Lighter The West Wing

There are two major issues that the President must deal with in the Pilot. One is the crossing over of religion and politics and the other is the illegal immigration of Cubans. Throughout the episode the media is there, weather its in the background of in the middle of the frame. The media pushes for answers to silence the public’s questions. Another part of the media is that when there is a great issue, most journalists or photographers tend to cover the greater issue and leave the other one in the shadows. In this case, the Cubans caught in the storm are shadowing should Josh be fired. Josh should have known that he is constantly being watched, being a member of the President’s Cabinet.

The most pressing issue seems to be whether the President should fire Josh, because of his lash out towards Mary Marsh on the television program, or not. Throughout the show everyone is asking this question, and most people seem to think that he will be fired. This is how the episode starts; the journalist is asking Sam if he knows anything about Josh being fired. Sam keeps his cool and does not give away any quotes or hints toward either side.

In my opinion, religion is the most pressing political issue in the first episode of “The West Wing”. Religion is a touchy subject for most people, especially those such as Mary. It was interesting to see the meeting with “The Lamb of God” people and the President’s Cabinet when they were trying to make a deal. Mary did not accept josh’s apology and she makes a comment about Jews indirectly. In the end, the president solves it all by kicking the radical religious group out of the white house and Josh’s job is saved.