All language subtitles for The West Wing (1999) - S07E17 - Election Day (2) (1080p AMZN WEB-DL x265 ImE)_track3_[eng]

Previously on The West Wing...

Polls open in five,

four, three, two...

OTTO:
Final pass at the victory

and concession speeches.

It was either this
or a solitaire tournament

with the Advance guys.

Have you seen this stuff
about Leo?

Leo McGarry did not accept
his party's nomination

for the vice presidency
of the United States

because he thought it might make
your socks roll up and down.

Come upstairs. We just got
the first round of exit polls.

MAYER:
We're also losing
in North Dakota,

a state that's gone Republican
for the last 40 years.

And that doesn't give
you a moment's pause?

Turnout is down 15 percent!

In Vermont?!

Josh...
How can we be up
in South Carolina

and not get people
to the polls in Vermont?!

Leo?

Leo!

Somebody help me!

JOSH:
Yeah, of course, it's very
gratifying to win Illinois.

That's Leo McGarry country.

Now he can leave
that suitcase full of ballots

in his hotel room.

Congressman Santos isn't running
for the President of Texas.

He'd like to win every state,
he's gunning for Guam, too.

But we've already won
New York, New Jersey,

Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, which...

BRUNO:
Senator Vinick has won Florida,
Arkansas, Kentucky,
Mississippi

and Virginia.

And as for South Carolina,
Matt Santos couldn't have made

more trips to the state
if he lived there.

We feel great about California.

Polls are still open out west;
the whole country's at stake.

We're very optimistic
about Texas.

And we'll win
the state of California.

Well, thank you, Jeff.

It's great talking to you, too.

Why the hell aren't
we dominating Texas?

Like the wise man said,

Santos isn't running
for President of Texas.

Think we have enough flags?

We still have to convince people
we're not agitprop socialists?

I think that sometimes,
and I work here.

Thank you, Barbara.

Ohio?
Not yet.

They called Tennessee for
us, Indiana, West Virginia.

God bless the coal industry.

Wisconsin?

Leaning Santos.

Ohio-- what the hell...

...is going on in Ohio?!
( rock music playing )

You look terrible.

Makeup's really working then.

Minnesota's official.

And Bruce and Gene
need a minute.

Who?

From the
transition team.

Tell them we're gonna
wait and see

if there's
a transition first.

They said it was important.

Interrupt me
after two minutes.

If a state is called?

Or make something up.
Two minutes.

Bruce, Gene, how are you?

ANCHORWOMAN:
There are several polls

across the country
that have just closed--

polls that we're not
calling yet.

These states--
Michigan, Texas...

JANE:
They just called Minnesota

for Santos.

Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire.

Talk to me about
the duck-boot belt.

JANE:
They're still too close to call.

That'd be something, huh?

Come on, Ohio, come on.

GENE:
We have problems

with the victory speech.

Big problems.

What problems?

For starters, there's nothing
about economic sacrifice.

Have you seen CBO's
latest deficit projections?

Throw the old baseline
right out the window.
If we can't claim

a mandate for
economic sacrifice...

A line in a speech

doesn't give us a mandate,
there's no spinning it.

We ran the national
security language

by Nancy McNally.

She agrees, we need

a strong reference
to burden-sharing,

what with Kazakhstan out there
ticking like a time bomb.

The Congressman
mentioned burden-sharing

less than 15 times
in the campaign.

You counted?

GENE:
Campaign's over.

Someone's got to be thinking
about the governing.

Do you have your changes
written down?

( sirens wailing )

BRAM:
No rope line, no press pool.

We're going in
through the basement.

No one sees you till you
give your speech tonight.

( phone ringing )
It's Bram.

JOSH:
I need the Congressman.

They called Minnesota for us.

Good news.

JOSH:
Bad news.

If you guys are trying
to play good-cop bad-cop,

your routine needs some work.

We need to rewrite
the victory speech.

The transition team

wants sacrifice
and burden-sharing

instead of sunshine and light.

Josh...

They counted the references.

It's my own fault.
If I hadn't...

Don't worry about it.

It's our first
governing document.

The propeller-heads
are just trying

to make their own jobs easier.

You want something
to worry about,

worry about the next two hours.

Hey, what happened to you?

Two minutes.

120 seconds.

I was stuck in there
with dull and duller,

counting beads on
my imaginary abacus.

Ohio?

Texas-- we won?

We lost?

We need a good
lawyer? What?

Leo was unconscious in his room.

Annabeth found him.

He wasn't...

He wasn't breathing.

They're taking him to the
hospital in an ambulance now.

MARGARET:
C.J.

C.J.?

Is the President in his office?

He just got back.
Should I get Will?

Nancy.

NANCY:
Yes, sir?

I thought I brought that Centcom
report back from Air Force One.

See if it's in that pile
of stuff I dumped on your desk.

NANCY:
I'll check, sir.

PRESIDENT:
I have some serious issues with
the force readiness report.

We'll need to get
Hutchinson in here

in the morning
to go over it.

Any word on Ohio or Texas?

No, sir.

I had to get out
of Manchester.

Sitting around my daughter's
house watching my son-in-law

take his much deserved electoral
beating without being able

to utter a
self-satisfied "whoop"

was a bit more
than I could bear.

Nancy, anything?

Still searching, sir.

I probably left
it on the plane.

Call Andrews for
me, will you?

If the Republicans end up with
a one-vote majority in Congress,

we can chalk it up to my eldest
daughter's lousy taste in men

and her father's
pathetic efforts to...

C.J., what is it?

Where is he?
They're taking him
to Methodist.

The ambulance
should be there by now.

Where's Josh?
He just left for
the hospital.

Was Leo talking?
We don't know.

Should we be going
to the hospital?

No, no. Press doesn't
have this yet.

Why not?
Polls out west are open
for another 90 minutes.

The longer that we...
You want to try
and keep this a secret

for an hour and a half?

A quarter of the country
is still voting.

And I'm asking all four quarters
to trust me to be their leader.

I am not hiding the health
problems of my vice president.

May not be the best place
to have this conversation.

Anything that highlights
any uncertainty...

I am not having
this conversation.

We're issuing a statement
to the press now.

Congressman, this is
still a campaign,

and there's only two kinds:
the pitiless and the dead.

Every minute we stand here,
votes are being cast.

Undecideds vote
late in the day.

If they were looking for
a reason to vote Vinick,

a press release from us could
just punch their lottery ticket.

HELEN:
It's going to come out.

10 minutes, 15 minutes,
the paramedics,

somebody at the hotel
or the hospital's

gonna say something.

Maybe we get lucky
and it takes an hour

for the press to confirm
and get it on the air.

HELEN:
They're not gonna wait
to confirm it.

They're gonna go
with the rumor.

I know he's your friend.
He's my friend, too.

But we can't be
sentimental about this,

or we will have
a Republican president,

who will gut education,

he will auction off
Social Security

and cut taxes till
we're bleeding red ink.

And when Leo wakes up,
he will kick your ass

for letting that happen,
you know he will.

Start working on a statement.

Get me to a phone.

I want to call the hospital.

MOYER:
To recap for those of you
just joining us...

All right.

They're calling
Kansas, Louisiana,

Nebraska, Oklahoma,

North and South Dakota
all for us.

Minnesota for Santos,

Wisconsin.

What about Ohio?
Nothing yet.

Iowa?

Too close to call.

Texas?
Nope.

JANE:
What do we got left out west?

We'll take Idaho, Montana, Utah,

Wyoming, Alaska,
probably Nevada.

Santos gets Hawaii

and Washington, uh...

Hey!

MOYER:
...we're now prepared to call

the state of Ohio
for Senator Arnold Vinick.

Yes!
( cheering )

BRUNO:
Texas! Come on!

Come on, what do we know
about Texas?!

Where is he?

( door closes )

( classical music playing )

( ding )

Hey.

He died, Josh.

( sobbing )

RONNA:
What's the count?

166, 179.

No Texas yet?

( phone ringing )

It's Bram.

NEWSCASTER:
...North Dakota, South Dakota...

( whispers ):
It's Josh.

...Delaware, Montana, Wyoming--
any of those states would

be enough for Santos to tie...

( knocking )

...at this moment in time.

It's Josh for the Congressman.

The battleground states
that we have not been able

to project winners in... Texas--

Yeah?

Congressman Santos' home state.

Look at these numbers:
51% so far for Santos,

49% for Vinick.

PRESIDENT:
Yeah, we don't know much yet.

I'm heading back out to Andrews
in a couple minutes to fly down.

I think Mallory's already there
for election night.

I'll make sure.

Honey, can you
hang on a second?

When?

Just a few minutes ago.

Donna just called me.

Thank you, C.J.

Mr. President.

( inhales deeply )

Sweetheart, I'm sorry,
I have some very bad news.

NEWSCASTER:
Let's recap where we stand

right after 9:30
here on the east coast.

If we look at the popular vote,
real numbers,

with 14% of the votes now in,
Arnold Vinick with 49%.

Senator, I've got Matt Santos
on the phone.

...Matthew Santos with 48%.

He want to concede already?

No, sir.

You'll want to take this call.

Matt?

...270 needed
to be elected president...

Well, thank you, Senator,

I... I'll pass that along
to everyone here.

NEWSCASTER:
For those of you just tuning in

to our election night coverage,
Yeah, I appreciate that.
Thank you.

we bring you breaking news,
and, some would say,

heartbreaking news,
at this hour.

Once again, Leo McGarry
has been pronounced dead

by Dr. Elliott M. Gross of the
Texas Methodist Medical Center.

He was rushed to the hospital
after a massive heart attack,

his second in as many years.

Vice Presidential candidate,
White House counselor

and Chief of Staff,
Labor Secretary,

and captain of industry...

NEWSWOMAN:
The Chicago native
played a major role

in shaping
every presidential election

of the past quarter-century.

Once again, Leo McGarry
has been pronounced dead.

He was rushed to the hospital
after a massive heart attack,

his second in as many years.

NEWSMAN:
Some believed that McGarry

had considerably more weight
and experience,

particularly in matters
of foreign policy,

than the top of the ticket.

More than one Democratic
operative might be saying,

with the loss of this party
eminence and elder,

what now
for the Santos campaign?

What now?

SANTOS:
What are my options?

GOODWIN:
You could put forward
another name,

make it harder for Vinick
to make an issue out of this,

or God forbid, contest
a result he doesn't like.

Could he do that?
We don't have a lot of
precedent to guide us here.

You want me to pick
another running mate

in the next five minutes?

Why not stop the elevator
between floors,

I'll pick a
whole Cabinet.

The polls don't close
for 50 minutes

out west and it may take
just few thousand votes

to decide this election.

KAGAN:
We just can't put forward
another name.

Article 3, Section 1
of the DNC charter

gives the power to name
a replacement to the DNC.

You can recommend a name,
but you'll have to make clear

the DNC gets
to approve it.

I'm not naming a new running
mate in the next five minutes.

Leo is on the ballot,
if I win, he wins,

nothing we can do
about that now.

So what happens next?

The Electoral College vote
in December.

Most states electors
are free to vote

for anyone for Vice President.

So I can ask them to vote
for someone other than Leo?

Yes, but Vinick could claim
you're circumventing the voters.

The alternative being...?

Wait until you
take office in January

and nominate someone
under the 25th Amendment.

Can we please...?
Which might be
more respectful

of Constitutional process.
Vinick would
not be able

to argue the public's
not being represented,

and if congressional...
LOU:
Okay, guys, before we get

too deeply
into Robert's Rules of Order,

may I remind you
people are still voting,

we haven't won
the damn election yet?

Now he's got to get down
to that ballroom now

and reassure
the voters out west.

We've got a draft statement?
Speechwriters
are working on it.

No adjectives,
no frilly language--

I lost a friend here
tonight, okay?

Leo's family?

His daughter, Mallory,
was in the hotel.

She's headed to the hospital.

HELEN:
Is Josh still there?

Last I heard.
LOU:
You need him back?

I need Josh to be
wherever he needs to be.

Get me that statement.

Thanks.

They called Ohio
for Vinick.

( sniffles )

Kansas, Louisiana,
Nebraska, Oklahoma.

North and
South Dakota.

We picked up Minnesota,
Wisconsin.

Texas?

Not yet.

Polls are still open
out west.

Congressman needs
to make a statement,

calm nervous undecideds
in California

and the Pacific
Northw...

Lou's already on it.

He needs to make it now.

There's no...
They know that.

Somebody needs
to tell the President.

I called C.J.

Where's Mallory, she was here
a couple seconds ago?

She just went to
call her mom.

Wow.

How is the Congressman?

Did you talk
to Lou or Bram?

Yeah, he's in shock,
like the rest of us.

Shouldn't we get
back to the hotel?

So, no Texas yet?

Come on, I'll drive.

MAYER:
They shouldn't have
subjected him

to the stresses of a big race.

After his last heart attack,
they practically wheeled him

from the O.R. straight
to the nominating convention.

Santos needed him, he needed
a guy with 200 years experience

to balance out
those training wheels.

Santos still hasn't
made a statement?

Nope.

VINICK:
Condolences,
support for the family?

JANE:
They're probably still trying
to figure out what to say.

"Hey, sorry, thought he had

a few thousand more miles
in him. Oops."

The polls close in California
in 45 minutes

and we're still not as strong
as we should be in the south.

Orange County, San Diego,

the San Fernando Valley.

You think I should
make a statement?
Undecideds
all over California

are driving to the polls
right now,

trying to figure out
which lever to pull.

No doubt some
Democrats, too,

wondering if Matt Santos
is up to the job

without Leo McGarry
behind pulling the strings.

MAYER:
Santos hasn't made a statement
'cause he just lost

his rationale for having enough
experience to run the country.

It's hard to reassure
without your reassurance.

You're quiet all of a sudden.

Yeah.

( sighs )

If Santos wins the election,
it's bait and switch,

false advertising.

He's got a full slate
of tainted electors,

and I'm not so sure
a Republican Congress

ratifies his election
as President.

JANE:
If we even get a
Republican Congress.

You're suggesting
I challenge a Santos win?

We can't let Matt Santos

take this country
into mass confusion

and a tainted electoral process

while troops are air-dropping
into Kazakhstan.

You want me
to go out there and say

people shouldn't vote
for Matt Santos

because Leo McGarry died?

( knocking on door )

SHEILA:
We have to be
very careful.

We could create a backlash
for ourselves.

How about creating a conscience
for ourselves?

I've known Leo
for 20 years.

Can we please not use him
as a step stool?

You think voters don't know

exactly what this
means without our

jamming it down their throats?

SHEILA:
Voters are doing
some jamming of their own.

We're neck and neck
in California,

and Texas is still too close
to call.

If we don't want this to come
down to absentee ballots,

we're going to need to do
something, and do it now.

NEWSMAN:
The question is how
it might affect voters

on the west coast
SANTOS:
I know you did, Senator.

where polls remain open.
Well, I picked him

'cause he was the best
man for the job.

Of course I knew
that he'd had...

...all seasoning and hard-earned
Washington wisdom...

Well, I'll take that
under advisement.

Thanks for the suggestion.

( scoffs )

Senator Kaufer,
selflessly offering himself

as a possible Vice President
in the service of his country.

HELEN:
God bless America.

...a dedicated and loyal servant

of the United State's
government...

Am I going
to hate this?

Probably.

( distant music playing )

* Believe it or not

* Hands on a miracle

* I got my hands on a miracle

* And there ain't no way

* Let you take it away

* Aye-aye-aye-aye

* Take it away

* Aye-aye-aye-aye...

( song ends )

Congressman Santos would like to
make a statement at this time.

America has lost
a giant tonight,

and I've lost a friend.

Leo McGarry dedicated his life
to public service.

To the notion that every citizen
is responsible

for making this country
a better place.

That we have a sacred duty

to participate in our democracy.

To leave America stronger
for the next generation.

If I win this election,
the country will be worse off,

because Leo McGarry will not
be there to help me run it.

But I don't want anyone to vote
for or against me

because of Leo McGarry.

This race wasn't about him,
and it isn't about me.

It's a vision for America

that will outlast Leo,
and outlast me.

There's an America that's bigger
than any of us.

And for those of you
who have not yet voted,

it is the only thing
that should matter

when you go to the polls
tonight.

Thank you.

NEWS CASTER:
Once again, to remind
our viewers,

the red states
are Vinick states,

the blue states
are Santos states.

Hi.

The rest, the white states,

are states that have closed
their polls, but we don't have

enough information
to predict a winner.

Polls just closed
in the West.

Some people are asking...

All over but the counting.
Texas is down to the wire.

California's looking
like a photo finish.

Oregon and Nevada are
both too close to call.

They just called Utah, Idaho,
Montana and Wyoming

for Vinick.

We won Arizona?

And Washington State.

New Mexico.
Basically a tie.

Omnes una manet nox.

RONNA:
What's that?

Old campaign saying of Leo's.

Same night
awaits us all.

Where is the Congressman?

In his suite,
calling House candidates.

Two more seats
in California,

and we have a chance
to take back the House.

EDIE:
We're projected to
win at least four.

DONNA:
What about the Senate?

LOU:
Senator McKenna
lost Pennsylvania.

And Fuller lost Maine.

Republicans retain the majority.

And the President's son-in-law?

BRAM:
Double-digit whipping.

He's about to concede
any minute. It was on CNN.

If he can find
the podium.

Are they playing it as a defeat
for the First Family?

I think they're playing it
as a victory

for his Congressional district.

( laughs )

PRESIDENT:
No, no, I'm fine.

You and Vic come
up for the funeral.

Hasn't been set yet.

It'll probably be
in a few days.

All right,
sweetheart.

I love you, too.
Good night.

( TV playing
in the background )

Ellie worrying
about her father.

The list
of condolence calls so far.

When you have a moment,
let us know which ones

you'd like
to return personally.

Hmm.

MAN ( on TV ):
Both fought a fair race
on the issues,

which was most candidly
demonstrated

in their first debate...

It's odd really, watching
yourself being replaced

on national television.

Planned obsolescence.

Presidents and mid-sized
family sedans.

Yes, sir.

Would you have run again
if you could?

I think Mrs. Bartlet
might have had something

to say about that, don't you?

Well, the electorate
can be very persuasive

when they want something
badly enough.

In the service of
two mistresses,

these past
eight years.

That's been
my fate.

Thank God
for the 22nd Amendment.

I'm spared that particular
conversation with Abbey.

( chuckles )

...There seem to have been
very few problems at the polls,

and those few have stemmed
from the unanticipated...

First time I met Leo, we argued.

...Plagued many cities
across the country.

About what?

Monetary something.
Role of the Fed.

Who won?

I did.

I'm sure if you could ask him,
he'd say he did.

We almost lost him
15 years ago.

Did you know that?

Abbey and I used
to talk about it.

I was prepared then.

Not today.

DONNA:
CBS may call
Maine for Vinick.

LOU:
Tell them they can't.

DONNA:
Great, I'll pretend

I'm their
political director.

We're less than a tenth
of a percentage point apart.

Anything below one percent
is an automatic retabulation.

I've got 50 election lawyers
waiting by

the Judicial Courthouse
in Augusta.

Now get on the phone
and tell them they can't.
Okay.

You realize we have
50 lawyers in Maine

and not a single
one in Oregon,

with almost twice
the electoral votes?

RONNA:
How did that happen?

Oregon looked safe.

Well, it's not safe,
it's dangerously unsafe.

It's unsafe at any speed.

We don't have a single lawyer
there.

Well, how are we gonna...?
Pull two lawyers from Nevada.

Ship 'em to Oregon,
problem solved.

What's going on in the ballroom,
anybody still down there?

EDIE:
Oh, the Foo Fighters

finally ran out their play list,

and Dave Matthews is
into his third encore,

and the bar's out of Corona.

How are we coming on
the too-close-to-call,

it's-time-to-go-home-and-
get-some-sleep statement?

The Congressman's tinkering
with it.

JOSH:
The Congressman
doesn't read that.

He wanted to go over it
in case...

The Congressman doesn't
read that from a podium.

If we're sending everyone home,

we send Goodwin
out there.

Don't turn the
next President of
the United States

into a junior high
school principal.

DONNA:
You think this'll go all night?
Maybe not.

Turn up the volume.

MAN:
Just getting word right now

at this hour, we are prepared
now to call Vermont

and its three electoral votes,
and Iowa,

and its seven electoral votes,
for Senator Arnold Vinick.

A total of ten electoral votes
for Vinick.

With both candidates'
home states

of Texas and California

decidedly up for grabs,

those ten votes
could be decisive...

Oh God, look at this.

WOMAN ( on TV ):
We are calling the State
of Maine for Senator Vinick.

Maine and its four
electoral votes now belong

squarely in the red column,
Maine being a big and...

( applause )
All right, thanks.

Appreciate it. Huh?

Not yet, my friend,
not yet.

That was the Speaker.

They just called the
Maine second for Zolosky.

We lost the House.

South Carolina Statehouse,
Illinois and Colorado, too.

How'd the Speaker sound?

He sounded unemployed.

MAN:
...President Jed Bartlet,
closed hours ago,

and the state remains too close
to call at this time.

And now, with over 85%

of polling places now in,

we are prepared to call Texas

for native son,
Congressman Matthew Santos.

34 electoral votes will be added
to the Santos...

DONNA:
Are you sure
you don't want to wait

until we hear...?

Hey, who cares
what we're gonna hear?

He won his home state.

Worst-case,
he's Governor, Senator.

He can clear as much brush
as he wants. Let's go right now.

( whooping )
Hook 'em, Horns.

RONNA:
34 electoral votes.

Who needs Maine and the crummy
maple syrup caucus?

That's Vermont.
Yeah, them, too.

* Deep in the heart of Texas
( Ronna whooping )

* The prairie sky
is wide and high *

( clapping )

* Deep in the heart of Texas

* The sage in bloom
is like perfume *

( clapping )

* Deep in the heart
of Texas... *

It's all down to
California now.

Have you seen Josh?

Not in a while.

( clapping )

* Deep in the heart
of Texas... *

( elevator bell dings )

Have you seen Josh Lyman?

Thank you.

( sniffles )

I called housekeeping.

I don't want Mallory...

( sniffles )

coming here and finding
the paramedic stuff.

We won Texas.

California would
put us over.

You've done a remarkable thing.

Win or lose,
an extraordinary thing.

I talked him into this,
into joining the ticket.

Nobody ever talked Leo
into doing anything

he didn't want to do.

And he'd want you upstairs.

Not down here.

You belong up there,
it's your night.

He was so proud
of you, Josh.

MAN ( on TV ):
The Republican base
must have been pleased

as they watched
the actual results come in.

If I lose California, that's it.
Take my marbles and go home.

BRUNO:
You are not going
to lose California.

MAYER:
We should've spent
more time there.

JANE:
Well, we didn't.

BRUNO:
Spent more time where?

The south, which we won,
hands-down.

Not South Carolina.

With a Democratic Governor
who probably filled out

every Santos ballot by hand?
How are we possibly...?

MAYER:
We can challenge
this in court.

Find a few precincts out west

where McGarry was the reason
they voted Democrat.

They'll laugh you out
of the courthouse.

What are you gonna seek?

Everybody, shut up.

This is not about Leo McGarry.

That's not why we're weak
in Southern California.

It's San Andreo.

MAYER:
Your support
of nuclear power

isn't why we were weak in Texas,
weak in New Mexico, weak in...

The hell it isn't.

This isn't about skin color.

Aids say the mood here
was improving...

Sometimes the voters
don't decide.

Circumstance decides,
history decides.

MAYER:
All right, let me...

let me at least
talk to the lawyers.

Hodder's got a team
meeting downstairs.

You have a number
where I can reach Santos?

JANE:
It is too premature
to start

talking about calling...
I want a number.
I'm gonna dial it

as soon as they call California,
and I want my daughter in here.

Where is she?
She's putting your
grandkids to bed.

BRUNO:
Turn up the TV.
What?

Turn up
the damn television.

...Turning tide.

...Ironically, Vinick's
experiencing a small surge

in late balloting,
possibly due to the death

of Democratic Vice Presidential
candidate Leo McGarry

and showing a great deal
of strength in the north

to offset predictably
low turnout

in San Diego County

near the site of last month's
nuclear accident.

I'm sure that Vinick never
anticipated winning

after the catastrophic
nuclear accident

in California a few weeks ago.

Some Websites went as far
as to predict

that Vinick was the loser
of this election.

We are now ready
to call California

for Arnold Vinick

by what appears
to be over 80,000 votes.

Senator Vinick is the winner
in his home state,

a burst of oxygen
for a campaign...

What's left?
Oregon and Nevada.

BRAM:
Vinick wins
either one...

RONNA:
We have to
win them both.

JOSH:
Every lawyer we got,

get them on planes
to Oregon and Nevada!

NEWSCASTER:
It's hard to say if the election

Oregon and Nevada, a meager 12
electoral votes between them,

are all that separate
one of these two men

from the presidency...

REPORTER 2:
This election has been predicted
for weeks now.

It'll be one of the closest
elections

we've seen in recent years.

Both camps have been prepared
for a protracted legal battle,

though both are still hopeful
that their candidate

will prevail tonight,
once the final tallies are in...

REPORTER 3:
In Nevada, more than 90%
of the precincts have reported,

and in Oregon,
that number is more like 92%,

an
to have won their home states,

which, in the case
of Matt Santos,

could be a springboard
for a future second run

at the presidency
or statewide office.

Arnold Vinick, having retired
from his senate seat,

may be facing a much different
kind of retirement

if he doesn't come up

with those four more
electoral votes tonight.

Four votes that could make him
the leader of the free world,

the leader of western world.

This could be for Vinick
( knock at door )

the final political chess move
of his career.
( knock at door )

BRAM:
Congressman?

After 25 years in the federal
political arena...

Do you have
a concession speech ready?

You're not going
to need it.

Make sure you have language
about how this wasn't

a racial or ethnic thing.

Let's all join hands
and unite behind, you know...

LOU:
Yes, sir.

Thank you, Congressman.

Bram, make sure
I have a direct number

for Senator Vinick
in Los Angeles.

LOU:
Hey, don't give
him Vinick's number

without talking
to me first.

He just said he wants me
to get...
If I didn't know
what he said,

why would I be tell
you to ignore it?

More coffee?

I was just gonna
mainline adrenaline.

I couldn't find a clean needle.

When this is over,
we should go into
business together.

Ying and Yang
Political Consultants, Inc.

Our motto can be:
"It ain't about the ideals;

it's about the money,
stupid."

( laughs ):
Pithy.

You don't think it might
scare off prospective clients?

Only the neophytes.

We'd be fighting off five-term
Congressmen with a stick.

Seriously,
we should talk about it.

You're not going
with the Senator?

Tiny cubicle
in the West Wing,

your own table
at the Oval Room,

guaranteed spot

in every book index
for the next four years?

Not much of a "make the trains
run on time" kind of guy.

I like the gladiatorial arena,
two candidates whacking away

at each other
with a healthy ad buy.

Thanks.

But I am done.

I'm going home.

Yeah? Where's home?

Upstate New York,
Essex County.

Bought a big house
on the Hudson there

that I never get to see.

I was thinking about
planting some flowers...

putter around the
garden a little.

Flowers.

We're ahead by 2,000
votes in Oregon.

Anything less than 3,500,
is an automatic recount.

Nevada, we're behind
by a few hundred,

but anyone can request
a recount, so it's...

Yeah.
GOODWIN:
We have legal teams

on the ground now
both in Salem and Carson City.

HELEN:
So do the Republicans.
We need to talk about

a possible legal challenge
from the law firm

of Vinick, Vinick and Vinick,
in case we win.

GOODWIN:
Oregon is ripe
for a challenge.

KAGAN:
Nevada's got a large
number of seniors

with winter homes--
how many of them voted
in their home states?

GOODWIN:
10,000 voters had
absentee ballots

both in New York and
Florida four years ago.

KAGAN:
We've had some
reports of voter fraud

on Indian reservations,
intimidation of Latino voters...

But that's just
a few complaints.

A few might be all we need.

SANTOS:
If that's how I win,
it gives me a mandate

for what, chasing ambulances?

( shouting in other room )

What the hell is that?

We just won Oregon.

MAN:
All right!

( applause )

It all comes down to Nevada.

"Winner takes all"
has always been a part

of the Silver State's ethos, but
what happens in Nevada tonight

certainly won't stay in Nevada,

as the nation's
future president is...

MAYER:
We decimated
our field operation in Nevada.

SHEILA:
To move it to California,

where we won by
only 80,000 votes.

JANE:
We should have taken
the bodies

from anywhere but Nevada.

The RNC has a team
of lawyers waiting outside.

They want to file for a recount
in Nevada immediately

if Santos wins.

No.
BRUNO:
If Santos wins Nevada,

it'll be by maybe 10,000,
20,000 votes.

There are over a
million registered...
No.

SHEILA:
I know you don't want
one of those junk lawsuits

that you rail about
in speeches...

Damn right, I don't.
This isn't that.

who they voted for, this is
about taking a few extra daysg

to ensure that our voters
were heard.

BRUNO:
Thousands of voters
in Nevada are sunbirds.

They're registered
in other states, too.

More than four years ago,

over 10,000
New York...

I'll be a winner,
or I'll be a loser.

I won't be a sore loser.

Senator, if you win, believe me,
the Santos people

are going to be filing a lawsuit

before the Secretary
of State of Nevada

is finished reading the results.

Sir, this is it.

There are no second acts in
American politics, not anymore.

You hate this, we all hate this,
but if this happens

and you don't challenge it,

you're going to wake up
in a week, maybe two,

and regret it
for the rest of your life.

Hey.

Congressman, you need something?

No, no.

I had to get
out of that room.

Same ol' talking heads babbling
the same drivel to fill airtime.

They could just run it
on a continuous loop.

No one would
notice tonight.

Did we even
campaign in Nevada?

I seem to vaguely
remember something

about a convention center
a couple of months back.

It was an airplane hangar.

We were on the ground
about 20 minutes.

I should have had you move there
a couple of years ago...

maybe even headline a show
at the MGM Grand.

Yeah, well, who knew?

Barry Goodwin
and the lawyers

are planning a
march on Washington

if we don't win.

What do you think?

I think you got
some of the best legal minds

in the party in there...
Come on.

Straight up.

I think you're young,

smart, the party's
presumptive nominee

four years from now,
win or lose.

You take it to court,

you're the guy
who screams at the ump

'cause they don't like the call
at the plate.

Nobody votes
for that guy again.

Been a hell of a ride,
though, hasn't it?

Yeah.

It has.

Congressman?

We think they're getting
ready to call Nevada.

( phone ringing )

BARTLET:
Yeah.

( sighs )
Send her in.

( hangs up phone )

( knock at door )
Yeah!

Sorry to disturb you,
Mr. President.

You wanted me to wake you
when there was a result.

Do we have a winner?

Yes, sir, we do.

( crowd cheering )

( cheering continues )

( mouthing )

( mouthing )

( rhythmic clapping )

JANE:
It's only 30,000 votes.

BRUNO:
You have to challenge it.

SHEILA:
Shall I bring
in the lawyers?

They're waiting outside.

You really think
it's a counting error?

Anybody know how many Hispanics
live in Nevada now?

Yeah.

How many of them are illegal?

Get the president-elect
on the phone.

I want to congratulate him.

( deafening cheering )

LOU ( over speaker ):
Ladies and gentlemen, can I have
your attention, please?

( U2's "Beautiful Day"
plays in over speaker )

You've heard me say it before,

and I have meant it
every single time.

Speech is on the podium.

Thanks, Bram.

Now, it has the voice
of millions,

and has the force of law.
For everything.

It's the best thing
I've ever done in my life.

Please help me welcome
the next president

I think we may find
a way to top it.

of these United States
and the next First Lady,

Matthew and Helen Santos.

( "Beautiful Day" playing)
(cheering )

* Take me to that other place

* Teach me, ooh

* I know I'm not
a hopeless case *

* See the world
in green and blue... *

( music stops )

Thank you!

Thank you so very much.

Thank you...

And thanks for sticking around
all night.

You know, if you haven't
left this room in a while,

the sun is coming up!

( chuckles )
( applause and cheering )

( over TV ):
First, I want to say
a special word of thanks

to Senator Vinick,
and I ask you all to join me

in applauding his lifetime
of service.

( applause and cheering )

Arnie Vinick made this
a better campaign,

and he's made this
a better country

for all of us.

( applause and cheering )

My father was a barber,
my mother a domestic servant.

And I never dreamed
that I'd have this chance

to serve so many people
in so many ways.
( applause and cheering )

( over TV ):
It would be easy for me
to stand here

and claim a sweeping mandate

for the next four years.

I can't do that.

This was a razor-thin election.

My intention is to be
the president of everyone,

black or brown, yellow or white;

Republican or Democratic.
( applause and cheering )

I've got a lot of reaching out
to do.

America has become
more polarized.

You can't run for president
and not see that.

Our votes may have been divided,

but our country
will not be divided.

( applause and cheering )

Because, ultimately,
it's not about left or right.

It's about doing right.

( applause and cheering )

Together, we're going to lift up
those who have been left out.

We are going to ensure
that the promise of America

is not the privilege of the few

but the birthright
of all Americans.

I am more grateful
than I can say.

You have given me an opportunity
that comes to few people.

Perhaps fewer are worthy of it.

God bless you,
and God bless America.

( thunderous applause
and cheering )

Thanks, boss.