Changes: President of the United States

Revision as of 01:31, 18 May 2018

The President of the United States, or (POTUS) for short, also known as The Commander in Chief or even The Leader of the Free World, is the head of government and state for the United States of America. The country's first president was George Washington, who served from 1789 to 1797. Washington was originally offered a monarchical title, but instead determined the country should have a president, duly elected by the people.

Josiah Bartlet is the President of the United States for the entire series. His successor, Matthew Santos, is inaugurated in the series finale, Tomorrow. For a short time in Season Five, House Speaker Glen Allen Walken becomes acting president.

Below is a list of Presidents of the United States. Obviously, at some point the history and the fiction become entangled as President Josiah Bartlet was elected in 1998, which was not a year in which the quadrennial presidential election would have taken place in real life. Additionally, the identification of at least two known predecessors to President Bartlet (D. Wire Newman and Owen Lassiter), further blurs the office holders. Richard Nixon is the last real-life President to have been mentioned on the show.

The chart below shows those individuals who served as President of the United States. The final column shows episode references to when that particular president was mentioned or discussed. One of the most prominent presidents featured in the show was Andrew Jackson, popular for the "Big Block of Cheese" days episodes.

List of Presidents of the United States

Image	President	Prior Office	Party		Timeline	Referenced in
	George Washington	Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army (1775-1783)		No Party	April 30, 1789 - March 4, 1797	Six Meetings Before Lunch
	John Adams	Vice President of the United States (1789-1797)		Federalist	March 4, 1797 - March 4, 1801	Jefferson Lives
	Thomas Jefferson	Vice President of the United States (1797-1801)		Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1801 - March 4, 1809	Jefferson Lives
	James Madison	United States Secretary of State (1801-1809)		Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1809 - March 4, 1817	Let Bartlet Be Bartlet
	James Monroe	United States Secretary of State (1811-1817)		Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1817 - March 4, 1825
	John Quincy Adams	United States Secretary of State (1817-1825)		Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1825 - March 4, 1829	The U.S. Poet Laureate
	Andrew Jackson	U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1797-1798 & 1823-1825)		Democrat	March 4, 1829 - March 4, 1837	The Crackpots and These Women, H.Con - 172
	Martin Van Buren	Vice President of the United States (1833-1837)		Democrat	March 4, 1837 - March 4, 1841
	William Henry Harrison	United States Minister to Columbia (1828-1829)		Whig	March 4, 1841 - April 4, 1841	Tomorrow
	John Tyler	Vice President of the United States (1841)		Whig	April 6, 1841 - March 4, 1845
	James Polk	Governor of Tennessee (1839-1841)		Democrat	March 4, 1845 - March 4, 1849	The Fall's Gonna Kill You
	Zachary Taylor	Major General of the U.S. Army (1846-1849)		Whig	March 4, 1849 - July 9, 1850
	Millard Fillmore	Vice President of the United States (1849-1850)		Whig	July 9, 1850 - March 4, 1853
	Franklin Pierce	Brigadier General of the U.S. Army (1847-1848)		Democrat	March 4, 1853 - March 4, 1857	The Dogs of War
	James Buchanan	United States Minister to the Court of St James (1853-1856)		Democrat	March 4, 1857 - March 4, 1861	Night Five
	Abraham Lincoln	U.S. Representative for Illinois' 7th District (1847-1849)		Republican	March 4, 1861 - April 15, 1865	Six Meetings Before Lunch
	Andrew Johnson	Vice President of the United States (1865)		Democrat	April 15, 1865 - March 4, 1869	The Leadership Breakfast, Six Meetings Before Lunch
	Ulysses S. Grant	Commanding General of the U.S. Army (1864-1869)		Republican	March 4, 1869 - March 4, 1877	Enemies
	Rutherford Hayes	Governor of Ohio (1868-1872 & 1876-1877)		Republican	March 4, 1877 - March 4, 1881	Night Five
	James A. Garfield	U.S. Representative for Ohio's 19th District (1863-1881)		Republican	March 4 to September 19, 1881
	Chester A. Arthur	Vice President of the United States (1881)		Republican	September 19, 1881 - March 4, 1885
	Grover Cleveland	Governor of New York (1883-1885)		Democrat	March 4, 1885 - March 4, 1889
	Benjamin Harrison	U.S. Senator from Indiana (1881-1887)		Republican	March 4, 1889 - March 4 1893	The Leadership Breakfast, Guns Not Butter
	Grover Cleveland	President of the United States (1885-1889)		Democrat	March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1897
	William McKinley	Governor of Ohio (1892-1896)		Republican	March 4, 1897 - September 14, 1901	Memorial Day
	Theodore Roosevelt	Vice President of the United States (1901)		Republican	September 14, 1901 - March 3, 1909	Pilot
	William Howard Taft	United States Secretary of War (1904-1908)		Republican	March 4, 1909 - March 3, 1913	Memorial Day
	Woodrow Wilson	Governor of New Jersey (1911-1913)		Democrat	March 4, 1913 - March 3, 1921	Noel , Bartlet for America
	Warren Harding	U.S. Senator from Ohio (1915-1921)		Republican	March 4, 1921 - August 2, 1923	Guns Not Butter
	Calvin Coolidge	Vice President of the United States (1921-1923)		Republican	August 3, 1923 - March 3, 1929	Third Day Story
	Herbert Hoover	United States Secretary of Commerce (1921-1928)		Republican	March 4, 1929 - March 3, 1933	20 Hours in America (Part II)
	Franklin Delano Roosevelt	Governor of New York (1929-1932)		Democrat	March 4, 1933 - April 12, 1945	Pilot
	Harry S. Truman	Vice President of the United States (1945)		Democrat	April 12, 1945 - January 20, 1953	**The State Dinner; 7A WF 83429; 20 Hours in America, Part II**
	Dwight D. Eisenhower	Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1949-1952)		Republican	January 20, 1953 - January 20, 1961	Bartlet for America
	John F. Kennedy	U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1953-1960)		Democrat	January 20, 1961 - November 22, 1963	Bartlet for America
	Lyndon B. Johnson	Vice President of the United States (1961-1963)		Democrat	November 22, 1963 - January 20, 1969	Five Votes Down
File:Richard Nixon.gif	Richard M. Nixon	Vice President of the United States (1953-1961)		Republican	January 20, 1969 - August 9, 1974	Six Meetings Before Lunch
Unknown^[1]
	Owen Lassiter	Governor of California		Republican	Two Terms	The Stormy Present
	D. Wire Newman	???		Democrat	One Term	The Stormy Present
	???	???		Republican^[2]	January 20, 1991 - January 20, 1999	The Short List; Memorial Day
File:JosiahBartlet.jpg	Josiah Bartlet	Governor of New Hampshire (1991-1999)		Democrat	January 20, 1999 - January 20, 2007 ^[3]	**Pilot; Tomorrow**
File:MatthewSantos.jpg	Matthew Santos	U.S. Representative for Texas' 18th District (2001-2007)		Democrat	January 20, 2007- ???	Tomorrow

References

↑ Richard Nixon is the last real-life president to be directly referenced in the series. After his presidency, the timeline becomes ambiguous. At some point, the election cycle is offset by two years in comparison to real-life.
↑ Multiple statements throughout the show indicate that Bartlet's predecessor was a two-term Republican.
↑ Glen Allen Walken served as Acting President during Bartlet's term

[1] Richard Nixon is the last real-life president to be directly referenced in the series. After his presidency, the timeline becomes ambiguous. At some point, the election cycle is offset by two years in comparison to real-life.

[2] Multiple statements throughout the show indicate that Bartlet's predecessor was a two-term Republican.

[3] Glen Allen Walken served as Acting President during Bartlet's term

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 The '''President of the United States''', or ('''POTUS''') for short, also known as The '''Commander in Chief''' or even The '''Leader of the Free World''', is the head of government and state for the [[United States of America]]. The country's first president was [[George Washington]], who served from 1789 to 1797. Washington was originally offered a monarchical title, but instead determined the country should have a president, duly elected by the people.
+[[Josiah Bartlet]] is the President of the United States for the entire series. His successor, [[Matthew Santos]], is inaugurated in the series finale, [[Tomorrow]]. For a short time in Season Five, House Speaker [[Glen Allen Walken]] becomes acting president.
-Below is a list of Presidents of the United States. Obviously, at some point the history and the fiction become entangled as President [[Josiah Bartlet]] was elected in 1998, which was not a year in which the quadrennial presidential election would have taken place. Additionally, the identification of at least two known predecessors to President Bartlet ([[D. Wire Newman]] and [[Owen Lassiter]]), further blurs the office holders. Richard Nixon is the last real-life President to have been mentioned on the show.
+Below is a list of Presidents of the United States. Obviously, at some point the history and the fiction become entangled as President Josiah Bartlet was elected in 1998, which was not a year in which the quadrennial presidential election would have taken place in real life. Additionally, the identification of at least two known predecessors to President Bartlet ([[D. Wire Newman]] and [[Owen Lassiter]]), further blurs the office holders. Richard Nixon is the last real-life President to have been mentioned on the show.
 The chart below shows those individuals who served as President of the United States. The final column shows episode references to when that particular president was mentioned or discussed. One of the most prominent presidents featured in the show was Andrew Jackson, popular for the "Big Block of Cheese" days episodes.
@@ Line 9: / Line 11: @@
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
 |
-===Image===
+'''Image'''
-|
-===President===
 |
+'''President'''
-=== Prior Office ===
 |
+'''Prior Office'''
-===Party===
+| rowspan="1" colspan="2"|
+'''Party'''
 |
-===Timeline===
+'''Timeline'''
 |
+'''Referenced in'''
-===Episodes===
 |- style="background:#ccccfc"
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
@@ Line 27: / Line 29: @@
 '''[[George Washington]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army'''<br />'''(1775-1783)'''
+| style="background-color: #CCCCCC; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
-'''Independent'''
+'''No Party'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''April 30, 1789 - March 4, 1797'''
@@ Line 39: / Line 42: @@
 '''[[John Adams]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''[[Vice President of the United States]]'''<br />'''(1789-1797)'''
+| style="background-color: #6600CC; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Federalist'''
@@ Line 51: / Line 55: @@
 '''[[Thomas Jefferson]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1797-1801)'''
+| style="background-color: #00CC00; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democratic-Republican'''
@@ Line 63: / Line 68: @@
 '''[[James Madison]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''[[Secretary of State|United States Secretary of State]] '''<br />'''(1801-1809)'''
+| style="background-color: #00CC00; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democratic-Republican'''
@@ Line 75: / Line 81: @@
 '''James Monroe'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''United States Secretary of State'''<br />'''(1811-1817)'''
+| style="background-color: #00CC00; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democratic-Republican'''
@@ Line 86: / Line 93: @@
 '''[[John Quincy Adams]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''United States Secretary of State'''<br />'''(1817-1825)'''
+| style="background-color: #00CC00; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democratic-Republican'''
@@ Line 98: / Line 106: @@
 '''[[Andrew Jackson]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''[[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from Tennessee'''<br />'''(1797-1798 & 1823-1825)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democrat'''
@@ Line 110: / Line 119: @@
 '''Martin Van Buren'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1833-1837)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democrat'''
@@ Line 121: / Line 131: @@
 '''[[William Henry Harrison]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''United States Minister to Columbia'''<br />'''(1828-1829)'''
+| style="background-color: #FFCC00; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Whig'''
@@ Line 133: / Line 144: @@
 '''John Tyler'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1841)'''
+| style="background-color: #FFCC00; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Whig'''
@@ Line 144: / Line 156: @@
 '''[[James Polk]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |[[Governor|'''Governor''']] '''of Tennessee'''<br />'''(1839-1841)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democrat'''
@@ Line 156: / Line 169: @@
 '''Zachary Taylor'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Major General of the U.S. Army'''<br />'''(1846-1849)'''
+| style="background-color: #FFCC00; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Whig'''
@@ Line 167: / Line 181: @@
 '''Millard Fillmore'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1849-1850)'''
+| style="background-color: #FFCC00; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Whig'''
@@ Line 178: / Line 193: @@
 '''[[Franklin Pierce]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Brigadier General of the U.S. Army'''<br />'''(1847-1848)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democrat'''
@@ Line 190: / Line 206: @@
 '''[[James Buchanan]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''United States Minister to the Court of St James'''<br />'''(1853-1856)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democrat'''
@@ Line 202: / Line 219: @@
 '''[[Abraham Lincoln]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''[[House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] for [[Illinois]]' 7th District'''<br />'''(1847-1849)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 214: / Line 232: @@
 '''[[Andrew Johnson]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1865)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democrat'''
@@ Line 226: / Line 245: @@
 '''Ulysses S. Grant'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Commanding General of the U.S. Army'''<br />'''(1864-1869)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 238: / Line 258: @@
 '''[[Rutherford Hayes]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Governor of [[Ohio]]'''<br />'''(1868-1872 & 1876-1877)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 250: / Line 271: @@
 '''James A. Garfield'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''U.S. Representative for Ohio's 19th District'''<br />'''(1863-1881)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 261: / Line 283: @@
 '''Chester A. Arthur'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1881)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 272: / Line 295: @@
 '''Grover Cleveland'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Governor of New York'''<br />'''(1883-1885)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democrat'''
@@ Line 283: / Line 307: @@
 '''[[Benjamin Harrison]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''U.S. Senator from Indiana'''<br />'''(1881-1887)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Republican Party|Republican]]'''
@@ Line 295: / Line 320: @@
 '''Grover Cleveland'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''President of the United States'''<br />'''(1885-1889)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democrat'''
@@ Line 306: / Line 332: @@
 '''William McKinley'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Governor of Ohio'''<br />'''(1892-1896)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 318: / Line 345: @@
 '''[[Theodore Roosevelt]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1901)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 330: / Line 358: @@
 [[William Howard Taft|'''William Howard Taft''']]
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''United States Secretary of War'''<br />'''(1904-1908)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 342: / Line 371: @@
 '''[[Woodrow Wilson]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Governor of New Jersey'''<br />'''(1911-1913)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Democrat'''
@@ Line 354: / Line 384: @@
 '''[[Warren Harding]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''U.S. Senator from Ohio'''<br />'''(1915-1921)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Republican Party|Republican]]'''
@@ Line 366: / Line 397: @@
 '''Calvin Coolidge'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1921-1923)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 378: / Line 410: @@
 '''[[Herbert Hoover]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''United States Secretary of Commerce'''<br />'''(1921-1928)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''Republican'''
@@ Line 390: / Line 423: @@
 '''Franklin Delano Roosevelt'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Governor of New York'''<br />'''(1929-1932)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]'''
@@ Line 402: / Line 436: @@
 '''Harry S. Truman&nbsp;'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1945)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]'''
@@ Line 414: / Line 449: @@
 '''Dwight D. Eisenhower'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Supreme Allied Commander Europe'''<br />'''(1949-1952)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Republican Party|Republican]]'''
@@ Line 426: / Line 462: @@
 '''[[John F. Kennedy]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''U.S. Senator from [[Massachusetts]]'''<br />'''(1953-1960)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]'''
@@ Line 438: / Line 475: @@
 '''Lyndon B. Johnson'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1961-1963)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]'''
@@ Line 449: / Line 487: @@
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Richard M. Nixon'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Vice President of the United States'''<br />'''(1953-1961)'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Republican Party|Republican]]'''
@@ Line 456: / Line 495: @@
 '''''[[Six Meetings Before Lunch]]'''''
 |-
-| colspan="6" |'''''Unknown'''''
+| colspan="7" |
+'''''Unknown'''''<ref>Richard Nixon is the last real-life president to be directly referenced in the series. After his presidency, the timeline becomes ambiguous. At some point, the election cycle is offset by two years in comparison to real-life.</ref>
 |- style="background:#B0CEFF"
+| style="background-color: #000000; " |[[File:OwenLassiter.jpg|120x120px]]
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
-'''[[File:DWireNewman.png|120x120px]]'''
+'''[[Owen Lassiter]]'''
+| style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Governor of California'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
+| style="background-color: #000000; " |
+'''[[Republican Party|Republican]]'''
+| style="background-color: #000000; " |
+'''Two Terms'''
+| style="background-color: #000000; " |
+'''''[[The Stormy Present]]'''''
+|- style="background:#FFB6B6"
+| style="background-color: #000000; " |'''[[File:DWireNewman.png|120x120px]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[D. Wire Newman]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''???'''
-| style="background-color: #000000; " |
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
-'''[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]'''
+| style="background-color: #000000; " |'''[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''One Term'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''''[[The Stormy Present]]'''''
+|-
-|- style="background:#FFB6B6"
-| style="background-color: #000000; " |[[File:OwenLassiter.jpg|120x120px]]
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
+| style="background-color: #000000; " |'''???'''
-'''[[Owen Lassiter]]'''
-| style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Governor of California'''
+| style="background-color: #000000; " |'''???'''
+| style="background-color: #FF0033; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
-'''[[Republican Party|Republican]]'''
+'''[[Republican Party|Republican]]'''<ref>Multiple statements throughout the show indicate that Bartlet's predecessor was a two-term Republican.</ref>
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
+'''January 20, 1991 - January 20, 1999'''
-'''Two Terms'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
-'''''[[The Stormy Present]]'''''
+'''''[[The Short List]]; [[Memorial Day]] '''''
-|-
-| colspan="6" |'''''Unknown'''''
 |- style="background:#B0CEFF"
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |[[File:JosiahBartlet.jpg|120x120px]]
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
-'''[[Josiah  Bartlet]]'''
+'''[[Josiah  Bartlet|Josiah Bartlet]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''Governor of [[New Hampshire]]'''<br />'''(1991-1999)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]'''
@@ Line 498: / Line 548: @@
 '''[[Matthew Santos]]'''
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |'''U.S. Representative for [[Texas]]' 18th District'''<br />'''(2001-2007)'''
+| style="background-color: #3333FF; " |
 | style="background-color: #000000; " |
 '''[[Democratic Party|Democrat]] '''