Simon West Wing

I believe that the most important political issue that the President must face in the pilot episode of the West Wing is how much scrutiny he will allow his family to endure for his own public approval.

Taking the title "Chief of Staff" audomatically places a target on the backs of everyone close and dear to the President, but when President Bartlet's granddaughter recieves a direct death threat, he is forced to take immediate action. The threat came in the form of a raggady anne doll with a knife in her neck. The doll came from a religious activist group that clearly do not aggree with the Presidents political and or religious views. It is implied that the radical group has targeted the young girl before, and that brings us the issue how much will the President let slide before taking matters into his own powerful hands?

Having such a high profile position, the President of the United States has to be extrememly careful on what he does and says and who he says it to. Saying one wrong word could unltimitly end up in his name becoming tarnished for eternity, but even with the risk of public disapproval the President decided that the threats on his  families safety is far too great. His frustration with the radicals comes to a climax while another group, that is some how linked to the religious group, comes to the White House for a meeting. The President enters the room naming off the first commandment to show them that he himself is not strictly political, that he also has a religious back ground. He then makes his disapproval for them clear when he demands they cut all ties to himself or anyone affiliated with him. Not only does he tell them he does not support them, he demands they leave his home immediately. So it is clear that the President felt the need to take the matters in his own hand, rather than send someone else to do it for him. This simple action speaks loudly of his frustration with this issue. Being the President, he could simply have anyone say the same thing to them, but he took time out of his horrendously busy schedule to speak his disapproval.