Anyone watching the live West Wing debate?

Reminds me alot of the debates last year. Sniff. :cry:

...

and recording.

My bet is on Santos.....

but Smits opening credit is as a special guess star and Alda's is as a member of the cast--so I think we weill have a republican as the next president

:-)

not appear on every episode. This was one way to cut cost, to "let go" of the regular, highly paid actors, to limit them to few episodes.

There's so much about WW that I wish was real life, such as throwing the debate rules to the wind.

I must've missed the part where Dubya looked over at Kerry and said, "Come on, Johnny, let's have us a REAL debate. Screw the rules!"

What I'm sniffing at, in all seriousness, is that the real deal is more phony than a fictional debate.

so it doesn't sound at all real to me. Now if the dialogue was adlib, that would be fun.

You know.

These aren't SNL actors who do this every week... Live TV is MUCH more difficult to pull off.

nt

"I voted for it before I voted against it" story!

which the media pretended not to understand. He should have probably repeated it at the debates, but the answer he gave did put it in perspective.

This is a debate the American people deserve!

It's so nice to see a Presidential debate in which both candidates can speak English. I long for the day when that becomes a reality rather than just an episode of a television show!

that it's possible that people will watch this and say all Presidential debates should be that way and then demand that they are that way

According to a story I read this morning, this is O'Donnell's idea of a perfect debate.

It was television at its finest, showing that both the media and politics can aspire to great things -- all it takes is hard work and a willingness to do what is right.

There is no reason why The West Wing can't be replicated in real life.

yes I am watching

the debates last year. Not so here. At least they're both intelligible and seemingly humanoid!

and made him "win."

:wow:

device on his back?

:)

in his ears!

:rofl:

... I picked WW up a few episodes ago ... is the Smits character in the closet, or bi ? What was the thing about the broken bed in the hotel room, and it not being his wife ?

:shrug:

Santos made a joke to Josh in reference to a gay flight attendant.

He was giving Josh (his campaign manager) trouble, pretending that he'd had an affair with a male flight attendant. :)

There is recounted an incident where Truman had to, somewhat embarrassed, ask to have his and his wife's bed fixed they were living in Blair House.

I never watch West Wing, but I'll hear what ideas are being discussed.

:eyes:

is there some reason for the eye roll?

to.
:eyes:

Anyone...watching...the...live...West Wing...debate?

Yeah, soooo vague. :eyes:

;-)

I am only here to help!:D

:D

However, universal health care is one of my pet causes so I know a lot about it. He really should have cited the infant mortality rate of the USA, which ranks in the same place as many third world countries. For an industrially developed country like ours, to come in so far behind other industrially developed countries, in infant mortality is not good.

:shrug:
are they role playing ?

Lt AWOL would have had has ass kicked....

Let me correct that, he would have had has ass kicked WORSE....

no holds barred like this one! I guess they used to be back in the days of Lincoln. It really would who you the mental capacity of the two candidates!

And it's a fake debate.

That's what every writer and producer wants!


I agree with you though. The subjects they're discussing are so much part of the real world today, you can't help yourself.

liberal!

Alda's amazing.

realistic role for him!

And either ignored the questions or said, "Yeah. What he said."

This is fun. :D

never participate in anything close to a debate. He can't even answer simple questions of great importance without stuttering, stammering or using a cheating voice box machine. He is totally false. Funny, sad and ironic that the 'real' false debate is more genuine...

n/t

Right now Santos is defending liberals and all they've accomplished.

I liked that.

That was SWEEEEEEET!

Liberals are great! Go Santos.

Statement on Liberals

edit to add: I hope our fearless leaders are taking notes.

Grrrrr

"have you ever been there?"

...

"Have you ever been to the Amazon rainforest? Anyone? Then we should burn it all!"...:eyes: :puke:

Anyone here going to watch twice?

Interesting, that abortion and religion were left off the show, but medicare, education, gun control and big business and the war were PC.

Interesting.

It makes dramatic sense that neither candidate would want to touch it in the debate.

The show dealt with religion and abortion in earlier episodes, so it makes sense that they wouldn't deal with them in this one.

About the Africa thing.. I agree that Santos just stood there and let Vinnick go on a rant. I think this is one of those times when the writers used the script to educate the viewers on an issue. They tend to do that occasionally on this show, and you can just feel it when it happens.. it feels like a blip in script. That's the only excuse I can think of for Santos to just stand there and say nothing.. and then not even offer a rebuttal.

I gotta say Alda is absolutely amazing. Live TV is very difficult, and he nailed it. Smits seemed a little nervous.. I don't know if it was the character that was supposed to be nervous, or if it was Smits who was really nervous doing live TV.

This is one of those debates where the people who don't really know the issues would say Vinnick won because of his performance (as opposed to winning with ideas). Vinnick talked a lot (talked over Santos a lot.. like Republicans do) and was very animated. Santos was more reserved, less animated, but gave specific plans and ideas for the country. Thinking people who understand the issues would say Santos won.

This was so much fun.

Basically the same show, with some of the kinks worked out. However, the "wearing of liberal as a badge of honor" seemed more contrived than when it was on back east. Maybe it was because I knew it was coming. Still was a debate I wouldn't mind seeing for real.

They're doing a hell of a lot better than the speech writers have done for our candidates in the past!!!!

I'd hate to lose him as a writer of West Wing, but I'll make that sacrifice!

Perhaps a speech writer is the wrong position. Maybe a consultant to our candidate for Pres would be better!

And yes, I've seen him on MSNBC as a political consultant.

Every time Santos responded to Vinnick's "RW talking point" attack, I yelled at the television: "THAT'S how that question should be answered!!!"

...should be required viewing for ALL Democrats...

Viva Antonio, el Presidente in a few years!


Hispanics and all minorities should be very proud tonight.

LIBERALS and Democrats should be proud of the West Wing tonight.

Excellent

very well done!

oh yeah,

santos won!

LOL.... this was fun. Wish we could have had honest debates...they both were just too chickenshit.

I said to my husband, if this does anything, I hope it at least gives some people the clue that the debates we have now a days are clearly ineffective and not in our best interests.

If it is, it's toast. Lol!

whoops!

I've been trying to get on for 10 minutes and been unable to get there...

I guess they had more than a few viewers....

but the site crashed before I could get to the vote page. And as a side note, I can't wait until it's 11:00 so that we can do this all over again with the west coast version. Don't let us down California/Oregon/Washington state!

...s-l-o-w-l-y...

...

certainly minimize the spin machine to a certain extent.

online polls. It was wonderful to participate in, and
Skinner had it beautifully organized, and it did cut down on spin, because Kerry/Edwards had so clearly won, but it didn't make a dent in the numbers of votes cast by Diebold and ES and S.

Can't get on either.

I have just completed the Zogby poll which was commissioned by MSNBC and dealt exclusively with the 'debate'. It is a follow up to the one last week. The questions were very interesting and should provide lots of fodder for the talking heads.

Alas, it is not one of those self-selected polls. This is part of Zogby's organization. I have been on their panel for a long time and they e-mail me the polls in which they want my participation. It feels so good to keep voting Beloved Leader as 'terrible'. LOL

Look over in General Discussion. There is a link to a different Zogby poll over there. :P

finally got on the MSNBC's poll..Santos 70% and Vinnick 70% which you would expect..Thugs wouldn't watch the show.

:patriot:

Just had to say it! I was very proud of his performance against the Shrub.

Santos was silent during Vinnicks rants too often.
He went on 5 minutes on Tanzania's 35% tax rate! What appeared to be just another Conservative falling back on all he has - tax breaks - turned into a WIN for Vinnick.

You have to remember this is make-believe, Vinnick was far too stiff, and dodged far too many issues....

My 15 year old on the other hand, looked up from his homework about half-way through and asked "what is this about? I don't like that guy". He was referring to Vinnick.

LOL!!

thankyouverymuch ;-)

I just have the one...but with enough attitude for three!!!

sincere, etc.

did not have much of a plan. He was well-versed in the details behind each identified problem, but he offered no clear cut solutions; which was one of my biggest problems with Kerry last year. He never really talked in detail about his plan only kept saying he had one, which he did but you had to go looking for it on the website and average Joe usually does not put in that much effort.

That Africa rant was terrific. Santos was a bit hesitent, I thought. But I thought that Santos had the arguements. Vinnick's answer to everything was tax cuts.

Great job for both candidates--er actors.

although Santos won, he should've said something about Vinnick's plan of bringing Nike into Africa. That would be a big piece of exploitation and oppression pie.

His crap about the "free market" was pretty pathetic, too.

over our Chip in Chief. Even actor's talking a good game would be better.

would have been nice to see both

That pathetic puppet Shrub wouldn't last five minutes in a real debate.

This was so much more intelligent and about the issues. They "abandoned" their scripted notes for a free for all exchange and... they talked about the issues. Not about Jesus, or church, or abortion, or gay. And certainly not about Poland..

into the debate, before they started all the good stuff. Heck Bush would have passed out if he had to do that! Plus, we would have really been able to see him packin the ear piece!