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1 correction found
“3 million jobs created, opened trade with Mexico but that’s not enough to get me out of the doghouse?!”
This is a misquote from The West Wing. In the “Two Cathedrals” rant, Bartlet says “3.8 million new jobs” and “Bailed out Mexico, increased foreign trade,” and he phrases it as “buy me out of the doghouse,” not “opened trade with Mexico … get me out of the doghouse.”
Full reasoning
In The West Wing Season 2 Episode 22 (“Two Cathedrals”), President Bartlet’s cathedral rant includes a specific list of accomplishments.
The show’s script/transcript does not match the quoted line in the post:
- The transcript has “3.8 million new jobs” (not “3 million jobs created”).
- It has “Bailed out Mexico, increased foreign trade” (not “opened trade with Mexico”).
- It has “That’s not enough to buy me out of the doghouse?” (not “get me out of the doghouse”).
Because the post places the line in quotation marks as dialogue from the scene, and the scene’s dialogue differs on the key details (number and wording), the quoted claim is incorrect as stated.
3 sources
- Season 2 - Episode 22 - “Two Cathedrals” - West Wing Wiki (script/transcript)
“…Have I displeased you, you feckless thug? 3.8 million new jobs, that wasn’t good? Bailed out Mexico, increased foreign trade… [pleading] That’s not enough to buy me out of the doghouse?”
- Faith & Duty (PDF transcript quoting the West Wing scene)
“…Have I displeased you, you feckless thug? 3.8 million new jobs… Bailed out Mexico, increased foreign trade… I’ve raised three children. That’s not enough to buy me out of the doghouse.”
- Walking And Talking And Yelling At Clouds: Two Cathedrals - TWW S2E22
Quotes the monologue as: “Three point eight million new jobs… Bailed out Mexico, increased foreign trade… that’s not enough to buy me out of the doghouse?”