Fictional Politicians

I don't want this to be a political blog. For one thing, there are plenty of good ones of those, and I probably can't add too much. For another thing, politics is so contentious right now, I just don't want to get involved. I have very strong opinions about a lot of political issues, but I'm also well aware that there are a lot of intelligent and well-meaning people who don't share those opinions. I'd rather reach out to them, rather than make fun of them, as happens so often on political blogs.

However, Mrs. Jogger and I were trying to get caught up on our television last night, and we ended up watching our two favorite fictional administrations right in a row, "The West Wing" followed by "Commander in Chief." And I'm going to take an opportunity to make a few observations about the differences between Jeb Bartlett and Mackenzie Allen and any recent occupants of the oval office in real life.

One remarkable thing is how well-informed these presidents and their entire staffs are. They pretty much always have important facts at their fingertips. The West Wing has a familiar process for introducing a new political development. Josh will tell Leo that Argentina has evicted the Sri Lankan ambassador, and Leo immediately knows what that means, and why it's important, and what the impact will be on the U.S. Later, Leo tells the President, and he immediately knows what that means, and why it's important, and what the impact will be on the U.S. They probably don't actually tell us in the audience until finally some reporter or underling has to ask why that's important.

The other thing that's notable is that these fictional politicians, on both sides of the aisle, really do have the best interests of the country at heart. In CinC, Donald Sutherland plays the House Speaker Nathan Templeton, who is a scheming, power-hungry career politician. But last night, when he was called on to help out with a politically tight situation, he put politics aside, and pitched in, without trying to figure out how to turn it to his advantage.

On my good days, I like to think that our government, behind the scenes, is really much like the Bartlett and Allen administrations. Smart, well meaning people, who, despite disagreements, work to make the country and the world better. If that's the truth, they cover it up pretty well. It sure seems from here like the government consists of a bunch of clueless bozos who's most important concern is solidifying their own power.