I'd like to dip a tentative toe into this new forum by bringing up something that struck me when re-watching 'Memorial Day', the final episode of season 5.

In a flash-back sequence to the New Hamphsire governor days, Jed tells Leo that it 'should've been him' in the Oval office. Jed's decision not to bomb Gaza is certainly open to conflicting viewer opinion. Leo's dissent is, as ever, reasonable. Even sensible.
Furthermore, he is such an eminently capable administrator. A quick thinker. With a military history (if that's a plus).


I was just wondering whether he would indeed of made the better President? What kind of a President he might have been? Just a thought.

Im not entirelly sure about leo being president, dont get me wrong i love him as a character, however Bartlet or rather President Bartlet was a perfect choice for the role.

Its a shame to have to lose Leo soon thouugh - (Season Behind In The UK) :D

I think Bartlett is far more noble and ethically driven than Leo, don't get me wrong I think Leo is fantastic character but Bartlett's intelligence and humour never fail to make me smile. Leo doesn't have that, I think he stives to be more like Bartlett and as the seasons have gone on his character has finally realised that will never happen?

I think you have just summarised my own reasons in your post as well! ;)

LEO!? As President!? He just doesn't have the commander-in-chief feel to him... I don't think he would make a good president at all... A good vice-pres maybe...

concur 100% - josh always wanted mcgarry for the position anyway. :D

Have you noticed that there was a slight change in the pronounciation in Leo's name from the first season to the second and it still crops up a bit... The first time I watched the show I heard Leo McGarrity and it slowly chiped away to Leo McGarry. Sam was bad at this slip.

But you have this on every show.

I Tend to agree with the general consensus that Leo would make a great Vice President.

I love his Character as well, but he just does not convey the necessary presence to be a convincing President.

Yeah he would be a great VP... or would he!? I mean, I don't think he'd make a good pres... so that would mean he wouldn't be a good VP either cause if the pres died... Hello, MR. Vice-err Mr. Predident... :lol: What would Leo do then!?

That's a good point you make.
Probably not very well, given his heart condition.
The pressure of the job would send him straight back to the hospital.
Which leads me to ask, if he was President.....

Who would he choose as a Vice President :ermm:

Would he get to chose? Or does the next guy in linestep up? I'm sure he gets to chose... I think. If it were left up to me it'd be easy Toby.

Judging by "spoilers", we don't lose Leo completely. I think John Spencer is a fine actor, (as they all are!) I agree that Leo wouldn't make a good President because he's too important as a right hand man. If he were to be POTUS, Josh would be a great VP as he has the morals and the enthusiasm. They would work well as they do already.

JOSH! NOT AT ALL! :P I strongly disagree not being a Josh fan myself. The actor is great but the character needs A LOT of work! :lol: Maybe CJfor President... But this is the Leo forum...

Leo, I think, is one of the better written characters on the show...

To me personally, the real president is the two of them together. Bartlet is the heart, while Leo is the brain. It doesn't mean that Bartlet doesn't have brain and Leo heart, it's just that they complement each other so nicely that one without the other would lack a good deal.

It's another Kirk-Spock situation, where people have been asking a long time, would Spock make a better captain than Kirk? In this case it's a bit easier because Spock, unlike Leo, is all brains and no emotions (or at least he tries to repress them). But still, Kirk wouldn't be as great without his First Commander.

Realistically, of course, the drug and alcohol history alone would prevent him long before the Democratic presidential candidate nomination (as Governor Bartlet himself said when Leo told him to run for presidency).

Iagree, i think a president is the charasmatic character and the face of a campaign - almost the spokesperson, it is his chief of staff and senior counsel who run the country and that is why Leo couldn't be president, he doesn't have that presence. The moment Bartlett walks in to a room everybody turns not just because of his title, but because of his presence. Leo doesn't have that.