Sam (Don't read if you haven't watched all of S4!)

[Fitzwallace]

I've watched every single episode of TWW (several times in most cases), right up to this week’s Ep 5.14 An Khe. But I still can't quite figure out EXACTLY WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO SAM?

Those of us that have watched S4 know that he took a leave of absence from his White House duties, to run for Congress in Orange County. We saw the last weeks of his campaign when Toby took over; we saw the consoling talk in the bar when Toby and Sam realised they were going to get 'creamed', but we never saw the result, did we? Am I missing something?

When Will gets officially appointed as Deputy Comms Dir. in INAUGURATION PART II, Bartlet says "Sam's going to be promoted to Senior Counselor if
he loses the 47th". If he won Orange County it would have been a massive political swing in a heavily Republican area, a victory against the odds and therefore would have been a massive story for the show. So, I assume he lost. If he did lose, why isn't he back at the White House, counseling the President?

Don't say because he's now become a lawyer in the Lion's Den, I'm talking about Sam the character, not Rob Lowe the actor.

What do you all think?

[J. Lyman]

I suspect he was left behind by a motorcade at his last campaign stop prior to the election.

Lets face it, this kind of thing's happened before.

He'll find his way back soon.

Hurry Sam, hurry, before Will bores me to tears.