The West Wing, as it winds down

It's politics aren't mine, but I became an absolute freak for this show. Must have been the dialogue. I became entranced with the reviews of the show on TV.com and, starting this season, began posting my own reviews. Here is my latest, my review of tonight's Part One of "Election Day":

Funny coincidence: while killing time waiting for "Election Day" to start, I was recalling graduate school for someone who had never known the importance we attached to every argument, the earth-shaking importance of endearing ourselves to every invited author who came through town, and, always hovering in our midst, the sex. It is an emotional perfect storm to feel overworked, underappreciated, and still involved in something bigger than oneself: in my case, teaching freshman comp to thirty-five students at a time. What happens in the aforesaid situation is a sense of self-romanticization in which sex becomes the logical outcome of a half-decent evening.
This exhaustion/romance/sex matrix was what was on display throught tonight's episode, and by God, none too soon. So many of the characters we've seen these past seven seasons could best be described as thwarted: up to now, CJ never had sex with Danny, nor Josh with Donna, nor (I think) Sam with Ainsley. Toby fathered twins, Leo got it on with his lawyer--but really, the Rubicon was seriously crossed when Will Bailey started getting some nerd action earlier this season. But tonight was a kind of prom night crossed with commencement--and, full of themselves and the moment and the wish to continue it, everyone in the Santos campaign paired off, Josh and Donna most prominently.
There are the big questions, and then the interesting questions. Big question: will Santos win? Answer: yes, of course. Alan Alda has been kept in the bullpen for the last two weeks, for one thing. Interesting question: what will become of Josh and Donna? Answer: who knows? Their thwarted passion has given way to the two of them having to find a kind of truth together. Now they have to find their own way.
Big question: how will the election be resolved? Answer: some spin on the 2000/2004 elections. My best guess now: Vinick turns down the opportunity to pursue a court fight, in part because of the death of Leo McGarry.
Two final thoughts. The discovery of Leo McGarry's body brought home once again how much I'll miss both his character and John Spencer the actor. Spencer was that rare actor who simply was never bad: along with M. Emmett Walsh, Steven Hill, and Harry Dean Stanton (along with few others) Spencer was a guarantee that, whatever the merits of a product, there would always be one good reason to watch.
Finally, Josh. I'm worried. Josh clearly has spent his entire adult life preparing to be White House Chief of Staff. At least seven times, he has come close (sometimes perilously so) to the job: Hoynes's first campaign, the time the Bartlet staff considered dropping Hoynes for (among others) Leo during the re-election, Hoynes's resignation (and the thought of replacing him with Leo), Leo's heart attack, Hoynes's second campaign, Russell's campaign, and now Santos. Each time, something (or someone, such as CJ) has stood in the way. Now, his election-day emotional unraveling, combined with Leo now gone as his cheerleader, may stop him yet again. Does anyone think that President Santos might judge someone else (Lou, perhaps) to be more appropriate? Or is all this a red herring?
Leo's death and the election will be the immediate triphammers. Toby will make a deal, Will's fate will be a footnote, Bartlet will write his memoirs, and CJ will get together with Danny and run General Electric. The big gut-punch will be Josh: his future with Donna, and--watch for it, gang--his future in the White House.