Dream Candidate - Santos on West Wing

[sarahlee]

Wanted to save this here 'cause this is the speech I wish some real Democratic politician would give:

The Santos Speech at the Democratic Convention on West Wing

Santos: Thank You. You know I had hoped to be standing here tonight under very different circumstances. And I have been asked by people I respect, to take this opporunity to support one of the other fine candidates who have made this race with me...

(Delegates begins booing)

Santos: To help decide who our nominee will be, but I can't do that. I can't do that because it's not my place to decide who our nominee should be. That decision is yours & yours alone.

(Delegates cheers enthusiastically)

Santos: You know there's been a great deal made today of Gov. Baker's decision not to disclose his wife's minor medical condition. Many people believe that he should have, but I don't believe Gov. Baker failed to disclose it because he was ashamed or embarassed. I think he didn't disclose it because we're the hypocrites, not the Bakers. Because we're all broken, every single one us, and yet we pretend that we're not. We all live lives of imperfection, & yet we cling to this fantasy that there's a perfect life, and that our leaders should embody it. But if we expect our leaders to live on some higher moral plane than the rest of us, well we're just asking to be decieved.

(Delegates applaud)

Santos: Now its been suggested to me this week that I should try to buy your support with jobs, & the promise of access. It's been suggested to me that party unity is more important than your democratic rights as delegates.

(Delegates begin chanting Santos)

Santos: That's right, it's not, and you have a decision to make. Don't vote for us because you think we're perfect. Don't vote for us because of what we might be able to do for you only. Vote for the person who shares your ideals, your hopes, your dreams. Vote for the person who most embodies what you believe we need to keep our nation strong & free. And when you have done that, you can go back to Seattle, & Boston, to Miami, to Omaha, to Tulsa & Chicago, and Atlanta, with your head held high & say "I AM A MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY".

(Delegates go wild)

---
I would go wild for that candidate....

[MollyStark]

1. LOL

"can go back to Seattle, & Boston, to Miami, to Omaha, to Tulsa & Chicago, and Atlanta,"........... Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrgghhhh!

I'd vote for Santos.

[dkf]

2. Too funny.

That is exactly what I was thinking...

[FreedomAngel82]

5. Hehe

I have never seen West Wing before and was curious to see how the show was and I really liked it. Now I'll have to save up for the DVD box set. :D I thought that was pretty cool he used a Dean thing. Hehe. I can't remember: he didn't do the scream did he? That would've been cool. I love Martin Sheen. :loveya: (I adore his son's Charlie and Emilio too)

[StevieM]

3. I'm starting to think that Santos will win.....

For awhile I was convinced it would be a Republican, given the way NBC kisses the GOP's butt. But the top priority of West Wing viewers, Democrat and Republican alike, is to see Josh and Donna hook up. That can't happen in a Republican administration.

I do have to wonder which characters will be let go in a Santos Administration. Leo will be VP, Josh C.O.S., and Donna can fit in somewhere. Some of the cast might be let go, especially the less popular, newer characters.

Steve

[zann725]

4. I heard Rob Lowe was begging big-time to come back to "West Wing."

He'd be EXACTLY the candidate that would sell. If you go back and watch that old re-run where Bartlett plays "Chess" with Sam, he tells him he feels certain Sam has the "right stuff" to be President one day.

Santos just doesn't "fit" for me. Actually the whole cast is out of synch right now...badly. Aside from the really excellent writing early on in the show, one of the things that made the show great was the "ensemble acting." A cast that plays so well off each other is rare. Unless they re-balance, they're going to tank...SOON.

[eriffle]

6. Unfortuneatley...

I think the series ends after the next season. The next season will be the culminate with the election of the next president and I feel that will be it. I love The West Wing, but I'd rather see it go out on a high note than fade away in the middle of a story. Truthfully though, in terms of electoral strategy, the Republicans are doomed to fail. They are not targeting their base, they're targeting swing voters and as we Democrats have learned in the past few years you don't win elections without targeting your base. Santos is talking about education and healthcare reform that is pretty progressive. Alan Alda's character is running a nice feel-good campaign that is light on issues so far. On a side note, I hate that the Republican VP nominee is from West Virginia. Sure, our governor is a DINO in the highest sense, but he still had a D after his name.

[bklyncowgirl]

7. West Wing=Fantasy for liberals

OK let's face it, who among us wouldn't want our electoral choice to be a progressive, passionate (and rather hot) hispanic Democrat from Texas of all places and a thoughtful, moderate Republican of the old conservative school--the kind that some of us could actually vote for if the circumstances were right.

Of course neither of these guys would have made it to the nomination in the real world. I must have missed the episode where Alan Alda got the GOP nomination because frankly this guy would have been kneecapped by the fundamentalists in the first southern primary. Santos won it in a brokered convention with some help from the former president and I think some dirty stuff coming out on one of the other candidates, but still he was a longshot.

It's been fun to watch and I'm looking forward to the next season. It will be interesting to watch this alternative universe where these two high minded candidates will debate issues while their intelligent well meaning staffers try to do the right thing in difficult situations.

Fantasy is so much fun.

[sarahlee]

8. re: "Fantasy is so much fun."

Maybe because the reality we face every day isn't.... :(