Have we seen this election before? Life imitates art as the current election cycle continues to echo the fictional 2006 Preisdential Election on The West Wing. Will the debates then be live and unmoderated like the seventh season episode "The Debate"? Will the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate suffer the same fate? And what would two-term President Josiah Bartlett say to Senator Barack Obama? (Final link warning: fan fiction by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin)
posted by crossoverman on Sep 21, 2008 - 52 comments

Facebook the Movie by Aaron Sorkin
posted by meech on Aug 30, 2008 - 22 comments

"If that's what's on, then that's what they watch. It's either that, or a cricket match between Scotland and Bermuda. Now, I am an educated man, Charlie, but when someone tries to explain cricket to me, all I want to do is hit him in the head with a teapot." Cricket Explained (An American Viewpoint) for those, following a recent cricket thread, that want to get it, but don't quite yet.
posted by nthdegx on Aug 3, 2006 - 41 comments

And the winner is . . . irrelevant, as NBC has canceled The West Wing after seven seasons. Sagging ratings—not John Spencer's death—have been blamed for the axe falling on the unconsummated ascendancy of Matt Santos or Arnold Vinick.
posted by Saucy Intruder on Jan 22, 2006 - 50 comments

Leo McGarry! Where have you gone! RIP John Spencer.
posted by bluedaniel on Dec 16, 2005 - 100 comments

Don't catch all the West Wing Dialogue? Me either... The idea so offended my NPR supporting cum aging grad student sensibilities that I had to read why "Watching TV Makes You Smarter" (nyt, reg. req.). Am now completely sold on the argument for the Sleeper Curve.
posted by Wash Jones on Apr 24, 2005 - 71 comments

The West Wing debunker. I have grown to hate this show even though I agree with its politics. The show occasionally brings up interesting topics but it is so goddamned sanctimonious. I worry that people think this is how our executive branch works. I hope this isn't a double post.
posted by McBain on Oct 18, 2002 - 46 comments

West Wing is Fictional??? Just in case our friends in New Mexico are concerned, what happens on the West Wing this week cannot happen in New Mexico. "New Mexico has no tunnels" a press release, approved by state governor Gary Johnson, states. Whew...a load off my mind. Is this an example of government being very pro-active, or just plain insulting to the people of NM?
posted by JaxJaggywires on Apr 3, 2002 - 14 comments

Cure for Cancer in 10 Years? Anyone else see West Wing last night? Apparently, drugs called signal transduction inhibitors (STIs) - such as phenoxodiol, the drug referred to by Pres. Bartlet - are a reality, and early studies have shown their effectiveness in striking cancer's Achilles heel. Furthermore, in the Law and Order episode which followed, Gleevec was mentioned as the key to curing a type of leukemia, which is in fact a remarkably potent STI recently FDA-approved. Perhaps Aaron Sorkin isn't spinning a fantasy tale as I initially thought -- any oncologists in the house? [If Newsgurus doesn't let you in, try Google's cache.]
posted by padjet1 on Jan 17, 2002 - 27 comments

"The President" Urges You to Speak Out Against Drilling in the Arctic Refuge Martin Sheen takes advantage of his bully pulpit. "I'm not a president, but I play one on TV."
posted by nickmark on Jan 16, 2002 - 30 comments

What did you think of West Wing last night? Beyond the fact that it was preachy and simplistic, did you think that it was a good or bad approach to handling complex issues through a show that is respected for presenting political dialogues in a pop culture format? Additionally, what do you think of the way in which pop culture seems to have returned to normal? This topic appears in both the NY Times and USA Today, today, as it becomes clear that prime time ratings are stronger than ever after the attacks.
posted by wsfinkel on Oct 4, 2001 - 27 comments

The 2001 Emmy nominations were announced yesterday. The Sopranos and West Wing came in with 22 and 18 nominations each. Are these really the best that teevee has to offer?
posted by ahughey on Jul 13, 2001 - 38 comments

West Wing Web War! Mickey Kaus shows you how to personally bother Aaron Sorkin and get him to reply to you. This particular pissing match is about writers' credits and compensation, but I'm posting it because it highlights one of the truly unique things about the net/web: It provides a way for celebrities to come out and interact with their fans (or foes) without giving up any of their privacy. Have you ever found yourself keyboard to keyboard with a Big Name? Or know where any of them hang out?
posted by aaron on Jul 3, 2001 - 18 comments

Any West Wing fans out there? (If you don't watch the show (one episode is, apparently, enough :-), this probably won't be all that funny.)
posted by baylink on Jun 19, 2001 - 6 comments

West Wing Drug Bust Producer of West Wing busted with drugs...perhaps he was not digesting.
posted by Postroad on Apr 16, 2001 - 14 comments

The best president you'll never have, Martin Sheen of The West Wing, has some interesting things to say about George W. Bush's alcoholism. Sayeth Sheen: "When it was revealed that he had a DWI [a charge of driving while impaired], he said he kept it a secret because he didn't want his daughters to know. That is so much horseshit… In the [twelve step] program, we say very clearly: The only things that hurt us are our secrets... I don't go after him because I think he lacks character. It's obvious to me how little character he possesses."
posted by tranquileye on Nov 15, 2000 - 21 comments