West Wing made me want to vote for a Republican tonight.

[searchingforlight]

God, what's happening to me!!

[LSdemocrat]

1. Are they making Alan Alda's character that impressive?

[Hippo_Tron]

2. I think that Vinick will be Santos' running mate

BTW Arnie Vinick Republicans don't exist in real life. And unfortunately neither does Jed Bartlett.

[Shopaholic]

3. Ah--the power of Alan Alda--

a liberal in real life. :dem:

[searchingforlight]

5. I knew that. Phew - I guess I am desperate for a person who talks

the talk and walks the walk.

I was sorely disappointed in many Dems today. Can't think of one I would vote for in 2008.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. The thing is that Vinick and Santos are both right, as is Josh

I agree with Josh about Ethanol. Of course Santos is right about the issue but it's a sacrifice that's well worth it. Politics is a game, a game that Josh is VERY VERY good at (I wish we had him in real life). Josh is working for Santos because he wants another Jed Bartlett in the white house. Josh knows that Hoynes and Russell are not Bartlett, Santos is. Josh wants Santos to get elected and small things like the ethanol issue are worth sacrificing because Santos can do so much good for things like education and healthcare.

As far as the education thing goes, both Santos and Vinick are right. Vinick is right that too much government bureaucracy can be bad. Santos is right in the fact that school boards and parents aren't doing the job and ultimately somebody needs to hold them accountable. Again I have a feeling that they will run on the same ticket and work together to form some kind of education plan that mixes these two ideas.

[B0S0X87]

14. you're right- politics is a game

Which is why I don't understand why DUers go apeshit whenever one of our senators deigns to compromise or agree with the opposition.

[BrklynLiberal]

21. I think they will run against each other.

[Mojambo]

19. I posed this very theory a while back

All the spoilers I've read indicate that this is NOT going to happen.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

4. Repeat after me, it is fiction, it is not real, it is fiction

although I do find it a stretch to try and convince an audience that Alda could be anything but a liberal. He has a real fantasy character role - one that doesn't exist - a compassionate, thinking republican. Good for TV dramas - rare than hen's teeth everywhere else.

[SharonAnn]

6. I used to know some but I think they're extinct

[Radio_Lady]

7. Alan Alda's a wonderful actor!

Last night, we watched the comedy "Flirting With Disaster" from 1996. Alan Alda plays a middle aged hippie married to Lily Tomlin. Other actors are George Segal, Mary Tyler Moore, Tea Leoni and Ben Stiller. If you want to have a good laugh, rent this one or see it on cable.

I hope he wins the Oscar, although his performance as a Maine senator in "The Aviator" was hampered by his New York accent!

All he has to do is smile, and I'll forgive him!

[Darth_Ole]

9. West Wing tonight made me want to puke.

It was probably the worst written episode of the show I've ever seen.

The dialogue was piss-poor and the plotting was terrible.

I miss Aaron Sorkin. Thank god the first few seasons are on Bravo. It's hard to think the crap being produced now is part of the same show.

And Jimmy Smits sucks. He's a terrible actor and he's not presidential enough to play a role like that. And the actual character Santos sucks, too. He can't think on his feet and he's not the Nobel Prize mind that Bartlett is.

And that's another point. Where the hell have Bartlett and Leo been this season? I mean, I know it's campaign season and all, but they used to be the driving force of the show. Martin Sheen and John Spencer are two giants of actors. Now the show's principle players are Josh, Will, and Donna. There's no way a show can thrive with 2-D type characters like these.

This used to be the best written show in television history, in my opinion. What the hell happened?

[Bake]

10. At least I have the first three seasons on DVD!

The GREAT episodes, like Shibboleth, Two Cathedrals, etc.

Bake

[Red State Blues]

23. What the hell happened?

"I miss Aaron Sorkin. Thank god the first few seasons are on Bravo. It's hard to think the crap being produced now is part of the same show."

Sorkin leaving is what happened.

I disagree with you though, last weeks show was the worst written ever, tonights show was just the most boring.

[Cleita]

11. I don't think there are any Republicans out there anymore

like the one Alan Alda is portraying, a Rockefeller Republican. Too bad they don't depict the real racist Republicans like Trent Lott or Bill Thomas, but then everyone wouldn't watch the show in disgust.

[mitchum]

12. Yes there are...and their names are Clinton

[Cleita]

13. Yeah, the DLCers did cross my mind.

eom

[dflprincess]

15. I wonder if they're using Alda's character as a way to stress

what the Republicans in the real world are like today? I keep expecting them to bring in a neocon character that destroys Alda.

[Cleita]

16. That would be a good plot line. I hope they do.

Maybe this would show the Kool-Aid drinking Bushbots the difference.

[Lisabtrucking]

17. Maybe these will change your mind from wanting to be a

republican. The republicans support going to war with Lie's and doing this to children.
www.zonaeuropa.com/01467.htm

[lonestarnot]

18. NOT NEVER DOUBLE NEGATIVE NOT!

}(

[question everything]

20. Except the Alan Alda character no longer exists

A moderate articulate - dare I say intellectual? - Republican who actually believes in small government.

Also, you have to realize that the Alda character is a senator who thought about it and decided to run for President after researching the topic on his own.

The "Santos" character was going to retire and in the last minute was drafted by "Josh" to submit his candidacy in the last minute and did not have the time to think about the campaign.

[Mojambo]

22. They're purposely writing the Santos campaign off to a slow start.

To build drama for a come from behind victory.

[Red State Blues]

24. I wanted to strangle Alda when

He slammed fair trade. I never imagined someone would distort the idea so much that it would turn into paying workers in Malaysia our minimum wage. I don't expect that will be the last time I'll hear it now.

I know Alda's liberal and I know that the show is fiction; I still believe that line will grow "legs".