It was brought to my attention several weeks ago that Netflix had added my favorite television show of all time to its instant streaming collection. Now, that may not sound like a big deal, after all it's just a t.v. show. Let me first explain why this matters.
This show advocates beliefs so fundamentally contradictory to my own, that it is a miracle I watch it at all. My father will openly lobby against it at family dinners, and major holiday gatherings if I am foolish or forgetful enough to bring it up, because it follows the trials and travails of a democratic presidency. In short, The West Wing is a program written by liberals, primarily for liberals. I am at heart a very slightly moderate republican. Each episode presents several scenarios likely encountered in the course of a president's day, and the staff's responses to these situations are often very different from my own.
This disagreement, instead of pricking my temper, forces me to examine my own beliefs in order to defend them. Ordinarily, watching a program is simply that--watching. You sit for 30 minutes to an hour having your hand held as the writers lay out their story in easy, uncomplicated dialogue with the occasional meandering plot shift. It is extremely rare to discover a show you must actually think about while watching, instead of running as background noise for whatever task needs to be done.
When I watch the West Wing, I am forced to elevate my level of discourse, both in terms of listening and speaking. The humor is fantastically indecipherable, complex to the point of obscurity, but hilarious nonetheless. Sarcasm is in abundance, and jokes are delivered in such a flat tone of voice that one must do a mental double take before realizing that the punchline has been said. Basically, it is an exercise of the mind.
For example, I was recently out to dinner with a group of friends at one of those sports bars/restaurants that have televisions plastered on every wall, sending their patrons into such sensory overload that they do not notice the substandard service or less than satisfactory entrees. Along the top of one wall was a scrolling ticker tape of game scores and headlines. Now, I will not attempt to portray myself as anything more than a passing fan of sports. I can follow and understand almost any sport, but the finer points of statistics and the nuances of plays escape me. What interested me was a headline proclaiming Greece's movement toward a new budget.
For those that do not know, I believe Greece went bankrupt sometime in the last year. I do not know the details, and I do not want to make a complete imbecile of myself trying to bullshit my way through a discussion, but the news was big enough that I remembered it. Immediately, I wondered how they'd done it. How could a bankrupt country even have government enough to broker a budget? When I couldn't think of a satisfactory answer, I asked my friends. They looked at first confused, and then when they realized that I was actually looking for an answer, alternately laughed in my face or stared as if I had suddenly sprouted antlers and done the conga.
Now, I am no political activist. I simply don't have the memory for it. But after watching the West Wing and understanding some of the chaos behind the scenes of the decisions of a nation, I cannot help but wonder when I see those screaming headlines.
It may not have explosions--at least not many on camera--or unbelievably attractive lead characters, but it is intelligent. I have at times wanted to simply high five the writers, despite my disagreeing with many of their beliefs, because the entire series is so very well done. Within this long-winded blathering, lies my primary reason for mentioning the show.
In one of the later seasons, during a political campaign, one of the candidates is attacked for his failure to attend church services, and replies by saying that religion should not be a factor in electing government officials. Of course, it was said in a much more impressive way to make it appear courageous and noble, instead of duck and cover. Immediately, I stepped away from my laptop so I would not be tempted to throw it across the room in a fit of violent disagreement.
I understand why such a sentiment might be appealing to those without a concrete faith; it creates some semblance of a level playing field, while simultaneously making politicians who are openly religious appear to be politicizing their faith. If I could make one rebuttal, it would be that perhaps the reason voters are so anxious to know the particulars of a candidate's religion is simply to reassure themselves that the person they are electing to public office will truly be reflecting their views, not just in policy, but in morality as well.
There are certain aspects of my faith that create a hard line for me on topics like abortion and marriage. I will argue for my side until the four horsemen chase me up to heaven, but no one will ever convince me that these issues are not important. I would be a fool to vote for someone without knowing whether they believe as I do, especially in the issues so often influenced by faith, which is a point the writers of the West Wing have failed to make.
I endeavor to forgive them for the oversight.
Lisa
