Thread by @ClaraJeffery

1/ So I’ve been re-watching West Wing. It started a few weeks ago when I was really sick (and lso thanks to @WestWingWeekly). But then I became fascinated about the then/now comparisons of (even a fictional portrayal of) politics. So I kept going.

A thread:

@WestWingWeekly 2/ First, let’s stipulate that this is a fantasy, where everybody is hyper-articulate and mostly decently noble and so forth. Depressing, however, how many of the debates are ~ unchanged, be it estate tax or wildlife corridors or what have you.

@WestWingWeekly 3/ It’s illuminating how the its portrayal of various factions within the left comport with today, or not. In the WW 90s/aughts, labor and environmentalism were pretty fundamentally opposed. Less so now b/c labor in part b/c job growth areas will not be in dirty energy.

@WestWingWeekly 4/ There are episodes on global worming but, excepting Sam, the key staff are utterly ignorant about this or really any environmental issues or even basic ecosystem facts and species. “What’s a lynx” etc.

@WestWingWeekly 5/ What's a lynx? Seriously? idk

@WestWingWeekly 6/ Even as it was a series that really featured strong and varied women, and trail breaking in doing so, man is it sexist, often. And re POC characters, there’s only Charlie…and Nancy and Fitz, who are powerful but not regulars. (Until Santos, of course.)

@WestWingWeekly 7/ Characters who you think represent certain tent poles of the left mysteriously flop to more centrist or far-left positions then their other positions would imply, for reasons that maybe made sense then or maybe was just easier for the writers?

@WestWingWeekly 8/ People in and opposed to administration are realpolitik but…also smart and even when maddening to the opposite site, smart in being so.

i can't even

@WestWingWeekly 9/ There’s a gun control episode where the shooter goes to church to shoot his wife and a concealed carry dude fires back and kills a 9 yo girl.

One death in a church shooting—even of a child—wouldn’t make the national news these days.

@WestWingWeekly 10/ BUT THE #1 THING: West Wing spends an entire season, plus many episodes in others, centered on: Could the American public handle a president who a) lied about his health b) might EVENTUALLY! be mentally incapacitated c) but even opponents know is good man.

$%!)$(&%!!!!!!!