Top 25 Fictional DC Resident: #17 Josh Lyman
Name: Josh Lyman
Occupation: White House Chief of Staff
Josh Lyman is the quintessential DC-transplant, politico success story. After Harvard and Yale law school, Josh moved to Washington D.C. where he served several years in various positions with both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In 1998 Josh left Capitol Hill to work on John Hoynes’ presidential campaign. However after hearing Jed Bartlet, Hoynes’ competitor, speak at an engagement Josh was so inspired that he immediately resigned from Hoynes’ campaign to work for Bartlett. After Bartlett’s presidential victory Josh was hired as Deputy White House Chief of Staff.
After seven years with the Bartlett Administration, Josh resigned to run dark-horse Matt Santos’ presidential campaign. Josh’s masterful campaign strategies secured the presidency for Santos. The new President rewarded Josh’s dedication and drive with the position of White House Chief of Staff.
Josh is considered by many to be a cocky know-it-all, but no one has ever accused him of laying down on the job. In fact Josh’s passion for achieving great things for his country is so consuming that his only real friends are those who work around him, most notably Donna Moss, Toby Ziegler, and C.J. Craig.
I love this series! But, I must quibble: the day Josh Lyman sprung from his taxicab to yell, “You want a piece of me!?” at the Capitol Dome, he relinquished all his Top DC Fictional Character privileges.
Ahh c’mon – Josh was the heart and soul of that show – and we both know it!
I totally agree…it was Josh that was all, “Yo, let’s go to Iota, I hear it’s cool,” which led to much wooting at my household. But that taxicab moment was the precise point at which the show began it’s slow slide into the Wellsian melancholic darkness, culminating in, like, a whole season where no character acted like public service was anything more than cynical and depressing.
Crazy Josh just wasn’t as much fun anymore, I totally agree.
The show was only a shadow of itself when Sorkin left at the end of the fourth season. The old guard tried to hold it together but that magic was slipping away. I’m glad they ended it when they did, just in time for Bradley to go to Studio 60–yay!