Curiosity 98: West Wing

The numbering of this iteration of my blog has become ridiculous, but I will get to 100! I am so close!

In any case, I just wanted to note here that last night we finished watching the last two episodes of the seven-season series The West Wing (1999–2006)—154 episodes altogether. We've been at it for months. And so often during that time, I was struck by how prescient that show was: bringing us crises and causes that even today we encounter. Things don't ever really change, do they?

Except, no, that show (or more specifically, the writer, Aaron Sorkin) didn't anticipate that things could fly so out of whack that we'd ever have a dictator on our doorstep. Indeed, the show's "Democrat" President Bartlet and the final season's "Republican" contender for office on Bartlet's departure were both gentlemen, and moderates. Nothing like the gibbering, hateful narcissist who is banging—again—on the White House door. The West Wing's politicians were much more like the current resident of the People's House: statesmen, aware of the hard work all the people all around them do to keep the country running. 

Anyway, I didn't come here for a political rant. I am already tired of the next seven months. I know who I'm voting for. I know who is impossible as president. And I guess I'm starting to consider an exit strategy (while trying to remain hopeful that rationality will prevail). Then again, there's the fact that our house will be fully paid off in only another 17, 18 months. And we have our animals. So leaving, while appealing in a certain sense, is also not.

I'll just end with a few videos I found googling YouTube for West Wing moments. I'm so glad we watched it from start to finish. It was a great show.

Seriously, can you imagine Trump being challenged to articulate his "thoughts," as in the last video? Derision and scorn seem to be the only things in his vocabulary. Or "love me love me love."

I could almost feel sorry for the man. He is so pathetic.

And yet, a good percentage of the country either loves him so much or is so beholden to their "Republican" (nowadays, read MAGA) ideology that they don't care that a sick, sick man might become president again.

Yeah, exit strategy. That, and prayer.