The Crackpots and These Women: Bartlet's Speech

[devore504]

Only president that comes close to the great Obama.Tell me anything bad about my comment and I will go off.

[DavySolaris]

@devore504 Bartlett is out of Obama's league by the distance of a small galaxy

[devore504]

@DavySolaris I like Obama more

[jpizzle1223]

@devore504 Obama is a joke and a weak leader.

[iXelsior]

@jpizzle1223 that would be the current speaker of the house. tea baggers make him cry.

[faceprecious]

@devore504 Great Obama? You have to be kidding!!.

[klamath632]

Here we are in 2011 and we have to depend on other countries now to send our astronauts into space. Pretty sad when you think about it.

[Mr74liger]

@klamath632

we havent been able to master this planet what makes you think americans can master space.

[r4reading]

"As we did in the time when our eyes looked to the heavens and with out stretched fingers we touched the face of God." wow that is such an awesome line and that Martin Sheen has the gravitas to pull it off.

[jpizzle1223]

@r4reading

As did Ronald Reagan :)

[JoeMulk]

lol Josh "yeah, right!"

[Turbo9987]

@amolchan001 Andrew Shephard is the US president played by Michael Douglas in "The American President," which is another one of Aaron Sorkin's written works. Ironically, Martin Sheen played his chief of staff in the movie.

[Turbo9987]

now here's the ultimate question: President Josiah Bartlet or President Andrew Shephard?

[amolchan001]

@Turbo9987 Andrew Shephard, Who?

[RAZTHEPOET]

this was epic man i miss good television now u just have crap shows like keeping up with the kardashian wtf

[LadyNightthorn]

This is one of a couple scenes (along with them in the kitchen earlier in this episode) that makes me wonder about the back story between Josh and Zoey. I don't think anyone else would have the moxie to say "Yeah, right, about her celibacy in front of her dad. Jed and Leo have been friends for a long time. Josh's dad and Leo were friends for a long time. Seems like Josh has known Zoey since she was little, sort of in a big brother role. What do you think?

[Irishwillmooney]

@LadyNightthorn The problem with that is in the flash backs for the first two episodes of Season 2, Bartlet doesn't even know Josh's name and doesn't know about Josh's dad being sick, so I think Leo was just friends with Barlet and Josh's dad but the three weren't friends together. Its possible they (Josh and Zoey) got to know each other well over the campaign but it seems unlikely there is much more back story, it might be Josh being Josh. lol.

[IrishEyes1989]

That was beautiful. The West Wing was truly a special series.

[ashuron23]

it won't be nbc, but it will be aaron sorkin...

[NixFaerie]

it always makes me laugh and then it always gives me the chills

[PD1981]

I wish Bartlet was not only a real character but had been a real President. Aaron Sorkin was a real genius and this was this show at its best

[BelieveIt1051]

YEAH! Could you imagine a president who made it possible for every young person to go to college regardless of whether they could pay for it or not? Why, then we could have an entire army of indoctrinated Marxists to help destroy America, AND we would use taxpayers dollars to fund it! Ah ha ha ha ha!

[mailforward4me]

@BelieveIt1051

No, we would have an entire generation of Americans who could spell, speak in intelligent sentences, and actually be prepared to RUN this country someday..... instead of working the next 40 yrs at Wal-Mart....

Why are you afraid of Education?

[BelieveIt1051]

I'm 100% sure that people learn spelling, English, and other essentials in elementary school, not college.

I'm not afraid of education. You're simply confusing college with education. That is usually NOT the case. You're also ignoring the point I made about taxpayers getting stuck with the bill.

[mailforward4me]

@BelieveIt1051

Where education is concerned... Taxpayers are never "STUCK" with the bill for it.... Education in an investment in our future, and every dollar spent gives us many dollars of return. Actually, We don't pay for it....... IT pays, for us ...

Every deserving Child should have a free education, paid for by taxpayers.... The better jobs they get, and the increased taxes they pay on that good job for the next 50 yrs MORE than reimburses the taxpayer.....

Education PAYS !!!.

[BelieveIt1051]

Oh, they're investments? Then tell me, can investments fail to pay off?

How do you know what every dollar does? You don't have the power to track them do you? I have my degrees, and I have a good job, but I know others who were in my program who have no found jobs in the field they went to college for. So if their tuition had been paid completely by taxpayers, then where is their return? The primary beneficiary saw no return, so how can the people?

[mailforward4me]

@BelieveIt1051

YES, they're investments in our future....

and although FINANCIAL investments (like stocks & bonds. your house, etc) CAN fail to pay off financially (as evidenced by the current recession...), I think they pay off in other areas instead then, through life experiences, lessons learned, etc

You have my sympathies if your degree isn't currently helping you with employment... The recession has been hard on a lot of us (me too!!) , but education is never wasted, in the long run.

[BelieveIt1051]

Oh I'm doing just fine, but some of my friends are not. The reason I am doing well is not because of my degrees, but rather because of my determination and the knowledge and skills I picked up in college. And do you want to know the secret of my determination to succeed?

I paid for my own education. Yes I have a loan to pay off, but I can afford it. In fact I am ahead on my payments. But the point is that I have the drive to be a success because I paid the costs. I'll give a contrast next.

[BelieveIt1051]

To give a contrasting example, my cousin went to college a few times for various degrees. Yet today she works a common job filing paperwork in an office. Why? Because she never applied herself in her classes, she partied not studied, and most importantly she did not pay for her own education. Her parents did. So the way she saw it, if she dropped out of classes she was failing in or didn't do well in a course, or cut classes, it was no financial loss to her. Someone else paid for it.

[BelieveIt1051]

So we've jumped from college education for adults over to children's basic education.

Even in this case I submit that education is not a right. It is an individual and parental responsibility. You cannot make a child learn, so how can you say we the people must provide the finances of their education?

Furthermore how does education pay back the taxpayer? Even if your scenario were to come true, the taxes gained from those new workers would just go back to the government, not the people.

[BelieveIt1051]

And why should we pay for education that isn't ours? You may like to think that we benefit from the education of future generations, and I admit that we might benefit in some ways, but the primary beneficiaries are THEY. Why shouldn't they pay for it, especially if they are the ones who will get these outstanding careers you keep talking about?

No, what we the people need to do is take action in the education of our own children and ensure that they have the best learning material possible.

[mailforward4me]

@BelieveIt1051

Our Nation's Public School System is testament to the fact that, not only is free education a right, but is our nation's greatest responsibility...

WE don't EVER want to be a country where only the rich can afford education....

..

[BelieveIt1051]

Okay, now we're getting into legal matters. What document codifies our rights? The U.S. Constitution. Where does it say that education is a right? Nowhere.

Furthermore, you are contradicting yourself. Is it our right or is it our responsibility? If it's the later, then why not let us be responsible for ourselves?

If it's a right, who provides it? Taxpayers? So then we tax the people in order to give the money right back to the people in the form of education? How does that make sense?

[fatmeteor]

@BelieveIt1051 what makes sense is that the US won't be able to compete against other countries unless there is enough opportunity for your citizens to be educated properly. You get what you pay for.

[Kaalec]

@BelieveIt1051 There have been 27 Amendments to your constitution, so that argument doesn't wash.

You want to be responsible for yourselves? Okay, provide your own sewage system, pave your own roads, or stop using many invaluable services provided by government. Why NOT education? Another weak argument dismissed.

[Kaalec]

@BelieveIt1051 It makes sense because North America is no longer a manufacturer – that has ben sold to China. North America is in the knowledge economy and if we don't have smart, well-educated and motivated people coming up, we won't have any edge on anyone in the G20 and beyond. And, you America, must get over the current bias against intelligence. And intelligent leaders need to stop pandering to them. I mean, holy sh**, Sarah Palin?! You're toast.

[drbayoms]

@Kaalec

Well said!

[Winterwolf00]

@PD1981 Here here

[Tequliawo]

"With out streched fingers... We touched the face of God....Here's to absent friends.... and the ones that are here now......Here... Here..."

God... I SO MISS THIS SHOW!!!!!!! Aaron Sorkin... If you read this...., Please make more episodes of the West Wing!!!!

[mdilip]

Fantastic Speech, bloody touching. So well said.

[hitch4645]

god damn i love this show

[mtlson]

I'm not a religious person myself, but this speech simply is on another level.

[SatyaVenugopal]

Josiah Edward Bartlet: The best President America never had

[whynotbig]

you said it right ... never had

[histre101]

His great grandfather's great grandfather signed the declaration of independence though.

[olimoj]

@SatyaVenugopal Yeah, Sheen is really amazing in this role.

[jpizzle1223]

@SatyaVenugopal

Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt are the best President this country has ever seen.

[pubuman]

@jpizzle1223 HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH what ever Richard Nixon was the greatest!

[jpizzle1223]

@pubuman Greatest thief maybe.

[pubuman]

@jpizzle1223 He didn't steal anything!

[whynotbig]

you couldnt be more adding to the positif reenforcement then this

[oancitizen]

I never noticed that "Ave Maria" played in the background of that speech before.

[ALATRISTE87]

Que episodio, es brillante, faltan muchas series asi, aprendi bastante, y todavia lo sigo haciendo.

[whynotbig]

wich they made a spin off this with one other caracter trying out for president

[monex5]

Simply one of the greatest shows of all time. I knew even from the previews that it would be a timeless classic.

[alexandraicobii]

The end of Bartlet's speech? Shivers every time!!!

Inspiring...

"Surely we cann do it again."

[faceprecious]

I AGREE WITH YOU.

[faceprecious]

@alexandraicobii I AGREE WITH YOU THE END OF THE SPEECH GETS ME EVERY TIME.

[whynotbig]

it is true with everyone of them the inspiring part

[castapo7]

This show had the best writing ever!

[mwwhahahahahaha]

this was the moment i completely fell in love with the west wing

[SGMD84]

I miss this show so much.

EDIT: I miss Seasons 1-4 of this show so much, lol

[wikum3]

Season 5 is a bit unfocused but Season 6 and & 7 are great

[grumpytosnowwhite]

Hmmff...sure, 6 & 7 were much better, quality-wise, than season 5, but I still hated them because they were so jarringly unlike the first four seasons they made me want to scream "what the %$*# have you done to my precious characters?!!??!?"

[kismet927]

@SGMD84 hahaha good edit...after Sorkin left it lost some of its magic at points...at many points...Sorkin is a genius

[jiveturkey25]

Didn't like seasons 5-7?

[SGMD84]

@jiveturkey25 Nope. Once Aaron Sorkin left, it became a completely different (i.e. worse) show IMHO

[1953jazzman]

@SGMD84 My sentiments EXACTLY!!! The first four seasons - before the departure of Aaron Sorkin were astoundingly good - then from season five on it was like watching a bad Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie!!!

[SurelyNotTakenYet]

@1953jazzman And mine!

[jfallas]

The las line was from Reagan's speech on ocasion of the Challenger disaster. Written by Peggy Noonan

[DanthemaN9199]

Actually, the line is from "High Flight," a sonnet by John Gillespie Magee.

[PeterFormaini]

@DanthemaN9199 Correct.

Reagan didn;t utter a single original line of any consequence in his entire life. It was 100% scripted by far superior minds.

[trooper707]

Absolutely correct

“Oh I Have Slipped

The Surly Bonds of Earth...

Put Out My Hand

And Touched the Face of God ”

[trooper707]

@trooper707 that is, it is from John Gillespie Magee, killed in a mid air collision in WW2 during a training run. To be fair, Magee was a real life hero, Reagan played one in the movies.

[pyropakman]

Yeah, I immediately thought "Challenger?" when he said that.

[mailforward4me]

@jfallas

Peggy Noonan Plagiarized it from McGee.......

and if you listen closely to Reagan's speech, he didn't even say HER words correctly....

[nightgod473]

@jfallas The line you're thinking of from Regan's speech was "They slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of god"

[pubuman]

@jfallas PWNED BITCH!

[vpaturi]

I can't say much more than wow, Wow!!!!!!!!

[anjonescollegiate]

Wow, Dan The Man. Thank you so much for adding this masterpiece, nay, this epic speech to The Youtubes. You're are the very definition of a kind and benevolent leader of men.

Fare thee well, Mr. Moose.