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Dr. Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a Fictional Character played by Martin Sheen on the Television Serial Drama '' The West Wing ''. He is President Of The United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated. Bartlet represents, in many ways, an idealized president, endowed with a fierce intellect, great (though not infallible) personal integrity, toughness tempered with essential compassion for the less fortunate, and a sense of humor. BIOGRAPHY Personal life Bartlet was born and raised in New Hampshire . He is a direct descendant of the real-life Josiah Bartlett , a signatory of the Declaration Of Independence . Bartlet is a devout Roman Catholic ; this is due to the influence of his mother, as his father would have preferred that he be raised Protestant . His relationship with his father was often strained, punctuated by periods when the father would physically hit young Jed. His father was thought of as "a prick who could never get over the fact that he wasn't as smart as his brothers." (" Two Cathedrals ") Jed scored a 1590 on his SAT Test . Later he retook the exam, again scoring just ten points shy of perfect. He was accepted to Williams , Harvard and Yale , but instead chose to go to the University Of Notre Dame in the hope of one day being a priest until he met Abbey, his future wife. He graduated '' Summa Cum Laude '' from the University Of Notre Dame with a B.A. in American Studies and a minor in Theology . Bartlet received his Masters and Ph.D. in economics from the London School Of Economics . Before entering politics, Bartlet was a tenured professor of economics at Dartmouth College , where he received an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters. He speaks four languages, including Latin, English and German. He was a Nobel Laureate in Economics, and generally is portrayed by his commentary as a macroeconomist sympathetic to Keynesian views. (In one episode in the 6th season, it is mentioned that Bartlet's research in Economics focused on the developing world. Additionally, in the episode " The U.S. Poet Laureate ," Toby mentions that Bartlet is the author of a book entitled ''Theory and Practice of Macroeconomics in Developing Countries''.) Prior to choosing economics as his career, Bartlet considered becoming a priest. He changed his mind upon meeting his future wife, . He is depicted as a stern but loving father, in contrast to his own father, who (as is seen in flashbacks) was cold and physically abusive. In addition to his three daughters, President Bartlet has paternal feelings towards members of his staff, referring to Charlie Young (his former personal aide) and Josh Lyman (his deputy chief of staff) as his sons (as established in the episodes " Shibboleth " and " Two Cathedrals "), and telling C.J. Cregg (his then press secretary) that she was part of his family (in the episode " Enemies Foreign And Domestic "). Bartlet suffers from relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis , which at one time put the future of his presidency in doubt. He and his wife concealed his illness during his initial presidential run and did not disclose the information until about halfway through his first term, leading to allegations of fraud perpetrated upon the voters. Like his ancestor, he was Governor Of New Hampshire for two terms, winning re-election in 1996 with 69% of the vote. Prior to becoming governor, Bartlet served on the New Hampshire State Board Of Education and was a three-term member of the U.S. House Of Representatives . He also served in the New Hampshire State Legislature ; apparently in the House of Representatives, as is referenced in the Pilot to the series. A recurring joke throughout the series is Bartlet's inability to remember the names of junior staffers. While wandering the halls and saying goodbye to everyone in the series finale, he remembers everyone ''and'' their family members. Presidency Bartlet's close friend, Leo McGarry , convinces him to run for president around the fall of 1997, writing the slogan "Bartlet for America" on a cocktail napkin (the napkin became an offbeat icon of the show, and is given to Bartlet by McGarry's daughter Mallory in the final episode of the show, " Tomorrow "). Although initially a Dark Horse , Bartlet eventually defeats the presumptive nominee, U.S. Senator John Hoynes of Texas, whom Bartlet asks to join the ticket as his vice-presidential Running Mate . He defeats the Republican nominee for President, winning a close election with just 48 percent of the vote, 48 million popular votes and a 303–235 margin in the Electoral College . In 2002, Bartlet is elected to a second term, Defeating the Republican nominee, Governor Robert Ritchie of Florida , by a landslide in what had been expected to be an election as close as the one four years earlier. Bartlet's accomplishments as President include granting amnesty to illegal immigrants from the Americas, appointing the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice and first female Chief Justice, negotiating a peace settlement between Israel and Palestine, creating millions of new jobs, support for alternative energy, orchestrating a Social Security Reform plan (although it is never made clear whether the plan was passed by Congress). He does, however, express regret at his inability to balance the budget in his eight years at the White House. Bartlet is shot in the first season Cliffhanger finale " What Kind Of Day Has It Been "; his wounds are not serious and quick medical intervention has him on his feet within a few hours. It is later discovered that the shooters were white supremacists and that his Bodyman Charlie Young was the intended target of the assassination attempt, not Bartlet himself. In the second season finale "Two Cathedrals", Bartlet announces to the country that he suffers from Multiple Sclerosis , and has been keeping it a secret, although this had previously been revealed to the show's audience in the first season episode " He Shall, From Time To Time... " This leads to investigation of Bartlet's campaign by a Special Prosecutor and by the House Of Representatives , which forms much of the story for Season 3. Eventually, Bartlet accepts a Censure from Congress, which settles all investigations against him. While Bartlet's campaign efforts are damaged by the controversy, he nonetheless defeats Republican candidate Robert Ritchie and wins re-election. Zoey Bartlet is kidnapped on the day of her graduation from Georgetown University , possibly in retaliation for the assassination of the Qumar i defense minister, Abdul Ibn Shareef , which her father authorized. While Zoey is missing, President Bartlet fears he is incapable of maintaining the necessary dispassion while his daughter is in such danger and invokes Section 3 of the 25th Amendment , declaring himself incapacitated and transferring the powers of the presidency to the next person in the Presidential Line Of Succession . Due to the resignation a few days earlier of Vice President Hoynes, the Speaker of the House, Republican Glen Allen Walken , becomes Acting President Of The United States . Zoey is recovered with only minor injuries several days later; President Bartlet re-assumes his office shortly thereafter. On a trip to China, Bartlet is left temporarily paralyzed by an attack of multiple sclerosis. As a result he is briefly confined to a wheelchair, like the real-life president Franklin D. Roosevelt , but he soon recovers. In the seventh and final season of ''The West Wing'', Bartlet is in the last year of his term as president. Near the end of that season, the Democratic nominee, Congressman Matthew Santos of Texas, defeats the Republican nominee, Senator Arnold Vinick of California, in the 2006 Presidential Election and thereby becomes Bartlet's successor. After Santos' inauguration, Bartlet returns to his New Hampshire home aboard Air Force One , with his wife, and while en route, has the last word of the series. Mrs. Bartlet asks the introspective former President what he is thinking about, and Bartlet replies: "Tomorrow." The Bartlet Presidential Library opens three years after the end of his term and Bartlet is present at the opening ceremony, along with Kate Harper , C. J. Cregg , Danny Concannon , Charlie Young , Toby Ziegler , Josh Lyman , Will Bailey , and President Matt Santos . PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEES at the state funeral of former U.S. President Owen Lassiter .]] Cabinet officials Other appointments Bartlet appointed the following Justices to the Supreme Court Of The United States :
NOTES According to show creator Aaron Sorkin , Bartlet was not originally intended to be a key member of the cast. He was only meant to make occasional appearances, approximately once every four episodes. Alan Alda (who went on to play Sen. Vinick), George C. Scott , Jason Robards and Sidney Poitier were also considered for the role of President Bartlet. In the second season finale " Two Cathedrals ", a teenage Bartlet is played by Jason Widener. In the fourth season finale " Twenty Five ", a young Bartlet played by Martin Sheen's real-life son Emilio Estevez is briefly shown on a television screen showing home videos of him and his daughter Zoey. SEE ALSO
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