Ep 14. Hartsfield's Landing

In the third season of The West Wing, episode 14 is titled "Hartsfield's Landing." This particular episode begins with the president rehearsing for a forthcoming debate with his opponent in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Toby Ziegler and his team are trying to secure votes in a remote town called Hartsfield's Landing. The town, which has only 63 registered voters, has a history of correctly predicting the winner of every presidential election since 1920. Therefore, winning over the voters in Hartsfield's Landing is critical to the campaign.

As Toby and his team arrive in the town, they realize that the residents take voting very seriously. They play chess instead of watching television, and they all convene at the town hall for the vote-counting process. Toby and his team meet with the town's mayor, who proudly shows them a plaque commemorating the town's historic streak of correctly predicting the winner of presidential elections. The team realizes the pressure they are under to win over the voters.

Meanwhile, back at the White House, President Bartlet is practicing for the upcoming debate. His staff, including Sam Seaborn and Josh Lyman, are trying to help him prepare. However, the president is easily distracted, and his mind keeps wandering to updates on the vote-counting process in Hartsfield's Landing. He becomes increasingly concerned about the outcome of the vote.

As the day of the vote in Hartsfield's Landing approaches, Toby and his team are struggling to win over voters. They realize that the only way to win is by playing chess with the residents. They meet the mayor, who is furious at them for breaking an unwritten rule about playing chess with the locals. Toby decides to challenge the mayor to a game of chess, and if he wins, the mayor will allow them to campaign freely in the town. Toby ultimately loses the game, but the mayor is impressed by his skills and decides to let them campaign.

Back in the White House, the president is watching the vote-counting process on the news. He becomes increasingly anxious as the votes start to come in. He becomes so anxious that he asks his staff to stop giving him updates on the results. Meanwhile, Leo McGarry, the chief of staff, is trying to convince the president to stick to his original debate plan. The president, however, is feeling worried and distracted. He becomes obsessed with the outcome of the vote in Hartsfield's Landing and asks his staff to keep checking the results.

As the day draws to a close, the residents of Hartsfield's Landing head to the town hall to cast their votes. Meanwhile, President Bartlet begins his debate with his opponent. The debate is tense, but the president performs well. As the debate is underway, the results from Hartsfield's Landing come in. The town has correctly predicted the outcome of the presidential election once again. However, the president's staff is reluctant to give him the news, as they do not want him to become more anxious. Ultimately, they tell the president the news, and he is overjoyed.

In the end, the episode concludes with Bartlet and his team celebrating his victory in the debate. Meanwhile, Toby and his team are happy with the results in Hartsfield's Landing. The episode shows the importance of small towns and how every vote matters in an election. It also portrays the anxiety and pressure that comes along with being in the political world. Overall, the episode is a great depiction of the excitement and the tension surrounding a presidential campaign.