First to give this scene context (or at least what I can recall as the context): President Bartlett had been shot and was undergoing an emergency operation. He had not signed a document releasing himself from power. At the time, there was a large international crisis occurring so officials were unsure who was Commander-in-Chief.

Admittedly, I was searching Youtube for a different scene from the West Wing that highlighted speech writing, but stumbled upon this rather topical scene en route. Here, the power and meaning of a signature are highlighted. What is the difference between an autopen and a perfected (perhaps a better adjective would be forged) signature of a person? Is it the intent of the owner of the idea? President Bartlett did not authorize Margaret to sign on his behalf whereas he might authorize the use of an autopen to sign legislation. Also, Leo questions why Margaret is even practicing President Bartlett’s signature. How should a person’s signature be valued and should it be protected, if possible?