Subject:
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Re: John Leo's opinion of "The West Wing"
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Fri, 4 Oct 2002 15:16:00 GMT
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Viewed:
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564 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> I saw his column today in the Grand Rapids Press. So I thought I'd share it
> with you. But of course to just cut and paste it in here is copyright
> infringement, not fair use, so if you want to see what he thinks, you'll
> have to follow a link. Here's one I found...
>
> http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/leo1.asp
>
> This was just the first site that had it when I entered the search string
> "john leo west wing" into google.com. I have no idea how long the column
> will be held there so this link may be bad in a month from now or whatever
> (I base that on the last bit of the URL which has no date tag...)...
>
> I do not often agree with John Leo, he's too "conventional conservative" for
> my taste.
>
> But he hit the nail right on the head this time.
>
> "The West Wing" is pure propaganda, not grounded in reality, and promotes
> the producer's personal agenda with no balance, but keeps that a secret from
> those viewers incapable of thinking for themselves (i.e. most of them,
> apparently, since it seems to do well in the ratings despite being
> significantly out of sync with how people feel politically).
>
> Therefore citing from it carries no water for me. Ever.
There was once, well, a West Wing episode ;) , in which a pollster mentioned
a little tale about polls--
"
Polls tell us that people are sick and tired of hearing about sexual
scandals of politicians, and yet the ratings of any show that features
stories about these scandals go thru the roof.
"
(completely paraphrased from my faulty memory)
Now that concept *may have* come from a television show which carries no
water with folks, but let me recall... (rubs chin in a David Lettermanish
fashion) Yes, seems just like yesterday when Bubba was in the White House
and there may have been, if I recall, some small whiff of a sexual scandal,
and that folks, after the story went on and on and on, were saying how sick
and tired about the whole issue, but when Monica appeared on any show, or
even any stories about Monica, et al, were featured on any show, the ratings
went up dramatically.
So apparently it seems that what people say in a poll and what they actually
do are completely contradictory.
Polls don't carry alot of weight with me, though I will listen to them
because it gives a "general feel" of what's up, but putting faith in polls...
Let me put it this way...
One of your feet may be encased in ice and one foot may be on fire--to take
the average, is a nice comfortable room temperature so why do anything? But
if you do nothing, neither foot is going to be 'happy'.
Or is like the 3 statisticians who went hunting--one tried to shoot a bear
and missed 10 feet to the left, another tried to shoot the bear and missed
10 feet to the right, the third then said, "Woohoo! I hit the bear!!"
Anyway, watch, don't watch--appreciate, don't appreciate--whatever--it's a
free market economy and if Sorkin wants to get rich by making a show that
appeals to the "viewers incapable of thinking for themselves", then he's
allowed to do so, just as you're allowed to push the 'off' button on your
remote.
I prefer to think of the viewers who watch the West Wing see the *potential*
of your country, its political process and the politicians who try to do the
right thing. It isn't perfect, nor is it accurate, for it's television--it
doesn't have to be either of those things, but like a Fat Albert cartoon,
it's fun, its a good time, and "if you're not careful, you may learn
something before they're through". Instead of those folks who spout
partisan elitist rhetoric--y'know, the folks that twist and spin things to
suit their ulterior motives, without actually dealing with the real issues,
and only know how to bring things down--such as parts of the very article
linked above.
Anyway, all in my opinion.
Dave K.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: John Leo's opinion of "The West Wing"
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| (...) The funk, as I recall, was that we were hearing about the scandal to the exclusion of all else, as though it, more than anything else, actually mattered to the state of the union. Granted, Clinton is no moral giant, but neither is Gingrich, (...) (22 years ago, 4-Oct-02, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: John Leo's opinion of "The West Wing"
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| In lugnet.off-topic.debate, David Koudys writes: <snip> No argument with any of that (you'll never see ME arguing the case that a show "ought to be banned" rather than "just turn the channel on it" so the off button is the completely appropriate (...) (22 years ago, 5-Oct-02, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | John Leo's opinion of "The West Wing"
|
| I saw his column today in the Grand Rapids Press. So I thought I'd share it with you. But of course to just cut and paste it in here is copyright infringement, not fair use, so if you want to see what he thinks, you'll have to follow a link. Here's (...) (22 years ago, 2-Oct-02, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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