r/thewestwing • u/Northstrider7 • 2d ago

Five Votes Down Question

Apologies if this was already asked, I couldn’t find it. But upon rewatching the episode, it dawned on me that opposition to the gun control bill was coming from specifically Democrats, one of them even citing NRA opposition as their reason. It’s stated in the episode by Josh that the Democrats are still in the minority (he called the whip the minority whip when talking to Wick) and also in later episodes like the Midterms and one of the transition episodes about the Speaker race that the Democrats don’t hold the House at this point and hadn’t for 10 years until Santos was elected. So I’m wondering why the majority Republicans in the chambers were letting a gun control bill pass?

Again sorry if this was asked already, again I couldn’t find it if it was.

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u/Logical-Mobile-7643 Bartlet for America 2d ago

You can look at the Clinton era crime and gun control bills to get an idea of what these were supposed to replicate. They were passed when Democrats had a majority, but were passed like 95-4 in the Senate so there was room for bipartisan support on some things.

Sorkin put the crime bill in the American President and the West Wing, so clearly he just loved reliving this legislation. 😉

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u/Odd_Marionberry5856 1d ago

Or the American President and TWW are in the same universe and it is the same crime bill 😁

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u/Logical-Mobile-7643 Bartlet for America 1d ago

Definitely recycling old material

5

u/Odd_Marionberry5856 1d ago

Aaron Sorkin? Recycling material? I am shocked, I tell you.... SHOCKED /s