Comments on: The Better Angels of Our Nature http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/ Firedoglake weblog Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:34:57 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Terry Karney http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-105156 Terry Karney Mon, 15 May 2006 23:31:14 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-105156 <p>“He shall from time to time.”</p> <p>Bartlett has just gotten a Latin translation of the Constitution from the guy left to pick up the pieces if some disaster should wipe out the State of the Union, and he asks him if he knows what to do.</p> <p>The guy says not really, and Bartlett tells him to get the Joint Chiefs, hold a press conference and talk to his Chief of Staff.</p> <p>He says he doesn’t have one, and doesn’t know who it should be.</p> <p>“Do you have a best friend?”</p> <p>Yes.</p> <p>Is he smarter than you are?</p> <p>Yes.</p> <p>Do you trust him with your life?</p> <p>Yes.</p> <p>That’s your Chief of Staff”</p> <p>And it so rarely is. To have someone in the staff who can sit down and be a friendly advisor, who can tell the president he’s wrong. who can pull him up short by reminding him that he <i>is</i> the president and his actions are more important than his emotions, that’s what having a Chief of Staff who is all those things means to me.</p> <p>It’s all the little things like that in the show which make me like it (and I am watcing it, slowly, for the first time, all on DVD).</p> <p>TK</p> “He shall from time to time.”

Bartlett has just gotten a Latin translation of the Constitution from the guy left to pick up the pieces if some disaster should wipe out the State of the Union, and he asks him if he knows what to do.

The guy says not really, and Bartlett tells him to get the Joint Chiefs, hold a press conference and talk to his Chief of Staff.

He says he doesn’t have one, and doesn’t know who it should be.

“Do you have a best friend?”

Yes.

Is he smarter than you are?

Yes.

Do you trust him with your life?

Yes.

That’s your Chief of Staff”

And it so rarely is. To have someone in the staff who can sit down and be a friendly advisor, who can tell the president he’s wrong. who can pull him up short by reminding him that he is the president and his actions are more important than his emotions, that’s what having a Chief of Staff who is all those things means to me.

It’s all the little things like that in the show which make me like it (and I am watcing it, slowly, for the first time, all on DVD).

TK

]]> By: humbug http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-105010 humbug Mon, 15 May 2006 21:38:08 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-105010 <p>Not to be picky or anything, but did anyone notice that the publicity shot in this article shows the (TV) President and his co-horts *standing* on the Constitution?</p> <p>Was that intended as some sort of comment by the photographer or art director?</p> <p>I’m suprise someone hasn’t gotten all inflamed about this.</p> <p>Just wondering…</p> Not to be picky or anything, but did anyone notice that the publicity shot in this article shows the (TV) President and his co-horts *standing* on the Constitution?

Was that intended as some sort of comment by the photographer or art director?

I’m suprise someone hasn’t gotten all inflamed about this.

Just wondering…

]]> By: Leviathan http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104868 Leviathan Mon, 15 May 2006 20:17:39 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104868 <p>I would just LUUUUVVVVVV to see President Gore, sometime in 2009, wipe the floor with some of these christianists floating around in our midst. I think I’ll have cookies and milk, record it, and watch it over and over and over and over and over…….</p> I would just LUUUUVVVVVV to see President Gore, sometime in 2009, wipe the floor with some of these christianists floating around in our midst. I think I’ll have cookies and milk, record it, and watch it over and over and over and over and over…….

]]> By: Matchstick http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104832 Matchstick Mon, 15 May 2006 19:45:42 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104832 <p>I also lost interest when Sorkin left. I had been (and still am) a huge fan of Sports Night and was bitter that he’d gone to work on “this new Rob Lowe show”. And then I caught the first episode and realized that I could have my cake and eat it, too (until the plug go pulled on SN). For all those Sorkin fans here, you should be aware that he’s working on a new show for this fall called Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Another writer that I enjoy the work of has read the pilot and says he wants to break Aaron’s hands and give up writing. So there’s hope. ;)</p> <p>As far as favorite episodes, it’s hard for me to pick because there’s been so many good ones. One aspect that I think doesn’t get highlighted in Sorkin’s work is his way with a budding romance. Whether it’s Danny and C.J. on West Wing or Dan and Rebecca on Sports Night, I always found the banter and awkwardness to be delightful.</p> I also lost interest when Sorkin left. I had been (and still am) a huge fan of Sports Night and was bitter that he’d gone to work on “this new Rob Lowe show”. And then I caught the first episode and realized that I could have my cake and eat it, too (until the plug go pulled on SN). For all those Sorkin fans here, you should be aware that he’s working on a new show for this fall called Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Another writer that I enjoy the work of has read the pilot and says he wants to break Aaron’s hands and give up writing. So there’s hope. ;)

As far as favorite episodes, it’s hard for me to pick because there’s been so many good ones. One aspect that I think doesn’t get highlighted in Sorkin’s work is his way with a budding romance. Whether it’s Danny and C.J. on West Wing or Dan and Rebecca on Sports Night, I always found the banter and awkwardness to be delightful.

]]> By: erquirk http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104657 erquirk Mon, 15 May 2006 10:25:08 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104657 <p>Christy, I apologize for not writing a comment re: The West Wing, however I notice in the post that you love science fiction, which is something about you that I haven’t noticed before. I love science fiction too. I’m wondering if you’ve read Samuel Delaney, who’s my favorite science fiction writer, as well as the writer of my favorite novel of any genre, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand. Trouble on Triton is also great. Delaney is one of those science fiction writers about whom you speak in your post, in my opinion. If you’re not aware of Delaney or these novels, then I highly recommend you check him and them out.</p> Christy, I apologize for not writing a comment re: The West Wing, however I notice in the post that you love science fiction, which is something about you that I haven’t noticed before. I love science fiction too. I’m wondering if you’ve read Samuel Delaney, who’s my favorite science fiction writer, as well as the writer of my favorite novel of any genre, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand. Trouble on Triton is also great. Delaney is one of those science fiction writers about whom you speak in your post, in my opinion. If you’re not aware of Delaney or these novels, then I highly recommend you check him and them out.

]]> By: dex http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104335 dex Mon, 15 May 2006 01:17:43 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104335 <p>Respect for the office of the President by the man who is the President, and by all those working in his cabinet, was such a focal point of West Wing. Now that the show is gone, it’s back to watching what the jackal who now occupies the office does to bring shame upon it.</p> Respect for the office of the President by the man who is the President, and by all those working in his cabinet, was such a focal point of West Wing. Now that the show is gone, it’s back to watching what the jackal who now occupies the office does to bring shame upon it.

]]> By: diogenes http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104314 diogenes Mon, 15 May 2006 00:58:31 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104314 <p>It’s 9 pm Eastern Time, and I just lost my President.</p> It’s 9 pm Eastern Time, and I just lost my President.

]]> By: nihil obstet http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104164 nihil obstet Sun, 14 May 2006 22:46:43 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104164 <p>Like Blank Kludge (#75), I think <i>Gloria in Excelsis</i> with the Korean vet was a great hour of TV.</p> <p>The quality of the show fell off a cliff after Sorkin left. It was unwatchable for a while — people working in a serious office acting like Valley Girls. But after a disastrous season, it got better — never again as good as the Sorkin years, but good enough to watch for old times sake.</p> Like Blank Kludge (#75), I think Gloria in Excelsis with the Korean vet was a great hour of TV.

The quality of the show fell off a cliff after Sorkin left. It was unwatchable for a while — people working in a serious office acting like Valley Girls. But after a disastrous season, it got better — never again as good as the Sorkin years, but good enough to watch for old times sake.

]]> By: Doug http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104137 Doug Sun, 14 May 2006 22:21:18 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104137 <p>I wish I could believe the fantasy that we get the government we wish for. In fact, we get to vote for candidates that come from god knows where who have been pre approved and vetted by party professionals based on requirements that have nothing to do with our own priorities or needs. Campaigns are laregly stylized theater and outcomes are mostly irrelevant. Of course, Bush has proven to be so extreme that even outsiders like Chomsky and Zinn were taking sides with the dimwit democrats in the last election. Still, it’s a rigged contest. Whoever wins, we have little or no say in who gets to run. So where is the democracy in that?</p> I wish I could believe the fantasy that we get the government we wish for. In fact, we get to vote for candidates that come from god knows where who have been pre approved and vetted by party professionals based on requirements that have nothing to do with our own priorities or needs. Campaigns are laregly stylized theater and outcomes are mostly irrelevant. Of course, Bush has proven to be so extreme that even outsiders like Chomsky and Zinn were taking sides with the dimwit democrats in the last election. Still, it’s a rigged contest. Whoever wins, we have little or no say in who gets to run. So where is the democracy in that?

]]> By: Eric S. http://firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104107 Eric S. Sun, 14 May 2006 21:56:57 +0000 http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/14/the-better-angels-of-our-nature/#comment-104107 <p>My favorite—I don’t remember the episode– was a quote from Toby that has stayed with me: “We all need some therapy, because somebody came along and said ‘liberal’ means soft on crime, soft on drugs, soft on Communism, soft on defense, and we’re gonna tax you back to the Stone Age because people shouldn’t have to go to work if they don’t want to. And instead of saying ‘Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-education, anti-choice, pro-gun, “Leave it to Beaver” trip back to the fifties,’ we cowered in the corner and said ‘Please, don’t hurt me.’ No more.”</p> My favorite—I don’t remember the episode– was a quote from Toby that has stayed with me: “We all need some therapy, because somebody came along and said ‘liberal’ means soft on crime, soft on drugs, soft on Communism, soft on defense, and we’re gonna tax you back to the Stone Age because people shouldn’t have to go to work if they don’t want to. And instead of saying ‘Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-education, anti-choice, pro-gun, “Leave it to Beaver” trip back to the fifties,’ we cowered in the corner and said ‘Please, don’t hurt me.’ No more.”

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