Possumblog

One from the "reality-based" community...

Fireworks Promised on 'West Wing' Debate

You know, when I read stuff like this:

[...] Laurence O'Donnell, who balances work as a political analyst and a "West Wing" executive producer, said the hourlong episode (8 p.m. EDT on NBC) represents "my wish-fulfillment debate."

"We are using the accepted liturgy of presidential debates. It will look the same, it will be moderated by Forrest Sawyer, a real news person, it will have all that real feel to it," O'Donnell said.

"But I think it will be more satisfying in that the candidates end up really going into the issues in a way that they normally would not," he said. "They end up each forcing the other to get more honest as the debate wears on." [...]

I just have to smile. Only in Hollywood could a mock debate in front of a real newsman conducted by two liberal actors pretending to be a liberal and a conservative who have been given license to ad lib their response (more or less), all based upon the heavily filtered sensibilities of the various producers and directors and actors, ever be seen as having "that real feel to it."

"Get me Barton Fink on the phone!"

Posted by Terry Oglesby at November 2, 2005 11:14 AM