Sam Seaborn

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Samuel Norman Seaborn
First appearance	Pilot
Last appearance	Tomorrow spoilers below
Cause/Reason	series ended
Information
Occupation	Deputy White House Communications Director (Seasons 1-4), Deputy White House Chief of Staff (last episode of Season 7)
Portrayed by	Rob Lowe
Created by	Aaron Sorkin

Samuel Norman 'Sam' Seaborn is a fictional character played by Rob Lowe on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is best known for being Deputy White House Communications Director in the Josiah Bartlet administration. The character is partly based on George Stephanopoulos, who was Communications Director and Press Secretary for President Bill Clinton.^{[citation needed]}

Sam grew up in Laguna Beach, California, and graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University. He makes repeated references to his alma mater, especially in the earlier seasons, indicating a certain pride in his attendance there. "Princeton" is his Secret Service code name, and he mentions being the recording secretary of the Princeton Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

Sam attended Duke Law School and was the editor of the Duke Law Review (which, in reality, is known as the Duke Law Journal). He was a staffer for several congressmen and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He was also a practicing lawyer, working at the law firm of Dewey Ballantine in New York City before joining the fictional Gage Whitney Pace, reputedly the second biggest law firm in New York City. Sam worked there for seven years and was about to be made partner when he was recruited by old friend Josh Lyman to work as a speechwriter for New Hampshire Governor Josiah Bartlet's campaign for the Presidency. After Bartlet's victory in the Election of 1998, Sam attained the position of Deputy White House Communications Director in the Bartlet Administration, often collaborating with White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler to write the President's most important public addresses, most notably States of the Union and his first inaugural.

Sam's tragically flawed romantic relationships are something of a theme of the series. After joining the campaign, Sam broke up with his fiancée, Lisa Sherborne, whom he was planning to marry in October of that year (the joke was that her name would become Lisa Sherborne Seaborn). Sam's other romantic relationships include a "highly priced call girl" named Laurie, played by Lisa Edelstein, (whom he slept with without knowledge of her profession), and Leo McGarry's daughter, Mallory O'Brien, a fourth-grade teacher.

Sam's trademark—both his greatest strength and greatest flaw—is his unflinching idealism. His unwavering faith in and love for the American political process and the positive impact that government can have in its citizens' lives define his character. Sam believes in doing the right thing simply because it is right, even when the consequences might be politically disastrous.

Another trademark of Sam is his ability as a speechwriter. After a pipe bomb explodes at a university in "20 Hours in America, Part II," killing forty-four people including three swimmers, Bartlet gives a speech, written by Sam, that includes the following:

"...More than anytime in recent history America's destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedoms and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. Forty-four people were killed a couple hours ago at Kennison State University; three swimmers from the men's team were killed and two others are in critical condition. When after having heard the explosion from their practice facility they ran into the fire to help get people out...ran into the fire. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They are our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars."

Bartlet campaign advisor Bruno Gianelli asks Sam when he wrote the last part. He replies, "In the car," which prompts the response, "Freak!".

In a third season episode, Sam is awed by President Bartlet's foresight and wisdom when resolving an apparent impasse between the Chinese, the Taiwanese and the Americans. President Bartlet predicts that Sam will run for President someday and should not be scared; Bartlet believes that he can do it.

For a while it seemed like Sam was taking the fast track to fulfilling President Bartlet's prediction. During the fourth season, Sam decides to run for Congress in his home district — the California 47th in Orange County, California — in a special election held after deceased Democratic candidate Horton Wilde posthumously defeated arch-conservative Republican incumbent Chuck Webb. Sam suggests that Toby hire Wilde's campaign manager, Will Bailey, to replace him as Deputy Communications Director.

For three seasons, it was never revealed whether Sam won or lost the election, although a poll showed he was losing to Webb by a wide margin in the heavily Republican district during his last appearance on the show, until his return in the series finale.

[edit] Sam's return to politics

Although Sam was mentioned occasionally following his departure (most notably calling Josh to tell him to "roll with the punches" after the latter unwittingly caused the defection of a Democratic Senator), he was not seen in the series until the final episodes of the seventh and final season, following the election of Congressman Matt Santos to the Presidency. Resolving the debate over the result of the California 47th's special election, it is implied that Sam was defeated by Congressman Webb and declined a promotion to Senior Counselor to the President. After summarily quitting politics, Sam remained in his home state of California and joined an unnamed law firm in Los Angeles which pays him a salary that would "make Josh puke".

In a development reminiscent of his recruitment of Sam into Josiah Bartlet's campaign for the Presidency 8 years earlier^{(Ep 23)}, Josh Lyman (now Chief of Staff-designate in the incoming Santos Administration) flies to Los Angeles to offer Sam the post of Deputy White House Chief of Staff. Although initially hesitant because he is again engaged to be married, Sam agrees to accept Josh's offer on the condition that Josh take a much-needed vacation.

Preceded by Unknown	Deputy White House Communications Director, The West Wing 1999 – 2002	Succeeded by Will Bailey
Preceded by Horton Wilde	Democratic Congressional candidate, California 47th District, The West Wing 2003 (lost)	Succeeded by Unknown
Preceded by Clifford Calley	Deputy White House Chief of Staff, The West Wing 2006 – present	Succeeded by Incumbent

The Bartlet Administration
The President: Josiah Bartlet First Lady: Abigail Bartlet
The Vice President John Hoynes (Seasons 1–4) Bob Russell (Seasons 5–7) Chief of Staff to the Vice President Will Bailey (Seasons 5–7) Chief of Staff to the First Lady Amy Gardner (Seasons 4–5) National Security Advisor Nancy McNally (Seasons 2–7) Deputy National Security Advisor Kate Harper (Seasons 5–7) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Percy Fitzwallace (Seasons 1–5) General Nicholas Alexander (Seasons 6–7)	White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (Seasons 1–6) C.J. Cregg (Seasons 6–7) Assistant to the Chief of Staff Margaret Hooper (Seasons 1–7) Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Seasons 1–6) Clifford Calley (Seasons 6-7) Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff Donna Moss (Seasons 1–6) Presidential Secretary Delores Landingham (Seasons 1–2) Deborah Fiderer (Seasons 4–7) Personal Aide to the President Charlie Young (Seasons 1–6) Curtis Carruthers (Seasons 6-7)	White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler (Seasons 1–7) Will Bailey (Season 7) Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn (Seasons 1–4) Will Bailey (Seasons 4–5) White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg (Seasons 1–5) Deputy Press Secretary Annabeth Schott (Season 6) Media Director Mandy Hampton (Season 1)
These are some of the main characters on The West Wing. For a longer and more complete list of characters, see List of characters on The West Wing.

[edit] See also

• The West Wing
• List of characters on The West Wing
• List of politicians on The West Wing
• List of The West Wing episodes