Plot
The episode is related from three different viewpoints that roll forward from exactly the same moment, the 5:45am wake up call they receive from the hotel. The stories are, in order: Donna (the Russell campaigner); Josh (the Santos campaign), and finally Vinick (his own campaign). The background news involves a chemical fire and explosion in Louisiana and the upcoming execution of a woman in Turkey for committing adultery.
The presidential candidates journey to Iowa to meet with the Iowa Corn Growers. Donna goes out to the rural areas where she finds a number of odd characters who are on the official Iowa caucus ballots. Josh freaks out when Santos pilots the plane taking them to Iowa. Will gets to see more of Bob Russell up close and doesn't seem that impressed. Democrats Russell and Santos, and Republican Vinick, do share one feature of the day: they're all told by their handlers that when they appear before the corn growers association they must support subsidies for ethanol as fuel, regardless of their true feelings. Though Russell and Santos choose to publicly support the subsidies and take the "pledge", Vinick chooses to be honest and tells the farmers that ethanol is a bad bet. The theme of Santos torn between what he believes and what he should say continues in this episode. In a scene between him and Vinick it is evident he admires the stand the Republican made (it's also revealed that the two men like and respect each other, and once worked together on an immigration bill that died in committee) also they talk about the Santos education plan. Finally, though, Josh thinks Santos is able to see the "bigger picture", although his wife is evidently annoyed at his Volte-face.
Josh and Donna are staying in the same hotel, in opposite rooms, and each are finding it very difficult to keep away from the old, easy intimacy they both shared. Josh almost knocks on Donna's door at the very end of the day but hesitates and then walks back to his room and Donna sees him through the peephole.
Read more about this topic: King Corn (The West Wing)
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—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
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—John Dryden (1631–1700)