King Corn
Encyclopedia
"King Corn" is episode 123 of The West Wing
. The episode introduces Vinick's campaign staff.
(the Russell campaigner); Josh
(the Santos campaign), and finally Vinick
(his own campaign). The background news involves a chemical fire and explosion in Louisiana and the upcoming execution of a woman in Turkey
for committing adultery.
The presidential candidates journey to Iowa to meet with the Iowa Corn Growers. Donna goes out to the rural areas where she finds a number of odd characters who are on the official Iowa caucus ballots. Josh freaks out when Santos pilots the plane taking them to Iowa. Will gets to see more of Bob Russell up close and doesn't seem that impressed. Democrats Russell and Santos, and Republican Vinick, do share one feature of the day: they're all told by their handlers that when they appear before the corn growers association they must support subsidies for ethanol as fuel, regardless of their true feelings. Though Russell and Santos choose to publicly support the subsidies and take the "pledge", Vinick chooses to be honest and tells the farmers that ethanol is a bad bet.
The theme of Santos torn between what he believes and what he should say continues in this episode. In a scene between him and Vinick it is evident he admires the stand the Republican made (it's also revealed that the two men like and respect each other, and once worked together on an immigration bill that died in committee) also they talk about the Santos education plan. Finally, though, Josh thinks Santos is able to see the "bigger picture", although his wife is evidently annoyed at his Volte-face
.
Josh and Donna are staying in the same hotel, in opposite rooms, and each are finding it very difficult to keep away from the old, easy intimacy they both shared. Josh almost knocks on Donna's door at the very end of the day but hesitates and then walks back to his room and Donna sees him through the peephole.
The West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
. The episode introduces Vinick's campaign staff.
Plot
The episode is related from three different viewpoints that roll forward from exactly the same moment, the 5:45am wake up call they receive from the hotel. The stories are, in order: DonnaDonna Moss
Donnatella "Donna" Moss is a fictional character played by Janel Moloney on the television serial drama The West Wing. Donna is a recurring character during the first season, although she appears in every episode, making her a de facto regular...
(the Russell campaigner); Josh
Josh Lyman
Joshua "Josh" Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he was White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the Josiah Bartlet administration...
(the Santos campaign), and finally Vinick
Arnold Vinick
Arnold Vinick is a fictional character on the television series The West Wing played by Alan Alda.-Biography:A Republican senator from California and Republican presidential nominee, he is narrowly defeated by Democrat Matt Santos in the 2006 presidential election, with Vinick winning the popular...
(his own campaign). The background news involves a chemical fire and explosion in Louisiana and the upcoming execution of a woman in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
for committing adultery.
The presidential candidates journey to Iowa to meet with the Iowa Corn Growers. Donna goes out to the rural areas where she finds a number of odd characters who are on the official Iowa caucus ballots. Josh freaks out when Santos pilots the plane taking them to Iowa. Will gets to see more of Bob Russell up close and doesn't seem that impressed. Democrats Russell and Santos, and Republican Vinick, do share one feature of the day: they're all told by their handlers that when they appear before the corn growers association they must support subsidies for ethanol as fuel, regardless of their true feelings. Though Russell and Santos choose to publicly support the subsidies and take the "pledge", Vinick chooses to be honest and tells the farmers that ethanol is a bad bet.
The theme of Santos torn between what he believes and what he should say continues in this episode. In a scene between him and Vinick it is evident he admires the stand the Republican made (it's also revealed that the two men like and respect each other, and once worked together on an immigration bill that died in committee) also they talk about the Santos education plan. Finally, though, Josh thinks Santos is able to see the "bigger picture", although his wife is evidently annoyed at his Volte-face
Volte-face
Volte-face is a total change of position, as in policy or opinion; an about-face.The expression comes through French, from Italian voltafaccia and Portuguese volte face, composed of volta and faccia ....
.
Josh and Donna are staying in the same hotel, in opposite rooms, and each are finding it very difficult to keep away from the old, easy intimacy they both shared. Josh almost knocks on Donna's door at the very end of the day but hesitates and then walks back to his room and Donna sees him through the peephole.
Turkey
The portrayal of Turkey does not reflect the real world, where the death penalty was abolished in 2002 for offences outside of war time and abolished entirely in 2004. Moreover, adultery is not illegal in Turkey, which is a secular state .Music
- The song "DesireDesire (Ryan Adams song)"Desire" is a song by Ryan Adams from his 2002 album Demolition. The song, at the length of 3:41, was not released as a single from the album. It originally attracted little attention, and even though the review site Music Box described it as crossing "U2 with Bob Dylan", several major reviews...
" by Ryan AdamsRyan AdamsDavid Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...
is played during the final moments of the episode.