S7E12 · Duck And Cover

Complete story — includes the ending

Elections are underway in Kazakhstan, but Russia and China teetering on the brink of an oil war in Central Asia is the least of Bartlet and C.J.'s concerns as they face a nuclear reactor in California on the verge of a meltdown. While agonizing over whether to evacuate nearby citizens and release radioactive steam into the atmosphere, the Santos and Vinick campaigns stare each other down, trying to avoid being the first to turn the crisis into a political issue – all the more complex as, decades ago, Vinick lobbied for the plant's construction, while Santos has spoken about the dangers of nuclear power. When the news comes out, the election becomes, in Josh's words, "too close to call." Note: The episode title refers to a method of personal protection against the effects of a nuclear explosion.