If I’m going to jump off the cliff and you’re going to get pushed off the cliff, why don’t we hold hands on the way down? + Danny Kincaid , The West Wing Season 7, Episode 11.
Copied transcript from here :
“I’m sorry about the other night.”
“Why?”
“Because, I was behaving like the type-A, career woman, freak automaton that I so very much do not what to become.”
“Please.”
“I wanted to see you— And I haven’t felt that in a long time and I just got all awkward and antagonistic…. But don’t get me wrong: I don’t want to see you again until after the inauguration.”
“You won’t have to.”
“I want to do my job. I want to suck every morsel of meat off this experience before it’s over….”
“That was an attempt at a real date the other night.”
“And this?”
“Another attempt. Hey, if I’d have wanted to publish that story, I wouldn’t have given you the heads-up. I can’t write that kind of crap anymore. I don’t— I don’t even know if I want to be a reporter anymore.”
“Really?”
“Doug Westin’s libido broke the camel’s back.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah.”
“Why’d you come here tonight?”
“Because you made me promise to.”
“Why’d you come?”
“I wanted to see you….”
“Uh, I’m flying a little blind here. I’m halfway through my life and I’m never quite sure if I’m doing anything right until I’m completely done doing it wrong….”
“So this may come out wrong.”
“I forgive you.”
“Incrementalism is not an option. Forced into a heroic posture.”
“Heroic can be good.”
“Feels funny.”
“You can do it.”
“Uh, we’re both about to fall of a cliff and I don’t know what I’m going to do with the rest of my life except I know what I don’t want to do. And on Inauguration Day you’re going to be released from that glorious prison on Pennsylvania Avenue with…. So, if I’m going to jump off the cliff and you’re going to get pushed off the cliff, why don’t we hold hands on the way down?”
C.J.’s pager goes off. “Oh, my God. Oh, my God.”
“You okay?”
“…I have to go.”
“Okay.”
“I have to go.”
“Go, go.”
This was an excellent episode, it shows why the chief of staff is known as the little president.