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June 11, 2005
You jest better larn to look good in big hats, Pard'ner!
I don't watch "The West Wing," but Krista posted this scene in the comments of Sarah's blog. As a Texan who is learning to speak (and write and read) Latin, I just had to pass it on.
C.J. Sir, this may be a good time to talk about your sense of humor.
BARTLET [looks at his schedule] I've got an intelligence briefing, a security briefing, and a 90-minute budget meeting all scheduled for the same 45 minutes. You sure this is a good time to talk about my sense of humor?
C.J. No.
BARTLET Me neither.
LEO What else?
C.J. It's just that it’s not the first time it's happened.
BARTLET I know.
TOBY She's talking about Texas, sir.
BARTLET I know.
C.J. U.S.A. Today asks you why you don't spend more time campaigning in Texas and you say it's 'cause you don't look good in funny hats.
SAM It was "big hats."
C.J. What difference does it make?
BARTLET It makes a difference.
C.J. The point is we got whomped in Texas.
JOSH We got whomped in Texas twice.
C.J. We got whomped in the primary, and we got whomped in November.
BARTLET I think I was there.
C.J. And it was avoidable, sir.
BARTLET C.J., on your tombstone, it's gonna read, "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc."
C.J. Okay, but none of my visitors are going to be able to understand my tombstone.
BARTLET Twenty-seven lawyers in the room, anybody know "post hoc, ergo propter hoc?" Josh?
JOSH Uh, uh, post, after, after hoc, ergo, therefore, after hoc, therefore, something else hoc.
BARTLET Thank you. Next?
JOSH Uh, if I'd gotten more credit on the 443...
BARTLET Leo?
LEO After it, therefore because of it. [Josh, a little weirded out, looks]
BARTLET After it, therefore because of it. It means one thing follows the other, therefore it was caused by the other, but it's not always true. In fact, it's hardly ever true. We did not lose Texas because of the hat joke. Do you know when we lost Texas?
C.J. When you learned to speak Latin?
Posted by lynx at June 11, 2005 8:36 AM
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Comments
That was probably from the first couple of seasons (actually, I just looked - that's the second episode - the phrase is the episode title). At that point Sorkin was more interested in drama with political overtones instead of being political. There's a reason the show went downhill when he shifted focus. Now he's gone, and the show isn't the same.
It's worth finding the first season episodes on reruns on Bravo. I think my favorites that year are "A Proportional Response" and "In Excelsis Deo".
Posted by: TheOtherBlogger ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.caerdroia.org/116/nav-commenters.gif)
at June 11, 2005 9:13 AM