Were The West Wing writers psychic or just very clever in their reading of the political landscape?
Several writers, including Stephen Siilver at NorthStarWriters.com, have noticed that the current Presidential election is very similar to the election that The West Wing had in its final season and a half. The show had a Democrat that inspired people by his speeches but didn't have much experience (Matt Santos), a Republican from the West that even liberals liked because he wasn't too far right (Arnold Vinick), and a candidate that had already been in the White House as a VP (Bob Russell). Does that sound like Barack Obama, John McCain, and Hillary Clinton?
It's not a perfect comparison because there are enough elements to the story that are different (Obama is a Senator while Santos was a Congressman, there was a Democrat in office for 8 years, not a Republican, and Clinton is hardly the inept empty shirt that Russell was), but it's close enough to make you scratch your chin. And it gets more interesting when you look at the photo above. It was taken in September 2005, just when the new season of The West Wing was gearing up. Show producer and writer Eli Attie says that he actually modeled Santos after Obama! Attie was a speechwriter for Al Gore in 2000 and got to know about Obama through Obama staff member David Axelrod.
And as Paul Harvey says, and now you know the rest of the story.
[via Pop Candy]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-21-2008 @ 3:17PM
Jesse said...
I've been noticing the similarities myself actually. Glad to see I wasn't the only one. I thought Obama and Santos were very similar.
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2-21-2008 @ 3:21PM
Scott said...
I hope it ends the same way!
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2-21-2008 @ 4:03PM
Wii60 said...
You sick bastard, you want John Spencer to die again?
2-21-2008 @ 3:27PM
Oreo said...
Can I be a writer too? I have been telling people since January (it feels like longer) that if they don't understand what is going on to watch the 6th season of West Wing.
I too hope it ends the same way.
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2-21-2008 @ 3:34PM
John Howard said...
Well, if Obama asks me to be his running mate, I'm certainly turning him down.
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2-21-2008 @ 3:36PM
Mills said...
Hmmmm....I wonder at this year's Democratic Convention who's gonna take the Al Bundy role and make a surprise resurgence as a third candidate to take the Democratic nominiation.
And to continue the WW parallels, I would like to see during a debate both Obama and McCain step from behind their podiums and ask the production crew for wireless mics (which just happened to be ready for the WW guys) and conduct a passionate debate for a change.
And, if there's a nuclear reactor meltdown in Arizona (like in California for Hawkeye).
To finish it off, Jenna Bush changes her mind and does have a White House wedding, like Sheen's kid did in the last month of his presidency.
If all that happens, then I'll forgive NBC for cancelling Journeyman
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2-21-2008 @ 4:05PM
Oreo said...
One of the Bush twins will be getting married this year. ;)
4-30-2008 @ 12:52PM
Lizzie said...
John Edwards = Eric Baker (the guy who almost came back to win the nomination)
2-21-2008 @ 3:46PM
Gene Cowan said...
Except that the last 7 years weren't the Bartlet administration. Sadly.
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2-21-2008 @ 4:07PM
Wii60 said...
It's eery how many parallels there are.
The best part though, before John Spencer died (a devastating loss to a brilliant show), the script had Vinick in the White House. Let's make sure Obama's running mate stays alive and gets John McCain elected!
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2-21-2008 @ 4:45PM
Joey Geraci said...
America has done nothing to deserve four years of Bush Lite. Why would you wish such a calamity to befall this great country?
2-21-2008 @ 5:35PM
Wii60 said...
@Joey
I would think TV Squad is hardly the venue for a debate on the merits of the candidates. That said, it seems unwise to call Senator McCain "Bush lite".
2-21-2008 @ 6:53PM
Oreo said...
Yeah I would call him Bush 3. ;)
2-21-2008 @ 11:02PM
Franklin said...
@Joey Geraci
I'd wish it if for nothing else than to irritate a socialist dirtbag - california liberal like yourself.
You spend more time on this site spouting your tired political views than you do talking about television. Give it a rest you uninformed blowhard.
I know, move to Canada and that way you can get free healthcare. You know, the kind where you wait months to see a specialist thanks to government inefficiency. How a liberal idiot could ever think government can do ANYTHING better than private industry is beyond comprehension, but the fact that you do makes anything you say irrelevant and nothing beyond an annoyance.
2-21-2008 @ 4:49PM
Michael said...
An Obama Presidency with McCain as the VP would certainly be interesting as well. Let's be honest as well, if the Democratic nomination depends on an impassioned speech made by both candidates at the convention, there will only be one winner (thank God) since Hillary has the charisma of a brick wall (clap, clap, point, point).
But yeah, I have been noticing the similarities as well. When I watched The West Wing episode where things did come down to a convention floor flight, I remember thinking, "Yeah, I love you West Wing, but this plot coupled, with your ridiculous seasn 4 finale, is just never going to happen." To be clear, I still don't think a convention floor flight will happen this year, but I am not as sure as I was say, a couple of years ago, so kudos to the writers on that.
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2-21-2008 @ 5:10PM
Oreo said...
The "clap, clap, point, point" you forgot how her eyes come out of her head. It's really creepy.
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2-21-2008 @ 7:48PM
jim said...
and if hillary wins i guess we could say that ABC got it right with that sorry show with gina davis [ the name escapes me ] . people these are tv shows, not real life. west wing portrayed liberals as the 'good guys', with jed barlett riding in at the end of the show to save the day. but lets just pretend for a moment that a conservative president had mis=led the people about his health,bombed numerous countries, threatened countless world leaders, had a VP who was having affairs, etc....... the liberals would impeach, or worse. truth is, in real life the politicians are ruthless egomaniacs who will stop at nothing to get power. this goes for both parties.
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2-22-2008 @ 3:39AM
Joe said...
The show name you were looking for was 'Commander in Chief'. And lighten up.
2-21-2008 @ 7:59PM
George said...
I've been thinking this way too.
So now if McCain takes Huckabee as his running mate, that would fit the crazy right wing religious zealot position. And then Obama would have to take the older statesman with military experience as his VP....
But I wouldn't want to do that to Wesley Clark.
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2-22-2008 @ 1:04AM
jim said...
plus, the realacting was done by alan alda, playing the part of the republcan senator who lost to jimmy smits. alan alda as a republican !!!! now thats a stretch
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