11 Inspiring 'West Wing' Episodes to Watch That'll Make You Want to Run for Office

"Game On," otherwise known as “The Debate,” has Bartlet making an important point in his rebuttal against Republican candidate Governor Robert Ritchie, who gives a simple 10-word response as to why he believes taxes should be cut. Bartlet urges him to give another 10-word response on how this will be accomplished. Instead of coming up with sound bites like his staff wants him to do, Bartlet challenges the use of clean, short answers and points out that presidential decisions are often a lot more complex than that.

This episode stands out to fans with its cliffhanger, when President Bartlet is asked if he’s seeking re-election in the midst of grieving Mrs. Landingham’s death. We all know that he will, considering his imagined conversation with Mrs. Landingham, where she tells him that if he doesn’t run, he’d be letting her down. "Two Cathedrals" shows that even when life throws challenges at you, you can’t give up your goals.

In “Election Night,” Bartlet wins the presidency, bringing a sigh of relief to his staff, but he has to find a way to handle the role while dealing with Multiple Sclerosis. Meanwhile, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in California wins, which would be great if the guy hadn’t died three weeks before the election. This inspires Sam to run for Congress in his home district.

This episode has an iconic scene that shows the importance of having a president who fights against bigotry. In a press conference, Bartlet immediately spots Dr. Jacobs, who has a radio show that promotes homophobia. He schools her on how hiding behind the Bible to promote that is abhorrent, and the whole room stands in silence as Bartlet ends his speech by saying, “Toby, that’s how I beat him.”

This episode shows the importance of not letting obstacles get in the way and working as a team to fight through them. After a memo pointing out Bartlet's weaknesses is leaked, the staff questions how to handle it. Leo decides to not let it stop them, coming up with the "Let Bartlet be Bartlet" plan. The staff decides to stand by the president and do everything in their power to help him, saying, "I serve with the pleasure of the President of the United States."

Josh, Toby, and Donna learn how to deal with being completely out of their element while being stranded in Indiana after missing their flight back home. This becomes a learning experience for them, as they socialize with townsfolk who represent a different worldview.

This is one of West Wing's most heartbreaking episodes, dealing with Leo's death. Much like other episodes, it's one that shows perseverance during tough times and a bittersweet moment for Josh as he leads Santos to victory, reaching a career milestone while battling through grief after losing his mentor.

This is a very powerful episode that aired shortly after 9/11. The West Wing often tackled issues of prejudice and in this one, they showed the importance of respecting American citizens who practice Islam and grouping them together with terrorists. Josh and Donna speak to a group of high schoolers, prompting a very important conversation.

As Josh comes to terms with having PTSD after the shooting, he grows worried that he won't be able to fulfill his role at the White House. Leo, who has experienced similar trauma, offers advice and assures him everything will be fine with a touching speech, saying, "as long as I got a job, you got a job."

In another touching Leo moment, this episode looks into his past and the challenges he had to overcome to achieve his position as Chief of Staff, as well as the role he played in motivating Bartlet to run for president.

After President Bartlet and Josh are shot, the episode focuses on flashbacks of the staff's beginnings and how they all reached this point in their careers that brought them together as an unstoppable team.

These episodes — and the show overall — would make anyone consider running for office.