“The President likes smart people who disagree with him.” I first heard this line when I was 18 or 19, and I have to say it's had a significant effect on my life. Talking with smart people who disagree with you is one of the best ways to sharpen your arguments and figure out what's true. The tribalist times in which we currently live are pathetic.
This is so true and not for the faint of heart. But it is the best way to learn, to understand the people on the other side, to figure out where they’re coming from and that they too are human beings trying to figure things out. As the Greeks knew, but we’ve forgotten - hubris is the most dangerous sin. Anyone who is sure of anything is a charlatan or a salesman.
"Mr. McGarry." "Leo." "Yes, sir." That exchange repeated 3 or 4 times during the interview is a priceless piece of writing. The repetition of it was perfect.
@@AngelPerezComedy Indeed, there are parts of the country (not just the South) where adults consider it a point of pride to not be familiar with a superior to the point of being almost insubordinate...
One of the great tragedies of this show is that we didn't get way more of Ainsley. Every conversation she took part in was so much fun, regardless of politics.
@@gabrielabagalaIt wasn't about cutting costs. it was about the fact that they already had 7 very strong leading cast members and he didn't think there was a spot for on ongoing recurring role.
@@Bustermax01 It was surely a question of money. That show had many protagonists and many secondary characters who must, no matter what, be recurring, such as the commander in chief, the director of the NSA, or the assistants of the protagonists. They didn't have the money to pay more permanent secondary characters. Sorkin said it himself, and he was particularly sorry for Ainsley.
"I used to have a nervous condition" "How did yours manifest itself?" "I drank a lot of Scotch" "I get sick when I drink too much" "I get drunk when I drink too much" So freakin' classic!!!!
His performance was just so gracious and understated. I particularly enjoyed the scene with Liza Weil. Much similar in tone and understanding. Thanks for posting! 🎬
She was such a good foil for the other characters, and wasn't a straw-man conservative but made legitimate arguments that made the other characters try really hard to defend their positions.
+PlasmaCoolantLeak I come back to watch this particular scene many many times....funny...exhilarating...AND...just plain enjoyable!!! My personal favorite part is when Leo says "You Go Girl"....Cheers!
I love that the exact moment she accuses the administration of being smug and patronizing, Leo becomes just a little smug and patronizing. One of the best comedic scenes in the series.
+wchase62 - great observation, though I can't be sure of precisely what line you mean. I'm going with him saying CJ Cregg thinks you kill your pets. I love the balance of how she's then able to observe CJ across the 2 days, discern the problem and completely rectify it before going to see Leo to not accept the job.
The West Wing was my favorite series. This was easily in my top 10 dialogues. The crispness of the writing and delivery between the three actors was pure art.
I love the stuff with Margaret. "she seems to be a very good secretary. . . . She'll be happy to hear that, she's standing right outside the door. . ." BAM! . . ."OW!!"
I love this scene. Ainsley probably rehearsed the conversation she was sure Leo wanted to have with her so much that when it turned out he wanted something else entirely it took a while for her brain to register that fact. I love her face when it sinks in. Classic television brilliantly written and played.
Leo and Ainsley had wonderful chemistry, but then again, Leo is quite fatherly to everyone he likes.... And it was nice to see Ainsley at Leo's funeral all those years later. It's nice of Emily Proctor to come back to honor John Spencer.
@@dspf68 Someone born when that post was made would be close to entering high school by the time you corrected his spelling. From a post on youtube 13 years later. I don't know why, but that's very amusing to me.
This scene is exceptional. Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) was such a great addition to the WW cast. She is so great at delivering that fast paced dialogue of Aaron Sorkin. Both in WW and Newsroom, they managed to get some of the greatest ensemble casts of all time.
Eric Jackson Absolutely! And this scene was a big part of why I loved this show. This is how bipartisanship is supposed to work... "The President likes smart people who disagree with him".... Classic.... Our real life government could learn a LOT from watching this show, for the record
I think The West Wing was the greatest series ever made. Although, I too, am a Republican, I loved this show. Ainsley was one of the best characters they created. Aaron Sorkin is so talented and one of the best writers of his time. I loved The Newsroom too.
"The President is asking you to serve, and everything else is crap." It's going to take us a while to restore this. Reverence for the highest level of public-service is worth the effort though.
And that’s trump’s fault? Yeah because you guys totally gave him a chance. Sorry he was rude while crushing isis, improving North Korean relations and enforcing red lines with Syria. Unlike obama who charmed you while he let the world burn.
We've messed it up so badly that it may take a generation to achieve a rational kind of governance again. And I'm not saying the downfall started with Trump, it most certainly did not, although he clearly accelerated the decline. Our problem is that powerful wealthy elites benefit from a divided country, whether it be corporate elites, media elites or political elites, the age old 'divide and conquer' strategy still works. By conquer I mean hoard all the wealth and power for themselves while millions of working class Americans suffer.
@@jimmy2k4o I don't recall anyone storming the capitol or a pandemic being ignored when he was in office. Go sit down somewhere, MAGA cult follower. You lot divorced from reality long ago.
"She seems to be a very good secretary." "She'll be happy to hear that; she's standing right outside the door." Bangs door. "Ow!" These little slapsticks thrown into the dialogue of West Wing were one of the things I liked the most. It seems so effortless and of course with good actors like John Spencer it makes it seem so natural and organic.
Margaret, Lionel Tribbey, Oliver Babish, Lord John Marbury, Leo and Mrs. Landingham were my favorite characters on the West Wing. They brought so much to their respective roles.
When we lost John Spencer the actor, we lost one heck of a man. When Leo had his heart attack at Camp David, it was a nightmare but to know that it really was going to happen, killed my soul. I love this particular scene. Go North Carolinians! Leo, you're the best!
LiamHaHaX "AARON SORKIN: I made a mistake with Emily Proctor. I loved her on the show and when I had a chance to lock her up as a series regular I didn't take it. Being conscious that I already had eight mouths to feed I didn't want to be obligated to have the character in every episode, which I know now wouldn't have been an obligation, it would have been a gift. And of course Emily was snatched up right away by another show - CSI: Miami - and of course it was a giant hit. I made plenty of mistakes on the show but none of them that big."
I always looked forward to Ainsley's scenes. She had great chemistry with everyone on the show, and I particularly enjoyed her exchanges with Leo and Sam. Emily Proctor brought this character a truly appealing balance of competence, wit, determination and sincere idealism. I wish she had appeared in more episodes.
I loved her banter with Lionel Tribbey about which musical the quote was from. Tribbey was full of useless knowledge that no one else knew except for Ainsley. And her basement office, when they decorated it for her & gave her a little impromptu welcome party was wonderful. And of course, the "Blame It On The Bossa Nova" scene when Bartlet appears- hysterical. I really liked that Sam was incensed by the disgusting note the two guys wrote, anonymously, to Ainsley, & immediately fired them with Tribbey right behind him in full support. That's the way it should be done in the workplace, no BS, period.
Likewise and agreed. I saw it all when it originally aired and am watching it again with my wife on Netflix and we are both amazed at how well it holds up and how topical it remains even today.
Ah Ainsley Hayes, the Southern linguistic version of Yoda. The repeated delivery of "Leo..." "Yes, Sir" in the exact same pitch and tone each time was just perfect. A standout character in a show packed full of wonderfully written parts, and Emily Procter nailed every syllable of every line.
The most important trait for a leader to have is the ability to surround oneself with smart people and listen to them. If you find yourself in a position of leadership and you're the smartest person in the room, you need to find a new room.
My favorite Leo moment is that within about two seconds of her accusing the administration of being smug and patronizing, Leo is being a little smug and patronizing. I love that.
Before I heard the rest of this dialogue, I assumed that Leo's response to the question "It has to be in THIS White House?" would be something like "It's the only White House I have any pull in", but this line was at least as good if not better.
Great scene. Both actors really showed soul. The character of Leo really did speak to me. A person with many faults. A person who made many mistakes but yet found his way back and was able to show kindness as well as patience. Traits which I try to incorporate into my own personality. The character of Ainsley Hayes also was well developed. Strong, feminine as well as caring. Really quite beautiful.
"I do not think it's fair that I be expected to play the role of the mouse to the White House's cat in the game of. . . erm, you know the game." "Cat and mouse?"
"When I was young, I was a Young Republican"... "You have my FBI file? I have an FBI file?!"... "I'm not going anywhere, I'm standing up, which is how one speaks in opposition in a civilised world"... "Well you go girl" All genious lines
I loved that line. :D I was cracking up, listening to her rant on, with the job offer clearly not having sunk in, yet, and Leo clearly recognizing the exact same thing that I was. :D
Still the best writing on any TV show ever! Every episode. Every season for 7 years. It was so good and the acting was so good that every year when they had the Emmy Awards there would be 5 nominees for supporting actor and 4 of them would be from the West Wing!!
When I first saw Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) on West Wing, I thought she was perfect at delivering Aaron Sorkin's rapid fire dialogue. I can't even imagine how this show managed to always bring in the right actors to build this great ensemble cast. They rarely if ever made a mistake. The result, is one of the greatest shows in TV history. And, the "Two Cathedrals" plays more like a great theatrical movie than a TV episode.
Go sometime and listen to the episode of the podcast West Wing Weekly where they interview EP about getting this job. It's fascinating and hilarious, down to the discussion of wardrobe choices.
I can't even imagine how this show managed to have real personalities on for a short "background' scene. I mean Yo Yo Ma for 1 minute!! That was incredible.
See Sports Night. "If you're dumb, hire smart people. If you're smart, hire smart people who disagree with you." I don't mind when Mr. Sorkin steals from himself at all.
Aaron Sorkin is the best dialog writer who ever lived. He might have some problems with storytelling here and there, but the energy of his dialogs would wake up a catatonic.
I still can't absorb how amazing (and enjoyable) it was to watch Emily Procter fire off her fast pace dialogue lines with clear cadence that was countered with the intentional methodic tempo John Spencer played - in a single take! This had to be one hell of an intense scene to film. I'm curious how many takes they required. I'm betting very few.
I only have about a hundred favourite scenes from this show. This one would be considered outstanding in any other show and it's not even in my own top ten West Wing moments.
I think I've watched this about 100 times... still hilarious and perfect! Leo... Yes sir. The President is asking you to serve and everything else is crap! LOVE IT!
Has anyone besides me noticed how much more literate the replies are here? I mean, there's punctuation and everything! It makes me want to stay here and talk to you people all night.
@Adam Love I don't think he's talking about everything devolving into a political pissing contest. More that people here seem to have a strong grasp of grammatical consistency that seems to be lacking in most RUclips videos comment section. I could be wrong, though.
@Richard Darlington - I totally agree. Even though I won't complain about someone who makes grammar and spelling mistakes, so long as I understand their intent. I do wish they would take a few seconds to read their comment before they press reply.
The brilliance of this show. How do you end this clever back and forth? You get to have all this great banter and then - boom. 'The President wants you to serve and everything else is just crap." THAT'S how you end this scene and not just pat yourself on the shoulder for clever banter
I would have loved an episode with all the assistants getting together to save the day. Margaret, Donna, Carol Fitzpatrick, and Mrs. Landingham teamed up and kicking political ass.
I disagree. 'Margaret' was written as stupid, nosy, incompetent.. had the job because she was someone's relative - and, she caused major problems. The same can be said for the 'Donna' character. And, much of the time, CJ's character. I think Sorkin did not continue with 'Ainsley' because he knew the script would have to be changed so that 'Ainsley' got 'Margaret' and 'Donna' sent to unemployment. And, could anyone stand 'Zoey'? Or, the clueless Secret Service agent? 'Mrs. Bartlett' was barely allowed to show her smarts.
*Ainsley stands* Leo: Where you going? Ainsley: I'm not going anywhere, I'm stand up which is how one speaks in opposition in a civilized world Leo: Well you go girl I love this scene such great writing and really funny
Leo hitting the door and Margaret's "Ouch" from the other side of the door is my favorite part of this.
“Here it comes” and “I get drunk when I drink too much” are mine
His nod after the fact sells it so well
Leo McGarry calls the editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle to correct the spelling of Qaddafi's name. :)
"Well, you go girl !". Incredible delivery - John Spencer as Leo was one of the best cast characters of all time. RIP.
you know it's coming... and you still laugh...
He was absolutely brilliant.
“The President likes smart people who disagree with him.”
I first heard this line when I was 18 or 19, and I have to say it's had a significant effect on my life. Talking with smart people who disagree with you is one of the best ways to sharpen your arguments and figure out what's true. The tribalist times in which we currently live are pathetic.
I've never learned anything from someone I agreed with
....Will Rogers
I have never learned anything from a person I agreed with...
Will Rogers
I have never learned anything from people i agreed with....
Will Rogers
This is so true and not for the faint of heart. But it is the best way to learn, to understand the people on the other side, to figure out where they’re coming from and that they too are human beings trying to figure things out. As the Greeks knew, but we’ve forgotten - hubris is the most dangerous sin. Anyone who is sure of anything is a charlatan or a salesman.
It’s my single favorite line in The West Wing and the most telling of Bartlet’s character
"Mr. McGarry." "Leo." "Yes, sir." That exchange repeated 3 or 4 times during the interview is a priceless piece of writing. The repetition of it was perfect.
He gave up on it in the end :)
It's cause she's from the south. Leo should know better he has white hair.
@@AngelPerezComedy Thank you.
@@AngelPerezComedy Indeed, there are parts of the country (not just the South) where adults consider it a point of pride to not be familiar with a superior to the point of being almost insubordinate...
I didn't really follow that, but, whatever...
One of the great tragedies of this show is that we didn't get way more of Ainsley. Every conversation she took part in was so much fun, regardless of politics.
Sorking said that he regretted so much to let Ainsley go. But he must cut costs...
CSI and CBS were the beneficiaries
100% she was so freaking good and when Sam stuck up for her that was amazing.. gosh I miss this show.
@@gabrielabagalaIt wasn't about cutting costs. it was about the fact that they already had 7 very strong leading cast members and he didn't think there was a spot for on ongoing recurring role.
@@Bustermax01 It was surely a question of money. That show had many protagonists and many secondary characters who must, no matter what, be recurring, such as the commander in chief, the director of the NSA, or the assistants of the protagonists. They didn't have the money to pay more permanent secondary characters. Sorkin said it himself, and he was particularly sorry for Ainsley.
"I used to have a nervous condition"
"How did yours manifest itself?"
"I drank a lot of Scotch"
"I get sick when I drink too much"
"I get drunk when I drink too much"
So freakin' classic!!!!
I thought everybody gets drunk when they drink too much...
@@JohnSmith-zw8vp Evidently, you have no Irish ancestors. :)
I actually think what this set up was even better.
"...a job in THIS White House?"
"Want a glass of scotch?"
"Yes, please."
He did that to make her less nervous, I think. Make fun of himself a little to relax her.
@@daffodil852 But as we see soon after, she can't hold her liquor worth a damn.
"I'm standing up which is how one speaks in opposition in a civilized world."
"Well, you go, girl"
No.
@@miket1753 no what?
Gotta love Leo.
I loved lmao
John Spencer was a treasure. Everybody on this show was magic. Mostly because the show itself was magic. But Spencer was my guy on this show.
The show in a way was about Leo McGarry. He was the glue that held everything together. Think critically, all the lines led back to him.
His performance was just so gracious and understated.
I particularly enjoyed the scene with Liza Weil.
Much similar in tone and understanding.
Thanks for posting!
🎬
@@samsung3254 Oh yeah... that was a great scene.
Preach.
Oh agreed 100 percent! I love the line "the President's asking you to serve, and everything else is crap!"
: She was criminally underutilized on the show, and RIP to the late great John Spencer.
Aaron Sorkin has gone on record and said that one of his biggest regrets on the show was not making Emily Procter a series regular.
She was such a good foil for the other characters, and wasn't a straw-man conservative but made legitimate arguments that made the other characters try really hard to defend their positions.
Sorkin wanted her, but after CSI exploded, it was hard to bring her back.
@Mäkirannantörmä It's a TELEVISION SHOW.
@@Ethan-dn1wc He couldn't leave the 'Ainsley' character in. He couldn't have two smart women characters in the show.
*Pounds door*
"Ow!"
Leo and Ainsley's exchange is one of my favorite parts from this great series.
+PlasmaCoolantLeak I come back to watch this particular scene many many times....funny...exhilarating...AND...just plain enjoyable!!! My personal favorite part is when Leo says "You Go Girl"....Cheers!
PlasmaCoolantLeak
I love that the exact moment she accuses the administration of being smug and patronizing, Leo becomes just a little smug and patronizing. One of the best comedic scenes in the series.
+wchase62 - great observation, though I can't be sure of precisely what line you mean. I'm going with him saying CJ Cregg thinks you kill your pets. I love the balance of how she's then able to observe CJ across the 2 days, discern the problem and completely rectify it before going to see Leo to not accept the job.
Watch Leo from 2:40 to 2:50. That is some comedic acting ;)
The writing, the timing, the delivery... perfection. Absolute perfection.
The West Wing was my favorite series. This was easily in my top 10 dialogues. The crispness of the writing and delivery between the three actors was pure art.
"Well you go girl" = Leo's greatest line ever.
I Dunno, I prefer, "I get drunk, when I drink too much." by just a little
Ah, that's a great one too!
TheNBAFANaddict " I didn't, really, follow that but whatever..."
+TheNBAFANaddict "The President is asking you to serve. And everything else is crap"
#2. #1: ..."here it comes".
"The President is asking you to serve. And everything else is crap."
What an awesome line!
Didn't age well tho, with Predisent PAB in the WH.
"Mr. McGarry."
"It's Leo."
"Yes, Sir."
THREE TIMES!🤣
I love the stuff with Margaret. "she seems to be a very good secretary. . . . She'll be happy to hear that, she's standing right outside the door. . ." BAM! . . ."OW!!"
There were so many little moments like this in TWW, such a great show!!
It's one of my all time favorite moments in TWW
Literally laugh out loud whenever I see that part
The little nod of the head from Leo afterwards, like 'Yup, confirmed." 😄
One of my favorite Leo and Margaret moments in the whole show.
This lady’s argument was planned out so well it took her a full 20 seconds to realize she was being offered a job
I love Leo’s “Here it comes….” 😂😂
How we miss Leo and all the wonderful characters of the West Wing.
You always have to wonder what Leo was doing during those 20 seconds...
I love this scene. Ainsley probably rehearsed the conversation she was sure Leo wanted to have with her so much that when it turned out he wanted something else entirely it took a while for her brain to register that fact. I love her face when it sinks in. Classic television brilliantly written and played.
And the look on leo's face like he's seen this a few times and is just waiting for it to hit home
Here it comes!
An wait, what meme moment before memes were an thing
@@willzimjohn Thank you for this powerful and illuminating comment.
-I get sick when I drink too much.
-I get drunk when I drink too much.
Leo and Ainsley had wonderful chemistry, but then again, Leo is quite fatherly to everyone he likes....
And it was nice to see Ainsley at Leo's funeral all those years later. It's nice of Emily Proctor to come back to honor John Spencer.
sorry to be petty but it's Emily Procter. Not Proctor.
@@dspf68 Someone born when that post was made would be close to entering high school by the time you corrected his spelling. From a post on youtube 13 years later.
I don't know why, but that's very amusing to me.
@@horatiohornblower3757 well said lmao
@@horatiohornblower3757 I don't mind having my spelling (and grammatical) mistakes corrected 13 years after the fact. Or even 30.
Leo and Margaret, one of the most underrated double acts in the show.
Margaret was like a quieter version of Radar.
"You have my FBI file?"
"Yes"
"I can't believe that. You have my FBI file?"
Expression changes "...I have an FBI file?"
I love that exchange lol
IMHO- Ainsley Hayes was the best character on The West Wing.
"The President likes smart people who disagree with him." How refreshing it would be if that were true today...
Derek Hiemforth
No one since Reagan
How refreshing that would be if it were ever really true.
@@TerranGuy93 You're a Trumpie.
@@jayhardin3259 Reagan was a lying bigoted scumbag.
@@ginmar8134 Lol, believe whatever you want pal.
This scene is exceptional. Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) was such a great addition to the WW cast. She is so great at delivering that fast paced dialogue of Aaron Sorkin. Both in WW and Newsroom, they managed to get some of the greatest ensemble casts of all time.
And it was great to have an articulate voice of opposition to their assumptions too.
Sorkin has an interesting conversational style.
Sportsnight also
Don't forget Studio 60. Brad Whitford and Matt Perry are a double act for the ages, and Amanda Peet was born to utter Sorkin dialogue.
@@alexanderbeedie671 Absolut!
Brilliant scene. John Spencer is fantastic in it RIP
Absolutely. John Spencer was a big reason why I enjoyed this show so much. Even as a staunch conservative, this show was fantastic.
Eric Jackson
Absolutely! And this scene was a big part of why I loved this show. This is how bipartisanship is supposed to work... "The President likes smart people who disagree with him".... Classic.... Our real life government could learn a LOT from watching this show, for the record
i cried when he passed, i never actually met him but he was home to me
I think The West Wing was the greatest series ever made. Although, I too, am a Republican, I loved this show. Ainsley was one of the best characters they created. Aaron Sorkin is so talented and one of the best writers of his time. I loved The Newsroom too.
I think Peggy Noonan was also helpful in putting forth ideas and plotlines for Republican and conservative characters
I loved The West Wing but I hated The Newsroom. The later was just Sorkin's venue for spewing his political beliefs. It got old and tiring real fast.
@@RaspberryRockOffGridCabin You fascists just hate art because it's all about how everything you believe is terrible.
Ainsley will always be my favorite Republican.
"The President is asking you to serve, and everything else is crap." It's going to take us a while to restore this. Reverence for the highest level of public-service is worth the effort though.
you commented just two years ago, i thought that i am the only one who still goes back and watch these masterpieces....
I know you think that’s not an understatement and woof is that an understatement. But you know what, this still gives me the chills.
And that’s trump’s fault?
Yeah because you guys totally gave him a chance.
Sorry he was rude while crushing isis, improving North Korean relations and enforcing red lines with Syria.
Unlike obama who charmed you while he let the world burn.
We've messed it up so badly that it may take a generation to achieve a rational kind of governance again. And I'm not saying the downfall started with Trump, it most certainly did not, although he clearly accelerated the decline. Our problem is that powerful wealthy elites benefit from a divided country, whether it be corporate elites, media elites or political elites, the age old 'divide and conquer' strategy still works. By conquer I mean hoard all the wealth and power for themselves while millions of working class Americans suffer.
@@jimmy2k4o I don't recall anyone storming the capitol or a pandemic being ignored when he was in office. Go sit down somewhere, MAGA cult follower. You lot divorced from reality long ago.
"She seems to be a very good secretary."
"She'll be happy to hear that; she's standing right outside the door."
Bangs door.
"Ow!"
These little slapsticks thrown into the dialogue of West Wing were one of the things I liked the most. It seems so effortless and of course with good actors like John Spencer it makes it seem so natural and organic.
His little nod after the "ow!" is perfect. Brilliantly deadpan.
@@XIIIMPC
Ah yes
Knew it
The cherry on top was that the secretary was still stood right outside the door when Ainsley was about to leave.
Margaret, Lionel Tribbey, Oliver Babish, Lord John Marbury, Leo and Mrs. Landingham were my favorite characters on the West Wing. They brought so much to their respective roles.
Margaret and Leo were the best team on TV since Bert & Ernie.
Leo's delivery of that emotional line "The President is asking you to serve..And everything else is crap"" was just fantastic..
When he says "The President is asking you to serve..." that bit always gets me teary
Because they all serve at the pleasure of the President.
"I've never felt this way before."
"The feeling doesn't end."
It looks like it makes Ainsley a little teary-eyed, too. I love Emily Procter’s choices in this scene.
When we lost John Spencer the actor, we lost one heck of a man. When Leo had his heart attack at Camp David, it was a nightmare but to know that it really was going to happen, killed my soul. I love this particular scene. Go North Carolinians! Leo, you're the best!
The writing, the actors and what they did with the writing. This is why I enjoyed West Wing so much.
D Oberski I miss this show
D Oberski True, but I thought they would do more with the character. She sort of disappeared.
LiamHaHaX I think she got the gig on Miami CSI.
LiamHaHaX "AARON SORKIN: I made a mistake with Emily Proctor. I loved her on the show and when I had a chance to lock her up as a series regular I didn't take it. Being conscious that I already had eight mouths to feed I didn't want to be obligated to have the character in every episode, which I know now wouldn't have been an obligation, it would have been a gift. And of course Emily was snatched up right away by another show - CSI: Miami - and of course it was a giant hit. I made plenty of mistakes on the show but none of them that big."
Dana Leinbach Thanks for sharing that.
I always looked forward to Ainsley's scenes. She had great chemistry with everyone on the show, and I particularly enjoyed her exchanges with Leo and Sam. Emily Proctor brought this character a truly appealing balance of competence, wit, determination and sincere idealism. I wish she had appeared in more episodes.
And awkwardness :)
I loved her banter with Lionel Tribbey about which musical the quote was from. Tribbey was full of useless knowledge that no one else knew except for Ainsley.
And her basement office, when they decorated it for her & gave her a little impromptu welcome party was wonderful.
And of course, the "Blame It On The Bossa Nova" scene when Bartlet appears- hysterical.
I really liked that Sam was incensed by the disgusting note the two guys wrote, anonymously, to Ainsley, & immediately fired them with Tribbey right behind him in full support. That's the way it should be done in the workplace, no BS, period.
@@dee_dee_place She called me the master. Get out!
I am a conservative and THIS was the best show that i have ever seen on TV
Likewise and agreed. I saw it all when it originally aired and am watching it again with my wife on Netflix and we are both amazed at how well it holds up and how topical it remains even today.
John McIlvain you should watch yes minister
"...and everything else is crap." But seriously, you should watch The Newsroom, also written by Aaron Sorkin.
Also a great show, just wish there were more than 2 seasons.
There is a third season.
"When I was young... I was a YOUNG Republican..."
I am not a Sorkin Fanboy but this is poetry. This banter is genius and the casting is superb!
Ah Ainsley Hayes, the Southern linguistic version of Yoda. The repeated delivery of "Leo..." "Yes, Sir" in the exact same pitch and tone each time was just perfect. A standout character in a show packed full of wonderfully written parts, and Emily Procter nailed every syllable of every line.
“The President likes smart people who disagree with him.”
Once upon a time... 🤔
Luke Downey im dying😂🤭
Yeah, 0 for 2 on that count.
That line has had extra significance to me, too, since Trump became POTUS. Sad.
Now the president likes dumb people who agree with him.
The most important trait for a leader to have is the ability to surround oneself with smart people and listen to them. If you find yourself in a position of leadership and you're the smartest person in the room, you need to find a new room.
"Where you goin'?"
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm standing up, which is how one speaks in opposition in a civilized world!"
"well you go girl."
Love the "Well you go girl"
@@a19spyro95 Its the timing. Its absolutely superb.
My favorite Leo moment is that within about two seconds of her accusing the administration of being smug and patronizing, Leo is being a little smug and patronizing. I love that.
That line she says about standing up for protest is such a great line that needs to be taught nowadays
@@wchase62 YES!!! The change in demeanor to that effect was brilliant!
"A job in THIS White House?" and "When I was young, I was a YOUNG Republican!"😂. Classic.
Spencer and Procter were🔥. A joy to watch.
Before I heard the rest of this dialogue, I assumed that Leo's response to the question "It has to be in THIS White House?" would be something like "It's the only White House I have any pull in", but this line was at least as good if not better.
Great scene. Both actors really showed soul. The character of Leo really did speak to me. A person with many faults. A person who made many mistakes but yet found his way back and was able to show kindness as well as patience. Traits which I try to incorporate into my own personality. The character of Ainsley Hayes also was well developed. Strong, feminine as well as caring. Really quite beautiful.
"I do not think it's fair that I be expected to play the role of the mouse to the White House's cat in the game of. . . erm, you know the game."
"Cat and mouse?"
"When I was young, I was a Young Republican"...
"You have my FBI file? I have an FBI file?!"...
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm standing up, which is how one speaks in opposition in a civilised world"...
"Well you go girl"
All genious lines
Everybody in the country that has ever gotten a $72 parking ticket has an FBI file.
I die every time 😂
"You have my FBI File?"
"I have an FBI file???"
Too funny
Everyone does.
"The President is asking you to serve."
What a profound statement.
It brings chills.
"...CJ Cregg thinks you kill your pets...." LMAO.
"Oh, only since I was two." For some reason, that sounded so adorable.
She is so innocent in a good way she actually believes in everything she says makes her very endearing.
I don't know how many times I've watched this, but it still makes me laugh. One of my favourite scenes in the whole series.
Could you imagine a world where people were this smart and conversations this interesting?
If only....
I would live forever and refuse to die
How we miss this show and each wonderful character. If a tv series can be immortal, certainly The West Wing is.
Every time, a different part of this exchange makes me smile...today it's "Well you go girl" 🙂
"I get drink when I drink too much" lol what a funny scene this is RIP John Spencer
John Spencer just had wonderful comic timing. He is much missed and this scene is one my favorites
You go girl comment alone
"...Here it comes."
"Did you say 'offer me a job?'"
I loved that line. :D I was cracking up, listening to her rant on, with the job offer clearly not having sunk in, yet, and Leo clearly recognizing the exact same thing that I was. :D
I miss him so much. I remember first noticing him when he was on L.A. Law and can't recall seeing any acting from him that was less than superb. RIP.
"I get drunk when I drink too much."
Probably one of the greatest lines on this show.
Still the best writing on any TV show ever! Every episode. Every season for 7 years. It was so good and the acting was so good that every year when they had the Emmy Awards there would be 5 nominees for supporting actor and 4 of them would be from the West Wing!!
When I first saw Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) on West Wing, I thought she was perfect at delivering Aaron Sorkin's rapid fire dialogue. I can't even imagine how this show managed to always bring in the right actors to build this great ensemble cast. They rarely if ever made a mistake. The result, is one of the greatest shows in TV history. And, the "Two Cathedrals" plays more like a great theatrical movie than a TV episode.
Go sometime and listen to the episode of the podcast West Wing Weekly where they interview EP about getting this job. It's fascinating and hilarious, down to the discussion of wardrobe choices.
I can't even imagine how this show managed to have real personalities on for a short "background' scene. I mean Yo Yo Ma for 1 minute!! That was incredible.
I don't know WTF happened with Rob Lowe, but that was a mistake.
The way she says "Only since I was two" is just.. so.. adorable!
If only there were a few more people who liked it when smart people disagreed with them.
Two years after you posted this it is more true than ever. If only...
Well in a better reality we would have someone in the People's House who was intelligent and could comprehend an intelligent response.
I'm so glad that she is a very smart and funny character, considering this is where I got my name 😂😂😂
Cool !!!
That's just awesome sauce.
"The President likes smart people who disagree with him." That one line is the absolute antithesis of who we have in the White House today.
See Sports Night. "If you're dumb, hire smart people. If you're smart, hire smart people who disagree with you." I don't mind when Mr. Sorkin steals from himself at all.
like obama had anybody like Ainsley Hayes in his white house. moron.
@@beefyoso he didnt, he had multiple Ainsley Hanseys look it up, literally Google repubs who who worked for Obama white house
"But whaddabout Obama". Pathetic.
@@mikemartin5749 another expert leftist retort.
I watched this when it first aired, and almost 20 years later it is still brilliantly acted and stomach trembling.
they only acted it once 20 years ago, they are not acting today.
"You want a glass of scotch?" "Yes."
"It has to be THIS White House?
One of the most memorable lines ever.
Aaron Sorkin was/is a freaking genius! I adore The West Wing! :)
Only Aaron Sorkin could get me to watch, let alone LOVE, a show about politics or sports (Sports Night,)
I've watched this clip many times. I loved her character. Sharp and fast.
"Leo."
"Yes sir."
Who am I kidding, every word of this scene is brilliant.
One of the funniest scenes in The West Wing. This show is pure gold 💛 As a fan from Britain 🇬🇧 I say God bless America 🇺🇸
GSTQ 🏴☮👍
Aaron Sorkin is the best dialog writer who ever lived. He might have some problems with storytelling here and there, but the energy of his dialogs would wake up a catatonic.
:Here it comes..."
"Want a glas of scotch?"
Well You Go Girl 👧
The scene where Ainsley is going to meet the president for the first time is priceless too!
"Mr. McGarry"
"Leo"
"Yes, sir."
X3
I still can't absorb how amazing (and enjoyable) it was to watch Emily Procter fire off her fast pace dialogue lines with clear cadence that was countered with the intentional methodic tempo John Spencer played - in a single take!
This had to be one hell of an intense scene to film. I'm curious how many takes they required. I'm betting very few.
Ainsley Hayes! One of the best characters ever on one of the shows with so many of the best characters ever!
I loved The West Wing. It was the best TV show ever.
"Oh, only since I was two."
Their chemistry is undeniable.
"Here it comes!" LOL
Don’t you just admire Margret ? Efficient, funny, a little
mischievous, and really loves Leo.
And she could fake the presidents signature too ... she is getting quite good at it!
Hard to disagree with that! Leo loved her too, and their working chemistry was phenomenal!
@@Grubnar first thing I thought of when reading aristotle's comment.
"Well, you go girl."
the delivery of that line is perfect. Gets me everytime.
This was also one of my favourite scenes... but the whole thing was favourite scenes, wasn't it?
I only have about a hundred favourite scenes from this show. This one would be considered outstanding in any other show and it's not even in my own top ten West Wing moments.
I think I've watched this about 100 times... still hilarious and perfect! Leo... Yes sir. The President is asking you to serve and everything else is crap! LOVE IT!
Have watched this so many times, wonderful characters, wonderful script and beautifully acted, and Ainsley, just beautiful in so many ways 💖.
Has anyone besides me noticed how much more literate the replies are here? I mean, there's punctuation and everything! It makes me want to stay here and talk to you people all night.
@Adam Love Strange, isn't it?
@Adam Love I don't think he's talking about everything devolving into a political pissing contest. More that people here seem to have a strong grasp of grammatical consistency that seems to be lacking in most RUclips videos comment section. I could be wrong, though.
@Richard Darlington - I totally agree. Even though I won't complain about someone who makes grammar and spelling mistakes, so long as I understand their intent. I do wish they would take a few seconds to read their comment before they press reply.
Good, inspirational writing (Sorkin) inspires good writing. And civility.
@@crucisnh I say sir! What nice punctuation you have!
The brilliance of this show. How do you end this clever back and forth? You get to have all this great banter and then - boom. 'The President wants you to serve and everything else is just crap." THAT'S how you end this scene and not just pat yourself on the shoulder for clever banter
The writer of this script did a masterful job. Amazing.
Oh yet again, again, again, falling back in love with this extraordinary series
I love Margaret....She is just awkward but in a good way.
She's basically Pearl from Steven Universe.
I would have loved an episode with all the assistants getting together to save the day. Margaret, Donna, Carol Fitzpatrick, and Mrs. Landingham teamed up and kicking political ass.
I disagree. 'Margaret' was written as stupid, nosy, incompetent.. had the job because she was someone's relative - and, she caused major problems. The same can be said for the 'Donna' character. And, much of the time, CJ's character. I think Sorkin did not continue with 'Ainsley' because he knew the script would have to be changed so that 'Ainsley' got 'Margaret' and 'Donna' sent to unemployment. And, could anyone stand 'Zoey'? Or, the clueless Secret Service agent? 'Mrs. Bartlett' was barely allowed to show her smarts.
I love the scene where she offers to forge the president's signature, and everyone goggles at her 😂😂😂
The wit, humor and repartee of this series remains unmatched even in 2023. Long live the West Wing!!
"...you have an interesting conversational style." LOL!
*Ainsley stands*
Leo: Where you going?
Ainsley: I'm not going anywhere, I'm stand up which is how one speaks in opposition in a civilized world
Leo: Well you go girl
I love this scene such great writing and really funny
This scene is a master class.
I miss John Spencer’s humor and grit.
Emily Proctor fast in delivery of her lines in character.
“Im sorry, a job in this White House?!”… the delivery of that line is just perfect
What a great actor John Spencer was. He embodied Leo to perfection.
"You have my FBI file?"
"Yes."
"I can't believe that. You have my FBI file?"
"Yes."
"I have an FBI file?"
LOL :)
The way Toby ran at the beginning of the episode when Josh came to get him (to watch Sam) was hilarious 🤣
"Toby, come quick! Sam's getting his ass kicked by a girl!"
"Ginger, get the popcorn!"
@@crazysychoninja9193 Even at the time, that line stuck in the craw. Then again, this show was super-mysogenistic.
This is the most hilarious scene ever. I miss TWW! And Emily Procter is so damned funny. I'm still in hysterics!!