Walk and Talk the Vote
September 20, 2012 8:27 AM   Subscribe

What happens when a former star of the West Wing's sister decides to run for the Supreme Court of the State of Michigan? This.
posted by timsteil (71 comments total) 57 users marked this as a favorite
 
This 4 minutes is better than all of The Newsroom! Love it!
posted by PapaLobo at 8:32 AM on September 20, 2012 [8 favorites]


It made me laugh, it made me cry...
posted by Marky at 8:32 AM on September 20, 2012


Oh god I'm so mad that there's a finite amount of West Wing in the universe.
posted by penduluum at 8:33 AM on September 20, 2012 [14 favorites]


Hah! The Louis CK joke was funny too. Great.
posted by lazaruslong at 8:36 AM on September 20, 2012 [3 favorites]


I don't live in Michigan, but I'm considering moving there right now just so I can vote in this election. I didn't even like Mary McCormick on TWW, but if it means more West Wing, whatever it takes.

But, Jesus, who did Martin Sheen's makeup? Those eyebrows are straight out of something... I don't even know.
posted by honeybee413 at 8:38 AM on September 20, 2012


Did you catch the inside baseball?

Martin Sheen saying "What? It's an Apocaplyse Now?"
posted by timsteil at 8:40 AM on September 20, 2012 [39 favorites]


Well that made my day!
posted by brundlefly at 8:42 AM on September 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


Aren't half of those people dead?
posted by blue_beetle at 8:45 AM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


Also, you could make a nice sandwich with all the ham and cheese they've packed into those 4 minutes.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:45 AM on September 20, 2012 [7 favorites]


Did you catch the inside baseball?

You mean, the "check the message boards" line? Sadly not about us.
posted by psoas at 8:48 AM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


So it will turn out that the Arrested Development reunion movie is just a promotional spot for Jeffery Tambor's niece who is running for State Comptroller...

...except at the end of the movie, there will be a montage of little Nellie Tambor pooping on a potty at age six, failing and crying at a spelling bee at age ten, and having a teenage hissyfit at 15. "That's why you don't use your family connections to make political ads!" the credits will read.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:02 AM on September 20, 2012 [9 favorites]


I wanted to say something scathing about how they even managed to get in the whole Brilliant Men Explain Politics To Dumb Ladies trope ("explain this to me like I'm a two-year-old", CJ? Really?), but I'm far too charmed at seeing these guys together again to care.

DAMN YOU SORKIN
posted by fight or flight at 9:03 AM on September 20, 2012 [3 favorites]


Sorkin doing a Sorkin parody is better than Sorkin being Sorkin.
posted by Catchfire at 9:07 AM on September 20, 2012 [8 favorites]


Needs more Margaret. Also, I laughed when Martin Sheen put on his jacket and nearly clocked a couple of people. Somebody was telling me just the other day that they can't stand the entirety of the West Wing because of the way Martin Sheen puts on his jacket.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 9:11 AM on September 20, 2012 [4 favorites]


Somebody was telling me just the other day that they can't stand the entirety of the West Wing because of the way Martin Sheen puts on his jacket.

I only recently found out that he has to do it that way because due to medical complications when he was born, his left arm is shorter than his right one and has limited lateral movement. I always thought it was just a badass way of putting on a jacket.
posted by fight or flight at 9:14 AM on September 20, 2012 [5 favorites]


"So it's an apocalypse now?" said Captain Willard. Nice.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 9:16 AM on September 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


I almost forgot how much it helped me, having an imaginary admistration back then. Great campaign ad. I miss WW.
posted by Flex1970 at 9:16 AM on September 20, 2012 [3 favorites]


Can anyone explain how I know who Lily Tomlin is yet I have no idea who Lily Tomlin is?
posted by univac at 9:16 AM on September 20, 2012


:) This made my day.
posted by zarq at 9:17 AM on September 20, 2012


Lily Tomlin is also from Michigan.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 9:18 AM on September 20, 2012


Toby Ziegler is my favorite fictional character in any medium. He deposed Gandalf. In many ways, actually, he IS Gandalf.

I bought Amazon Prime strictly so I could stream West Wing to my iPad.
posted by dirtdirt at 9:24 AM on September 20, 2012 [19 favorites]


I could not get enough WW when it was on, mainly so I could slip into a fantasy of a Democrat President, and not the nightmare we had. But now, even though I have some serious frustration with Obama, WW seems so much less...inspiring than it did. However, this was nice to see everybody in their old roles again.
posted by gofargogo at 9:28 AM on September 20, 2012


Hillary: Burmese politicians tried to learn about democracy by watching reruns of The West Wing.
posted by timsteil at 9:37 AM on September 20, 2012 [3 favorites]


Reelect President Santos... Vote real hope and change in November!
posted by mfoight at 9:47 AM on September 20, 2012 [1 favorite]


most of all I miss highly excitable Josh Lyman. remember when he discovered the internet and really it was Sorkin being old-man angry at message boards? yeah
posted by ninjew at 9:47 AM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


"I only recently found out that he has to do it that way because due to medical complications when he was born, his left arm is shorter than his right one and has limited lateral movement. I always thought it was just a badass way of putting on a jacket."

Wait... if you face the inside of a jacket, put your hands kind of in the sleeve holes, and then whip it around the right way to wear, wouldn't that entail kind of crossing your arms in midair, then putting them in the correct sleeveholes, then down?

That's quite a bit of gymnastics, considering. I wonder if he'd be good at pizza spinning too.
posted by markkraft at 9:48 AM on September 20, 2012


dirtdirt: "Toby Ziegler is my favorite fictional character in any medium."

I like to pretend that Richard Schiff's character in Jurassic Park 2 is actually Toby. JURASSIC PARK 2 SPOILER: This is awesome until he gets ripped in half by a couple of tyrannosaurs.
posted by brundlefly at 9:49 AM on September 20, 2012 [6 favorites]


"He went on to tell me that they were trying to teach themselves by watching old segments of 'The West Wing. I said, 'I think we can do better than that, Mr. Speaker.'"

No We Can't! No We Can't!
posted by markkraft at 9:52 AM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


Still smiling. It speaks well of the people and their relationships that they would come together for a friend and make one hell of a political spot. I still haven't recovered from wanting to live in that parallel universe.
posted by pdxpogo at 10:02 AM on September 20, 2012 [4 favorites]


There's also a generic version just about voting in the nonpartisan section of the ballot. More background about both videos here.
posted by me3dia at 10:04 AM on September 20, 2012 [5 favorites]


Toby Ziegler is my favorite fictional character in any medium. He deposed Gandalf.

It took me a while to realize you meant in your personal fictional character hierarchy -- I was racking my brain to remember a movie where a heroic, or at least deserving, Richard Schiff deposed an evil Ian McKellen.

I confess at this time that I never really fully embraced TWW -- even though I'm a confirmed Sports Night fanboy. Or perhaps it's because of that, since producing TWW was a big factor in why SN failed and got cancelled. But I do have affection for individual characters and their tropes.

Those eyebrows are straight out of something... I don't even know.

Mr. Estevez looks more Hispanic the older he gets. I think he's ready for a meme-worthy I DON'T ALWAYS PLAY PRESIDENTS ... BUT WHEN I DO I PLAY JED BARTLET.

Sorkin doing a Sorkin parody is better than Sorkin being Sorkin.

Sorkin didn't write it -- Mary McCormack's husband, TV director, Michael Morris did.

I was a bit disappointed they went with the "hot" language -- with all the appearance/male-gaze stuff we've been through lately. Or maybe that's just MeFi.

Anyway, it appears we've almost crashed her campaign site.
posted by dhartung at 10:13 AM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


It's an awesome spot at just about every level I can think of, up to and including I live in Michigan and can and WILL vote for you-know-who.
posted by reacheround at 10:16 AM on September 20, 2012


Other than Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen, it seemed like everyone else had been trapped in a time warp and had not aged at all (although it's hard to tell with Richard Schiff. He's probably looked 50 years old since he was a teenager).
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:21 AM on September 20, 2012 [5 favorites]


I was a bit disappointed they went with the "hot" language -- with all the appearance/male-gaze stuff we've been through lately.

To be (slightly) fair, they also gave Josh an "I'm cute" line.
posted by Etrigan at 10:28 AM on September 20, 2012


Toby's beard had a LOT more white in it, I know that much.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:32 AM on September 20, 2012


I love and miss The West Wing, but that video makes me feel like I did at my 10-year high school reunion, realizing that everyone has swelled and begun to sag and then remembering that I have, too.

Pray tell what is this land where 28-year-olds are over the hill, that I might go there and be their king.
posted by psoas at 10:44 AM on September 20, 2012 [10 favorites]


Ooh! She taught at my law school!
posted by leotrotsky at 10:45 AM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


It's hard enough getting people to vote in the partisan section:
"It's okay that I voted for him in both columns, right"?
posted by ceribus peribus at 10:47 AM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


In all seriousness, Bridget McCormack is an awesome candidate. She is the associate dean of clinical affairs at the University of Michigan - what lots of lawyers would consider a dream job - and is willing to give it up to run for the Court because she is that serious in her beliefs about the justice system.

The clinics have various programs, including working to free wrongfully convicted individuals, helping immigrants, victims of domestic violence, non-profits and small businesses. As dean she's helped expand the official legal clinical offerings, so that more students can be involved - which helps produce better lawyers, and helps more people access and navigate the legal system.

She's one of the most gifted legal practitioners I've ever seen. Smart, engaged and engaging, and willing to fight. She's had practical experience AND is a legal scholar. I really hope she wins.

[of course, I might be biased, as a former student]

[And, as far as I'm concerned, if it means more west wing in the world, then, HELL YES.]
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:53 AM on September 20, 2012 [11 favorites]


I DON'T ALWAYS PLAY PRESIDENTS ... BUT WHEN I DO I PLAY JED BARTLET.

Unless I play Greg Stillson.
posted by dirtdirt at 11:10 AM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


This is awesome. And I hate that it exists. Because electing judges is insane.
posted by atomicstone at 11:28 AM on September 20, 2012 [3 favorites]


Certainly voting for judges on the basis of their Hollywood connections is insane
posted by IndigoJones at 11:29 AM on September 20, 2012


@IndigoJones

Did you see dpx.mfx's comment above?
posted by timsteil at 11:32 AM on September 20, 2012


Certainly voting for judges on the basis of their Hollywood connections is insane
Well, sure-but it's bad, period. Among other reasons, Caperton v. Massey never would have gone to court because Don Blankenship would have been unable to fund the reelection campaign of the West Virginia Supreme Court Justice.
posted by atomicstone at 11:46 AM on September 20, 2012


Yeah, and keep in mind that the entire video is based, in part, on a concern that has nothing to do with McCormack herself. Sure she wants to be elected. But she also wants people to participate in the system, which is why she has been talking about non-partisian elections in general. I truly believe she thinks people should take the supreme court race seriously and means it when she says "vote the non-partisan part of the ballot," even if you aren't voting for her.
posted by dpx.mfx at 11:49 AM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


Did you see dpx.mfx's comment above?

Yep. Irrelevant to my comment. Let her run on her record, not her sister's filmography.

keep in mind that the entire video is based, in part, on a concern that has nothing to do with McCormack herself.

Oh, please. Would this be a PSA if she weren't running for office? They needed a hook and this was the best they could come up with. I get it, it's PR 'n' politics. But it's still absurd.
posted by IndigoJones at 12:19 PM on September 20, 2012


It was good fun to see the old gang back together again, and this was a clever and relevant use of the "West Wing" universe to make a real-world point. Ms. McCormack seems like a good candidate, I hope she wins.

dirtdirt, I agree that Toby Ziegler is a great character, thanks in no small part to Richard Schiff's acting. I still can tear up just thinking about the episode where the dead veteran is found in a park with Toby's business card in his coat pocket...
posted by Nat "King" Cole Porter Wagoner at 12:23 PM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


But if you and everyone you knew in high school have avoided the mid-20s swell, I'd like a case of whatever you've been drinking.

Oh boy. We're gay. So maybe you want to be careful what you ask for...
posted by jph at 12:25 PM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


Toby Ziegler is my favorite fictional character in any medium. He deposed Gandalf. In many ways, actually, he IS Gandalf.

I like that, despite the fact this ad is aimed at voters, they didn't disguise Toby's contempt for everyone (it's not rocket science). It felt true to the show.

She is the associate dean of clinical affairs at the University of Michigan

Oh, that makes the ad make a ton more sense. They were rattling off all the different great things she's done, and I kept thinking to myself who would vote for this woman, she clearly can't hold down a job, but it she's a clinical dean it makes sense.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:31 PM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


No, of course the PSA wouldn't show up if she wasn't running for office. Her sister clearly called in some favors, and I doubt she would have done that just for the hell of it.

But, I do absolutely 100% think that if McCormack had turned down the opportunity to run, she'd still be beating the drum that people need to vote for Supreme Court Justices. People just don't vote that part of the ballot. And they should. If we're going to have elected justices, then we need an informed electorate stepping up to decide who they should be.

It's strange. I've never personally known a candidate for anything outside of high school office before. I've spent a lot of time lamenting the fact that good people don't run for state or federal office, because, really, what sane people want to do that? Now, I might argue that she isn't quite sane to give up a tenured professorship at a prestigious law school that clearly loves her to run for elected office. But I've talked to her. I think she's doing this for all of the right reasons.

[I should note that I'm not associated with her campaign, other than as a donator and a supporter. She's been put on the ticket by the democrats; I'm not a registered democrat or republican, and really lean libertarian/green, if anything. I just think she's an impressive candidate.]
posted by dpx.mfx at 12:38 PM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


That feels more like The West Wing than the whole of the real season five after John Wells had taken over and didn't know what he was doing and had Josh shout at a building. I've never forgiven him for what he did to Toby. Wells I mean, bot Josh who didn't have a choice because he's a fictional construct.
posted by feelinglistless at 1:50 PM on September 20, 2012




Super weird to watch! They look so old.
posted by snorkmaiden at 2:17 PM on September 20, 2012


I miss Leo.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:18 PM on September 20, 2012 [13 favorites]


Not everyone is happy about this.
posted by HuronBob at 5:15 PM on September 20, 2012


Can't help but wonder what the man himself thinks about this.

(You know who I mean. I refuse to type his name.)
posted by kjh at 5:55 PM on September 20, 2012


Did you catch the inside baseball?

Literally, I did! Go Allison Janney!
posted by limeonaire at 5:57 PM on September 20, 2012


...Oh man. I had to watch it again. I'm so sad that little world doesn't actually exist on its own continuing timeline, totally independent from the rest of reality, where all of those characters just hang out and fight for justice and say totally witty things to each other all day every day for the rest of time.
posted by limeonaire at 6:07 PM on September 20, 2012 [7 favorites]


I love these people so very, very much.

I loved them very slightly more when Josh was hot, but it's a testament to how much I love them that I still love them now, even with bloaty, old Josh.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:36 PM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


I'm so sad that little world doesn't actually exist on its own continuing timeline, totally independent from the rest of reality, where all of those characters just hang out and fight for justice and say totally witty things to each other all day every day for the rest of time.

It sort of does, after a fashion, over on twitter. (With bonus Leo and Mrs Landingham)
posted by anastasiav at 6:51 PM on September 20, 2012 [4 favorites]


Ahahaha they Even got FUCKING CAROL (which is her name. look at that smug look on her face. Fucking Carol.)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:05 PM on September 20, 2012


allison janey seems like she should be a doonesbury character.
posted by joeblough at 8:07 PM on September 20, 2012 [5 favorites]


Needs more Charlie!!
posted by dogwalker at 8:55 PM on September 20, 2012 [2 favorites]


Wait... if you face the inside of a jacket, put your hands kind of in the sleeve holes, and then whip it around the right way to wear, wouldn't that entail kind of crossing your arms in midair, then putting them in the correct sleeveholes, then down?

The collar is down. It's like you're putting on a shirt over your head or something. My mom taught me to do it this way when I was a little kid.
posted by Night_owl at 3:07 AM on September 21, 2012


The collar is down. It's like you're putting on a shirt over your head or something.

That's the same technique, but I think what Martin Sheen does is start by facing the back of the jacket, in the normal upright position, and reaching his hands into the correct sleeve holes from behind at the very beginning. Then it's a matter of making the body of the jacket do a backflip over the head and onto his back, while the arms rotate in the (usual) sleeves.

He seems to usually do it over the one shoulder instead of directly over his head. I didn't realize that the fact that you only have to lift one arm to do it that way was his motivation for the whole maneuver.
posted by ceribus peribus at 3:56 AM on September 21, 2012


Ahahaha they Even got FUCKING CAROL

But where's Margaret?
posted by Rangeboy at 7:18 AM on September 21, 2012


They sent her to prison for forging the President's signature...
posted by jacquilynne at 7:57 AM on September 21, 2012 [2 favorites]


Thought 1) Dios mio! Mr. Estevez is looking older!
Thought 2) DIOS MIO! How much makeup did he ask for in that close up?
Thought 3) What Welkie said about 10 year reunions.

Also prefer the generic one -- tying this to a campaign commercial feels sort of dirty.
posted by cavalier at 10:42 AM on September 21, 2012


The West Wing Dream of Democracy.
posted by timsteil at 2:59 PM on September 21, 2012


My mom taught me to do it this way when I was a little kid.

Same here, I learned to put on a jacket that way in kindergarten.
posted by cribcage at 6:20 PM on September 24, 2012




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