I never actually watched an episode of “West Wing”. I think I thought it was an untruthful show. Rightly or wrongly, George Bush was President of the United States and it seemed to me that Democrat supporters in Hollywood (Fux News would say “Hollywood Elite”) got together and created the counter-factual President Bartlett.
That basic untruth never worked for me. In reality USA elected Bush but “West Wing” sold around the world as a more acceptable version of American values. With the election of real life President Obama, fictional Former President Bartlett went into the (fictional?) History Books.
For some reason that I never understood, young political nerds own box sets of “West Wing” and are always quoting from it.
But the best show on TV at the minute, is “Veep” …actually it is now President Selina Meyer. From the British team that brought us “The Thick Of It” (a satire on British political life) we now have a satire on American political life. It is simply brilliant.
“West Wing” might have been a counter-factual version of Art imitating Life. But …if all goes well for the Democrats in November, it will be a case of Life Imitating Art. I cant see a Hillary Clinton White House being very different from a Selina Meyer White House.
When Henry Kissinger got the Nobel Peace Prize…..Satire died (Tom Lehrer)
I beg to differ. “President Hillary Clinton”.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
I’m afraid I’m one of the politico nerds with a “West Wing” box set (well, a 100+ video files on a home server). Yes, it was kinda nonsense, but at least it was hopeful, frequently humorous nonsense. I think that is why I couldn’t get into the “House of Cards”. Too unremittingly dour. That said, I love “Veep”. The recent episode where Selina Meyer’s mother was on life-support was cruelly, accurately brilliant. Louis-Dreyfus is just fantastic, one of the best comedic actors in the US.
I’m a Bernie Bros. The Clintons are just Trump with more street smarts and nous. Ok, maybe I’m being unfair but I really don’t take to them.
I was gonna write a piece on the similarities between the demographic/cultural changes in the Six Counties during the 1960s and the US in the present. The former led to Paisley, the latter to Trump. There is something about Trump that reminds me of the early-middle Paisley. Maybe I could persuade you to write it? 😉
There is certainly a similarity.
Paisley was cunningly unpleasant for a public persona at his worst yet seemingly in private he was kindly.
I have heard stories that he was particuarly kindly to political opponents who had suffered bereavement.
As to Veep, I think I am in love with Marjorie, the secret service bodyguard. Selinas face when she was told that Marjorie was a “lookalike”.
I never really rated Seinfeld so Louis-Dreyfus is a revelation.
A great ensemble cast and some great guests stars….Peter McNicholl and Martin Mull thoroughly enjoying themselves.