"West Wing" In Real Politics

ePolitix.com (United Kingdom):
"In a move made famous by the West Wing TV series, ministers have been flooding the media with a series of potentially embarrassing stories.

In the US television series White House staffers release all their bad news on one day in a bid to prevent the media covering all of it.

The tactic is described as "taking out the trash".

Adopting the same approach on Thursday, the government launched what was presumably a co-ordinated media barrage of bad news.

The announcements included:"



From the National Review:
"The Golden State, then, has shifted reliably into the Democratic column, so much so that it's now taken for granted by the Party of Jackson.

Therein lies a glimmer of opportunity for the GOP, though. If a Republican candidate could land California, or even come close, he could wreak havoc at the DNC. This horrific prospect has provided dramatic fodder for The West Wing's current season, where a (moderate) Republican senator from California is the favorite to capture his home state and with it the presidency.

Could life imitate art? Possibly, if Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has anything to say about it. Romney recently paid a visit to the Golden State to participate in the meeting of the Republican Governors' Association, of which he was named chairman.

I heard him speak at a meeting of the Fairbanks Republican Women Federated (FRWF), one of the most successful groups of its kind. His movie-star-handsome looks render him instantly appealing, at least superficially, in a state like California.

But Romney's potential appeal to residents of our most populous state runs deeper than appearances. Although he is increasingly socially conservative, Romney's background and governing style — not to mention the fawning profiles that have graced the pages of both liberal and conservative magazines — suggest he might command support in California."


From Burlington Free Press on a mayoral debate:
"He and other Democrats said it is important to hear the candidates debate issues of city budgets and the employee pension fund, crime, and other issues. An open forum "would energize the party and the candidates' supporters, but, most importantly, it would give the citizens of Burlington an opportunity to see where the candidates stand," Mahoney said.

"It would be wonderful to have a real debate, like the West Wing model," said Jerry Manock, a product design engineer with a long interest in city politics. "That would be very refreshing."

From the L.A. Times on Republican John Campbell getting elected to the California senate over the founder of the Minuteman project:
"Gilchrist, 56, a retired accountant from Aliso Viejo, upstaged the others in what would otherwise have been a routine exercise to anoint a GOP successor to former Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), now chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Gilchrist controlled the debate, focusing almost solely on illegal immigration. His views became fodder for radio and television talk shows and even a small mention in NBC's political drama, "The West Wing." In his television and radio ads, he suggested that his performance in the election would send a message to President Bush."