Otherwise it is a good thing that the Hollywood writers strike is over, because Al Gore and Rahm Emanuel may need a little help from Eli Attie, John Wells and the rest of the West Wing storytellers to write the end of our presidential season. God willing, something will happen that removes all doubt about who has the momentum and faith of the majority of the party that will make the choice clear for the superdelegates. The party needs to staff state operations, reorganize the Democratic National Committee and target its fire on John McCain before August. In the end, I don’t believe the real life Democrats will have to wait for the convention in Denver to meet their nominee. He could lead this delegation of congressional pooh-bahs to Chappaqua to sit down with the first couple and tell them that the music has stopped playing and Obama is sitting in the last chair. Rahm, who like another Chicagoan, Oprah, needs only one name to be identified, has resisted entreaties from both sides to be involved in the campaign and instead maintains a good relationship with his friend Obama and his former boss(es). To solve that problem, I nominate a trio of leaders that would include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel, the former Clinton White House staffer and current congressman from Chicago. Obama would surely have to listen to Gore if Clinton were to be chosen, but it is not so clear that the Clintons would defer to the former vice president if he were to choose Obama in the end. However, his influence on the candidates may be one-sided. As the should-have-been president of the United States from 2000, Great Protector of Mother Earth and recent Nobel Prize winner, he has the stature to rally a lot of Democrats to his choice. Our real life version may require a few people to fill Jed Bartlett’s shoes. Instead of the vice president, it is Abby Bartlett – err – Hillary Clinton, the president’s wife who is running and Bill Clinton has thrown himself into her campaign as if it was his own, willing to risk his post-presidency halo to see her elected. In normal times, Bill Clinton would fill this role without competition, but these are not normal times. Sound familiar? The only person in the party who has the standing to bring everyone together around one candidate is the sitting president, played by Martin Sheen. The Democrats are faced with the prospect of a split convention and mayhem. In Season Six of the West Wing, the contest for the Democratic nomination is so close that it goes to the convention. The only role left open in our real life remake is that of Jed Bartlett, the fictional president on the television show with the Wisdom of Job to head off a crisis. McCain, like Alda’s Vinick has trouble with the right wingers who are accustomed to having much more influence with the GOP nominee. Due to his willingness to buck Republican Party orthodoxy from time to time, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who is perfectly filling the role Alan Alda played, Arnold Vinick, the older maverick Republican senator from the West (California in the show). Congress conflicted on U.S.-Cuba relations.In the series, the vice president used his position to muster the party machinery in his favor, but over time had trouble keeping up with the charming newcomer. Clinton, like the fictional Vice President Russell, began the race as the presumptive Democratic nominee that not many people loved but had all of the early advantages. Instead of the not-so-bright Vice President “Bingo Bob” Russell, it is as if smart and aggressive first lady Abby Bartlett is running for president. Hillary Clinton’s role is a twist on the plot. Nobody gave Santos much credit as a presidential candidate because of his short congressional career, but after some early stumbles the people fell in love with his vision and judgment. Just like Santos, Obama is tall, young and brown with a smart attractive wife and a couple of small children. The clearest similarity is between Barack Obama and Jimmy Smits’ character, Matt Santos, the principled three-term Mexican American congressman from Texas. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) or Barack Obama (Ill.) before Martin Sheen has to be called back into service to pick the nominee. In case you missed it, there are several similarities between that show and the current campaign, but let’s all hope that the Democratic Party rallies behind Sens.
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