Its been a while since I've written a "West Wing" diary. Since the show has been moved to sunday, I have to tape it & don't usually get to see it until later in the week. The new season continues the campaign to replace President Bartlet, between Texas Democratic Congressman Matt Santos & California Republican Senator Arnie Vinick.
The new series "Commander In Chief" is interesting in that it takes the formula of "West Wing" with a few variations. Unlike "West Wing", this series has a regular villian, along with the novelty of a female President being thrown into the job, & all of the stereotypes that result.
So lets talk about this week's episodes. (SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP)
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Commander In Chief
This series sometimes strains credulity, but I have to say that it is damn entertaining. Created by Rod Lurie, who did The Contender, Geena Davis stars as President Mackenzie Allen, who is the first woman & first independent President after the death of Republican Teddy Bridges. So far she's been portrayed as a moderate to liberal, who ran on the ticket with Bridges as an independent for the opportunity it presented to her, and to secure female votes for Bridges. She has to deal with Bridges' White House aides who view her as a a token official added to the ticket for show, with no business sitting in the Oval Office. She is opposed at every turn by the Republican Speaker Of The House Nathan Templeton (Donald Sutherland), who has eyes on the White House. If you looked up PRICK in the dictionary, Templeton's picture might be there. He makes cracks about Allen being mentally unstable if she goes into menopause while in the White House, and refers to her as "girl" on some occasions.
Last night dealt with President Allen trying to find a Vice President...
- The episode begins with Speaker Templeton eulogizing the late President Bridges before his burial at Arlington. The eulogy is only a eulogy in name only. It's actually a speech designed to box in the new President. He implies that whatever accomplishments she achieves will be owed to the late President Bridges, and part of the legacy he built. After the speech, he meets with Allen's Chief Of Staff, Jim Gardner, (one of the few holdovers from the Bridges administration who will give the new President a chance) to push names for VP.
- The White House Press Secreatary (a Bridges aide still on the job) is asked about President Allen's first military action. In the series premier, Allen ordered the military to rescue a woman who was going to be stoned to death for having a child out of wedlock in an African country. The Press Secreatary implies to the press that Allen had to consult congress & invoke the War Powers Act. The Press Secreatary deliberately did it to embarass Allen in front of the press. Chief Of Staff Gardner storms down to find out what's going on & demands the resignation of the Press Secreatary after it becomes clear that he has no loyalty to President Allen.
- President Allen's Husband, Rod Calloway (Kyle Secor), is still trying to get used to the position of First Gentleman. His protocol aide tells him what all of the first ladies have done in their roles. Apparently Senator Clinton was quite unorthodox in what she liked. Calloway still wants to be his wife's advisor while respecting the traditional role of spouse in the White House. He & President Allen are trying to lead their family into their White House roles, and are having some problems. Their daughter has issues with her mother. She loses her diary which has embarassing info about the President in it. This is one plot line that was built up, but went nowhere when it was revealed as an afterthought that the youngest daughter had it all along.
- The female Democratic Senate Majority Leader suggests a few names for VP, but Allen says she already has someone in mind. This is upset when Speaker Templeton leaks the name of former Republican Governor Tucker Baynes of Oklahoma to the press as Allen's choice. The White House believes it's Templeton trying to choose Allen's VP for her. However, it's later revealed that Templeton wanted to force the nomination on Allen & then have it blow up in her face when sexual harrasment charges from Baynes past would be revealed.
- Allen's choice is General Warren Keaton (Peter Coyote), who was her Democratic VP opponent. Keaton is described as an economic genius who won a war without losing a single American life. At first he acts like he doesn't want the job because of its lack of power, but is eventually swayed by Allen that they could do some good work & serve their country. Speaker Templeton watching the announcement of his nomination to VP on television, vows to stop confirmation. I have to believe that if this somehow happened in the real world, the Republicans would go batshit. An elected Republican administration is replaced by an Independent President & a Democrat Vice President?
The West Wing
Who will be the next President? We won't find out till March of 2006. In the story, we're about 100 days away from election day. Republican Arnie Vinick has around a 9 point lead on Democrat Matt Santos. Last sunday's episode dealt with the Santos campaign trying to overcome the leak scandal coming out of the Bartlet White House...
- Santos is beginning to build momentum in the campaign. He's got a domestic policy message that Josh thinks is working. However, Vinick leads on Security issues. This is referred to in the episode as the "Mommy Problem". Democrats are trusted as mommys who take care of people with social programs, and Republicans are trusted as daddys who protect the family. However, Josh's plans are thrown into chaos when...
- The Bartlet White House decides to stop the internal investigation, and let Congress & the DOJ lead the inquiry. This totally knocks Santos domestic policy message off the front pages & gives Vinick the chance to criticize & talk about security. The Santos campaign reacts by keeping the candidate away from the media & even having a "reverse town-hall" where people don't ask questions, afraid to comment on the issue. Josh believes that by sticking on message with domestic area, they are staying on the issues they can win on, and staying away from the leak story would drag them to security issues that he believes they can't win on. Josh is infuriated with the White House for not telling him anything. The Bartlet White House & the Santos Campaign have had disagreements. The White House had already told the campaign that they might undercut Santos by dealing with the Republicans in congress on an education bill.
- Josh is trying to micro-manage everything, and only meets with Democratic Media Strategists in order to bribe them. He doesn't call it bribing, but he only is giving them part of the DNC media budget in order to keep them from critcizing the campaign on the Cable shows. I hope this isn't based on reality, but I suspect its probably true. Inadvertently, he invited Democratic Media Strategist Louise Thornton (Janeane Garofalo) who doesn't want the money. She has defeated Josh 3 times in primary campaigns. She tells Josh to develop a vision for Santos that would be understandable to all voters & could fit on a bumper sticker. She also advocates attacking Arnie Vinick. Josh doesn't want to go negative, afraid it would damage people's first opinions of Santos. Louise also wants Santos to attack the Bartlet Administration for what happened with the leak & the investigation. When Santos eventually comments on the leak investigation, he stands by Bartlet. Even with their disagreements, Josh hires her as the director of communications for the campaign.
- The leak investigation goes to full scandal when the reporter, Greg Brock, is ordered to jail (ala Judith Miller) after being held in contempt for not revealing the source of the Military Shuttle leak. The Republicans in Congress start sending subpoenas. Margaret is one of the first to get one, and asks CJ what she should do. CJ tells her to tell the truth. Some people have wondered whether Margaret could be the leak?
- If the Santos campaign wasn't already knocked off message enough, the AP publishes a photo of a broken steel reinforced bed Matt Santos & his wife shared during a stop in Cleveland. The bed was broken from Santos giving the high hard one to his wife, except Josh & crew can't exactly press release that. So it becomes part of the news circus surrounding the campaign.
- Since Santos is still in the Marine Corps Reserve as a pilot, he gets called up for reserve training after Labor Day. At first Josh thinks it's a photo-op God send, but is worried after Santos reveals that he's postponed it 41% of the time for congressional elections & family care. The episode ends with Santos calling the Marine Corps Commandant (who was Santos former Commanding Officer) who allows Santos to do his reserve drill immediately. Santos tells Josh that we're going to beat them on all of the issues (Security, Domestic, and trivia). Santos turns the plane around to go to Fort Worth for his training.
- In a scene that is reminiscint of George W. Bush's "Mission Accomplished" photo-op, Santos hops in an F-18 and takes off, as the media debates whether it's "service or stunt"...
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If you want to know some MAJOR SPOILERS for upcoming episodes of "The West Wing" look below...You've been warned:
- In an upcoming episode, one candidate will utter the phrase "I voted for it, before I voted against it."
- In next week's episode, the focus will move to the Vinick campaign, who will try to use immigration issues, couching it as "border security" against Santos. It's designed to play on white fears of the fact Santos is hispanic.
- Actor Ron Silver will betray us in the West Wing Universe too, when his character of Bruno returns as Vinick's senior consultant.
- Intelligent Design will become an issue....that works for the Democrats.
- There will be a wedding at the White House.
- Josh will have to start picking & choosing states to withdraw where he spends the campaigns money, and his role as campaign chairman will be questioned.
- A major character from the West Wing's past might return halfway through this season...