The West Wing

I started watching The West Wing, and I am a hundred episodes behind. People who know my passion for politics are so surprised I never saw it, and so Ira and I started. Lately I have felt so unpatriotic, so disinterested in politics, so disappointed in the way the world has turned, but this show has invigorated me. True, it's a show, but it makes me feel what government can be, what government could be when there are smart, idealistic, decent people in the White House, people who believe in decency, humanity, integrity, who understand policy, who want to wheel and deal, but also negotiate for the greater good of humanity. With this goal in mind, I love the president-President Bartlet-because he is what I want in a president-someone well-read, someone poised, smart, diplomatic, to be respected, but also filled with love for his staff, his people, the world. This was written before Obama took office, but from what I heard about his world behind the scenes, he was loved, respected, admired, not like our current president. Yes, this is a show, so it is only a fantasy, but I would like to believe-deep in my heart-that one time in the future a less fictionalized President Bartlet will show up in office, and the humane, smart, decent world can begin again. Until then, I prefer to watch this instead of the news, since I am watching what SHOULD be rather than what is.