West Wing...great suprise!!! Spoiler possibly

[greenbriar]

did anyone see this one coming???

[Rainbowreflect]

1. Not the VP choice!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. The West Wing won me back BIG TIME tonight

Brilliant. Everything about it was brilliant.

And Leo as VP candidate.

Who could have seen that?

Brilliant. Breathtaking.

[cynatnite]

3. It knocked me for a loop

It turned out much better than I anticipated and I absolutely love this ticket.

One question...who's the leak? Another one...is this an indictment of the bush WH over their ignoring the Plame leak?

[greenbriar]

5. CJ

is the leak

[cynatnite]

7. It could be Toby, too n/t

[Individualist]

10. CJ is too obvious

That's why I think it will turn out to be someone else.

[globalvillage]

11. I'm with you

I think it's CJ.

[EVDebs]

14. It's that little Kristin Chenoweth, who disclosed the possibility

she's expendable but I think she deserves to be a regular.

[Pithy Cherub]

25. If its her - did she do it at the behest

of Toby or CJ? Looks like it will be investigation time on the West Wing...

in CA so...I shall await the show...

[greenbriar]

26. who is she

the new media girl?

[JerseygirlCT]

53. I think Toby

I think he figured going to jail was an ok price to pay, if necessary, and he was thinking about what he'd do if one of those guys were his brother.

I thought CJ last week, but now I'm on the Toby. He just had some strange looks going Wednesday night.

And I loved that Santos speech! We are all broken. Ain't it the truth.

And, and, and, can you imagine how wonderful it would be for the country to have a choice between candidates like Santos and Vinick? Remember moderate/liberal Republicans? Am I just showing my age?

[WestHoustonDem]

4. I did! I called it at the start of the speech.

[greenbriar]

6. how did you

know to think about Leo?


Heck, I thought he was going to die

[WestHoustonDem]

19. It just hit me because he was talking about toleratance for

past medical/emotional problems.

[greenbriar]

20. oh I can see that now

and leo had a drinking problem as well

but he is clearly vetted.

[Horse with no Name]

8. I loved it!

I love Jimmy Smits--watched him in LA Law, NYPD Blue and love him in this.
I was disappointed when I thought he would resign--was glad to see such a moral politician.
These days, TV is the only place they exist.

[cynatnite]

9. There's a lot of wishful thinking on my part when I watch n/t

[greenbriar]

12. gives us hope

for the future

[jean]

13. does WW already have a big Hispanic viewership? If not...just wait

[greenbriar]

15. I don't know

but I have watched it from the start


I will be sad when Bartlett's term is over

[EVDebs]

16. Exit polls showing that the reports of Santos' demise were greatly

exaggerated (apologies to Mark Twain).

[Kilroy003]

17. Nope, that one was from left field alright.

Another poster mentioned the Cheney resemblance. The idealistic guy from TX and the hard-nosed elder statesman with a bad heart.

Imagine the palpable dichotomy between the real and fictional admin if Santos/McGary wins next season.

[greenbriar]

18. I wondered

if that was a subtle reference

[deadparrot]

21. My dad kept thinking it was unbelievable.

I just kept saying, "He's Cheney! Holy crap, it's Cheney!" :)

The drug thing is the only thing I really see as an issue. The alcoholism has been around since S1, and no one (including the Republicans) have cared very much. Massive numbers of politicians are divorced. Heart problems? See Cheney. Besides, it would seem like CoS is a much more time-consuming, physically and mentally stressful job. VP is hard, no doubt, but CoS is harder, I think.

The drug thing...don't know how that will play out. I mean, it's alread out there, people know it, so if the polls stay relatively stable, I don't see it as a huge issue. Vinick isn't exactly the most "morally straight" candidate the world has ever seen.

There'll be some good speeches next season. :)

[greenbriar]

22. drug thing?

I don't remember that?

[deadparrot]

23. Leo was addicted to pills

before the administration began. He was in treatment in the early 1990s. It was a bit of a scandal on the show; it came out during the first season, I think,

[Catch22Dem]

31. My god, was that in the first season?

Doesn't seem possible that it was that long ago. WOW

[deadparrot]

33. I think so...

First, maybe early second season...?

Second season was mainly Ainsley/Sam, the MS, and the shooting aftermath, and I know it couldn't be later than that.

[BigBearJohn]

43. I was moved when Santos said we are all "broken"

but pretending not to be.

Heavy stuff.

[seabeyond]

24. hey i actually got to watch most of it tonight, was GREAT

they are going to let alda win arent they. no no i want smitty to win

was a good show tonight. i always miss it being shower book and bedtime

[deadparrot]

27. Alda has stated many times recently that he doesn't

want to do a weekly series.

Of course, they could all be pulling the wool over our eyes, but I kind of doubt it.

[greenbriar]

28. It will be an interesting season

on a show I thought was ending

[seabeyond]

30. oh good to hear. thank you

i like to read the first chaprter of a book, read the last chapter then read the rest, lol lol

[deadparrot]

35. heh, me too...

Here's a couple quotes:

"Alda sounds eager to dig deeper into Vinick, but he's appropriately diplomatic about the character's chances of actually becoming president: "I have no plans at this time," he says with a chuckle. "I do not plan to take office.

"I look at this kind of realistically," he adds. "I have no idea what (the show's writers) have in mind, and I kind of doubt I would want to do a weekly show. But before I even get to a decision like that, what would they do with all these Democrats (on the White House staff) they have under contract if I won the election? I think we should all get serious here.""

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/printDS/51826.php

"Putting on my best Tim Russert imitation, I'm predicting Arnold Vinick won't be elected.

Actually, the votes - or the vote - already has been tabulated.

"I'm really not interested in doing a regular weekly series again," the 68-year-old actor said.

"And besides, they'd have to fire a bunch of Democrats who have contracts on the show. I don't think they'll do that," the congenial Alda added, referring to the series' numerous co-stars who are part of the Bartlet administration."

http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/000613.html

He is getting up there; he's older than Sheen, so this really doesn't surprise me.

[seabeyond]

36. i feel better

you guys that can just dig things up. i am awestruck, so impressed. cant even google myself. thanks

[EVDebs]

37. Alda's best acting job yet: make Repubs look "rational" ROFLAO

[deadparrot]

39. I've heard him quoted as saying

when he was apporached by TWW people, "If I can play a murderer, I can play a Republican."

:)

[EVDebs]

41. If you've got that on paper somewhere, DUers would love to reprint

It deserves repetition ! I'm reminded, also, of that movie The Corporation, and its premise: that corporations mimic behaviors of pathological 'persons' !

[deadparrot]

42. Aha...this is what it must have been from:

Known for supporting various liberal causes, Alda was asked for the umpteenth time how he can swallow his principles and play a Republican. "I'm an actor," said Alda. "I was never asked that when I played a murderer."

http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/W/West_Wing/2005/01/22/906328.html

LOL. Saw quite a few FR threads on this subject on Google. Wonder why they're so upset?

[EVDebs]

50. Thanks, deadparrot. You've done the Dems a great service.

BTW, did you notice this is from a Canadian source ? The part about both Zinnick and Santos being portrayed as 'someone you can have a beer with' speaks volumes about our current resident in the WH ! LOL !

Thanks, again.

[deadparrot]

52. No problemo. :)

Simple Googling...took about five seconds. :)

Either fictional candidate would be a dream compared to what we're stuck with now. If only America was so liberal as to nominate two candidates like Santos and Vinick...:crazy:

[erpowers]

29. Yes

I had heard before the beginning of the season that Smits had signed a long term contract with NBC. When he turned down the VP spot I was pretty certain that he would be the nominee.

[Ilsa]

32. Fabulous show! Leo's nom to VP threw me, but what a great

idea! All that experience to back up Santos' morality and passion and ability to lead!

CJ seems like the obvious choice, but I can't help but wonder if it is her. I wonder if maybe it will finally be Toby, with someone innocent prosecuted first.

[fryguy]

34. Santos rocks!

But the VP choice was out of left field, even for a TV show. Looks like the producers are determined to have Alan Alda win the election, because there's no way he's not now.

[RBHam]

38. This so sad, almost pathetic...

Reality doesn't measure up, does it?

I stopped watching The West Wing after the 2002 mid terms - I couldn't stand it anymore.

[WilliamPitt]

40. I missed it. What happened?

[greenbriar]

44. OH man you need to find replays of it

Santos won the nomination after 4/5 ballot votes

Hoynes dropped out baker screwed russell over and Santos became a young bartlett.


then they picked LEO to be VP

Best show in a LONG time

[Orangepeel]

45. the Santos campaign was over. The White House was strongarming him to quit

Russell was going to name the Governor of Pennsylvania as VP at a press conference right before the first ballot. That way, on the second ballot, all of PAs delegates would switch from Santos to Russell/Baker.

Then, Baker got the idea to get himself nominated from the floor. After the first ballot, he took PAs delegates from Santos, a bunch from Russell and almost all of Hoynes.

Then, a mystery fax showed up at the Santos and Russell headquarters about Baker's wife having been treated for depression. Josh and Will both wanted to use it, spinning it as "Baker wasn't vetted during the primary process and didn't disclose this. What else didn't he disclose?" Santos wouldn't use it. Russell did.

Then, it was deadlocked. The Whitehouse was leaning hard on Santos to drop out. He asked to address the delegates one more time. Instead of dropping out, he gave a great speech about how what happened to Baker's wife wasn't fair and nobody is perfect. You can't expect perfection from your candidates or representatives, you can just expect them to fight for you. Also, he's not going to drop out because the delegates need to pick their own nominee because that's what Democracy is all about. Of course, the crowd went wild.

Jed was watching on TV with family and staff. Someone (Abby? CJ?) reminded him that the speaker of the house forced him to nominate Russell as VP because he knew he couldn't win and it was time for Jed to pick his own successor.

So, Jed met with the head of the teachers' union and convinced him to support Santos, despite his opposition to teacher tenure. That was enough to swing New York, which gave Santos the nomination.

In a surprise move at the end, Santos picked Leo to be his VP. At the end of the episode, they showed Vinnic turn off the TV and say to his staff, "let's go win this thing."

[greenbriar]

46. wow

great play by play

[Orangepeel]

49. I just watched it

:-)

It was good!

[ProudToBeLiberal]

47. wait there are 3 parties vying for the Presidency?

Santos, Vinnic, and Alda?

[Orangepeel]

48. Vinnic (sp?) is the character played by Alda

so no, only Ds and Rs

[Fifth of Five]

51. I missed it.

;(

Was recording it on DVR from local NBC HDTV feed. Feed messed up completely - pixilated and jumpy sound.

Since most of the political stuff has been covered in other posts...What happened to the astronauts?