As the all-important State of the Union speech draws closer, Bartlet decides to pursue the idea of a national challenge to cure cancer within ten years. Sam is the only staffer in support of the radical idea, and he recounts the torturous process of writing the speech to ex-fiancée Lisa Sherborne, who is writing a profile on him for Vanity Fair magazine. Joey Lucas obligingly explains the dials that gauge Democratic, Republican, and Independent reaction to the President's speech, and reports that his numbers are finally back to a workable level. Meanwhile, Josh angers Amy Gardner when he tells her that her current beau is using her position as a formidable women's rights lobbyist to gain more support from female voters.