West Wing watchers

[prolesunited]

I kind of lost interest last season, but Jimmy Smits has been added to the mix and now they are hitting the campaign trail.

In the foreshadowing for the season, it shows him wanting to run a different kind of campaign and eschewing politics as usual. I think they are going to pattern Smits after Dean. He said he didn't want to be a cookie cutter candidate and described himself as the kamikaze candidate.

Anyone care to weigh in?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I sitll miss Mr. Sterling. I got into that more than WW

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Save this nation one town, county, and state at a time!
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[youngred]

2. I don't think it's modeled on Dean so much

as the idea of the "good" politican. The Mr. Smith goes to Washington type guy.

[WestHoustonDem]

3. In that way he's like Dean, but not in others - more of a composite

Smits' character grew up poor and has a brother who barely graduated high school and is functionally illiterate. And he's a Congressman from Houston.

[Cheswick2.0]

4. I didn't think the show was very good last year

something was just off. But they have really improved both the writing and the direction. I am loving this campaign so far.

I was thinking the same thing about the Schmits character being somewhat like Dean. I think they may be borrowing a bit from him and some other ideas or candidates.
But them I always thought Jed Bartlett was a bit of Al Gore too. I remember one show where Toby told the President it's okay to be the smartest guy in the room.

[question everything]

5. Certainly parallel lines between his comments about New Hampshire

and Dean's about Iowa primaries of few years back - that came back to haunt him

I did not follow the Dean campaign closely so cannot comment more.

[prolesunited]

7. I don't think it's going to be a mirror image

but I do see some riffing. It will be interesting if they move into Internet fund-raising and grassroots organizing.

I also liked Smits comment on tapping Hispanics for money: "I don't want to be the brown candidate; I want to be the American candidate."

[question everything]

8. Yes, I've noticed that and thought about Barack Obama who said

something similar to the Black Congressional caucus. (and caused me to start a thread that riled many, asking what we mean by "African American" since I don't think that Obama would like to be painted in the same colors as Jesse Jackson.)

[SayitAintSo]

6. Just watched it again tonight ... liking it....

Had my doubts at first ... It's starting to get really good. I still miss the old West Wing... I watch Bravo Monday marathons at times ... still gets me misty.... The Smits character is interesting I see the dean influence... breath of fresh air...

[madison2000]

9. I love Josh, but this Josh and Donna tension is killing me

:crazy: