originally intended to be a key member of the cast. He was only meant to make occasional appearances. Alan Alda (who plays Sen. Vinick), George C. Scott and Sidney Poitier were also considered for the role of President Bartlet.

Related Topics:
Alan Alda - George C. Scott - Sidney Poitier

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