Earlier this evening I watched "The West Wing" and its live "Presidential" debate between Jimmy Smits (as Democratic Congressman Matt Santos) and Alan Alda (as Republican Senator Arnold Vinick). I was looking forward to seeing an unscripted episode between two highly intelligent and passionate actors (playing equally intelligent and passionate candidates). What I found, instead, was something I hadn't expected-what a political discussion ought to be about. Yes, I know it's a TV show, and that "The West Wing" is a liberal's wet dream (I sure as hell enjoy it!). But watching the two men duke it out in an "anything goes" format reminded me of two things: 1)Why I'm proud to be a liberal, and 2)That there are honest Republicans out there.
Read my more detailed thoughts in the extended entry.
First, in regards to Jimmy Smits' characters, Texas Congressman Matt Santos:
Santos is obviously intended to be the "good guy" here, but Smits did an amazing job of making Santos seem like a real Presidential possibility. When Alda went into a liberal-bashing meme, Santos retorted with a damn good reminder of what liberals have done for this country: (paraphrasing here)
"It was liberals who freed the slaves; liberals gave women the right to vote; liberals gave African-Americans the right to vote; liberals created Social Security; liberals fought for civil rights, passed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act; liberals created Medicare. And if you want to thrown the word 'liberal' at my feet, Senator Vinick, I will gladly pick it up and wear it as a badge of honor."
I don't know if Smits thought of those lines beforehand-he may not have, based on the somewhat halting way he delivered it. But it spells out in a straightforward and passionate manner what it means to be a liberal, and it was thrilling to see a Democrat deliver those lines. If John Kerry had been willing to say such words, he would be President of this country right now-I strongly believe that.
Smits had some other good ideas that his character expounded. He called for all Americans to have Medicare coverage as their health insurance. I'd never heard that as an option before, but based on what he said (2% cost, as opposed to 30% or so for HMO costs per patient)it sounds like a pretty nice idea. Clearly that would cost money, but Smits addressed that by making it clear that sometimes we have to pay more to enjoy more in life.
In short, "Matt Santos" represents everything the real Democratic nominee for 2008 may have to fight for: universal health care, reforming education, unwavering on compassionate immigration reform (such as boosting Mexico's economy) and being proud of his or her liberal beliefs.
Secondly, in regards to Alan Alda's character, California Senator Arnold Vinick:
Alda clearly intended for Vinick to come across as agressive and assertive in the debate, and he achieved that and then some. More importantly, I feel, is how Alda made his character sound like a real Republican would. Not someone who hides behind the American flag and talks of "the enemy at the gates" (cough-Bush-cough), but as a conservative Republican with passion and intelligence. I don't agree with Vinick's policies (such as doubling the border patrol and letting the free market determine energy policy), but the candidate's convictions definatly came through.
Alda's character is a typical Republican-but an honest one. Yes, Vinick attacked liberalism and big government-but did so in a way that any honest voter could consider a legitimate argument. He argued forcefully for school vouchers, eloquently for oil drilling in ANWR and effectively on immigration issues (beating Santos in that category, imo). In short, Arnold Vinick is a real Republican-someone who stands up for what he believes in, regardless of political tides.
In Matt Santos and Arnold Vinick you have two candidates for a fictional Presidency. Yet you also have two visions for a country that are far more focused and effective that anything coming out of the "real world" right now. In short, their debate-as chaotic as it was at times-is what we ought to be hearing as Americans. We ought to be hearing, as Alda said "a real dialogue on America". I can only hope that in the future both sides of politics will start sounding like Santos and Vinick and less like Kerry and Bush.