Is Alan Alda Mister Bleeding Heart himself? I thought that was his former MASH colleage and 'activist', Mike Farrell

Yes ... Alda was more "the new man" - another repulsive construct.

Perhaps congrats are more due to the writers of The West Wing than Mr Alda himself. However it remains true that the most screaming-pinko, soi-disant "socialist" in Hollywood would probably find the British Tory party uncomfortably statist in real life.

I recall hearing an interview of Alan Alda on NPR a couple months ago. In it, he revealed how he was relishing playing "bad guy" roles (such as the evil Senator in The Aviator. I know the words are the work of the writers, but in light of his comments during the NPR sit-down I'm curious to know exactly how repellant he thought the words coming out of his mouth were. :)

Well if Mr Alda has learned to relish limited government and free market capitalism, he won't welcome the huge surge in Federal spending and borrowing and the absurd excesses of 'Homeland Security' since 2000. Not to mention a foreign policy which is making life for American corporations (other than defence contractors and security firms) harder all over the globalised economy.

It's interesting that left wingers have a tendancy to grow up and move to the right (e.g. Christopher Hitchens), but those moving from the right to the left are much rarer. I wonder why?

I believe the West Wing is written by Aaron Sorkin. It certainly started out being written by him. So if he also wrote this stuff, it makes a very interesting contrast to the self-deluding leftist drivel he churned out for the movie The American President, which Sorkin also wrote. I enjoyed this movie because it was a quite entertaining romantic comedy, but the politics of it was imbecilic.

I guess Republicans and libertarians also watch television, even if it is set in the White House.

In general, I recall reading that The West Wing is liked across the political spectrum in the USA, on account of being quite accurate about the various different political points of view there. This is not the first time it has failed to live down to the usual leftist standards. I recall a very interesting gay Republican, who was most eloquent about why he was a Republican, despite the anti-gay prejudices of many of his fellow Republicans.

What would Frank Capra have made of the Alan Alda character, I wonder? Defending capitalism, whatever next?

It's a TV show, not reality.

But yes, the West Wing folk managed to create a better Republican than the ones we've got. Sad, really...

He probably meant it about as sincerely as Reagan did.

I think it was Churchill, John East, who said something to the effect that if you were not of the left when young then you had no heart, but if you were not on the right when mature then you had no brains.

I saw most of this episode (flipped to it by accident) and the debate was amazing. I don't watch the West Wing but if Alda's character wins the election I think I will start. The senator depicted (in the debate at least) was an ideal libertarian Republican.

Anybody got a transcript of the Alda character's speech?

Hollywood is an ideological business. Sometimes the business side takes the lead. Figuring out that there are tens of millions of American conservatives who might become fans and eyeballs for your advertising might be driving this. Kewl if so.

Surely:"Any moment now I fully expect to see a flock of sheep flying past my window toward the halal abbattoir!"?

The West Wing has always been a liberal platform, but I've always thought they played fair by giving conservative figures in their universe at least one shot at a good argument. One I remember is a gay conservative being asked why he hangs with these people and his replying that free markets make for free minds. Another time somebody asks why big pharma charges so much for a pill that costs only 10 cents to manufacture. Arch-liberal speechwriter character Tobey Ziglar replies, "The second pill costs 10 cents. The first one costs $400 million."

Actually, their greatesat fantasy is turning the character played by Janeann Garafalo into a cool and intelligent political operative, a great bit of acting for a shrieking hysteric like her.

The transcript will be available at this site in a few weeks and you can read a recap at Television Without Pity when it goes up later today or tomorrow.

Apparently the episode was shot live. Also apparently the Democrat will win the election. Which means I won't be a new West Wing fan after all.

I'm willing to admit that I'm a huge fan of the show despite its status as Lefty Alternate Universe and its laughable politics. At the best of times it's hugely entertaining and over the years it has featured some of the best dialogue ever written.

I haven't seen the episode yet, but judging from the reactions in the Moonbat camp, it must be excellent!

Remember, folks, that these are actors parroting someone else's words. Alda is a leftist moonbat. I expect he's in therapy as we speak trying to get past the horrid, horrid, I tell you, things he had to say on that TV PLAY. Oh, and "The Left Wing's" ratings aren't all that hot either.

I am sure SI know it is a TV show, but lefties like Alda are not known for showing their political enemies in a good or even rational light.

Yes, but how much work has Alda been getting lately?

Actually, I've been enjoying him on Scientific American Frontiers.

I used to watch TWW all the time until they lost the Sam Seaborn character and seem to have mislaid the resident utility-room-for-an-office republican Ainsley Hayes.

If they let the libertarian leaning republican win, I'll start watching again. Especially if they bring back Sam and Ainsley.

'The West Wing' is what liberal Democrats have instead of real life.

I bet the Kossacks got the heebie-jeebies over Alan Alda's performance. "Did you see him playing that evil Republican? He was using FACTS to rebut the heroic Democrat's argument! I tell you, it was so eerily real you almost think he might win the election!"

Perhaps someone else has noticed this, in which case I endorse the idea that Alan Alda is an ACTOR. He does not WRITE his lines, the largely anonymous writers do. Alan Alda probably believes nothing of the sort that he acted out. I see this frequently. People mistaking fictions for reality, using pop-culture 'heavings' in arguements, and other ignorances. Why someone imagines Alda's spoken lines represents his very own opinions is the ground of the uneducated and thoughtless.

Shirley Maclaine for President - that'll teach you, of the forebrain impaired.

We are aware that Alan Alda is an actor, right? Acting: (v) the art of lying for profit

as several commenters have already pointed out, sure he is an actor, no shit, but that is not the point. how often do you see a liberal like alda showing the right in a way that really shows that they really believe rather than some idiotic caricature? most of hollywood would rather bite their own heads off than do that

I've been surprised by this season of the West Wing. Mostly cause I thought the season would open on election day and didn't, but overall it's been a riveting season. Alda has really put himself into the character of Vinick quite well.

As for who wins the election, well I've heard it both ways, but it doesn't matter much as this will be the last season for the show (Vinick, dammitt!). The main writer, Aaron Sorkin, left after season four as well as Tommy Schlamme leaving John Welles so it's really struggled in season five. They seem to have gotten back on their feet but by all accounts they're ready to wrap it up and NBC seems ready as well as they put it on Sundays against the Simpsons.

Now if ya ask me they could pump some life into this show and get at least another four years out of it by having the new president be a libertarian/conservative Republican. Bring in some new writers and bam! NBC dominates Sunday nights.

Alda was great in the Aviator, perfect embodiment of an evil, grasping, crooked politician.

If they let the libertarian leaning republican win, I'll start watching again. Especially if they bring back Sam and Ainsley

If they let the libertarian-leaning republican win, it will be either (a) to later reveal him to be hopeless corrupt, (b) embroil him in a misogynistic sex scandal or (my prediction) (c) to show that his libertarian ideals are not up to the task of dealing with some kind of major crisis (natural disaster, perhaps?).

As much fun as this may be to watch now, I really would be surprised if it they let it last.

Acting defined in Bing's Hollywood these days is the art of dumbing-down for big profit. Notice how most of the heavy-marketed stuff coming from America's Bejewelled Bottom-Feeders is revised reality disquised by eye-candy.

The quality stuff not marketed is kept hidden so as the prevent the unwashed masses from seeing the light of day ie, Voice from Iraq, Stolen Honor, The Great Raid etc, etc, etc

NBC, which programs West Wing, believes that anyone who is not a Democrat wants to kill black people. The producers at NBC who gave voice to Kanye West knew exactly what they were doing and who what htis entertainer stands for. The public needs to stop supporting these vivcious Leftist tactics, it's are not entertainment, it is indoctrination of dumb people. If one is dependent upon earning an income in this industry one must adhere to, follow and regurgitate the indoctrination otherwise one will not be able to work.

I only speak as an actor in the industry (make that former actor in the industry) who has seen and heard enough to know that Hollywood is royally screwing the
public. Stalinist-controlled Hollywood truly believes that their distortions, lies and propraganda are all for the cause of the greater good. Stop feeding the bottom-feeders and stop defending these bottom-feeders as artists.

And, since the Hollywood industry has no viable competition, is not a free market, they only way their deceptive indoctrination is ever going to be addressed is through bankrupcy. Stop feeding the Bejewelled Bottom-feeders.

One commentator's impression of the 'West Wing' presidential debate episode and how it played with the voting millions, as measured by Zogby:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north411.html

He said that because under Bush "millions of jobs" were created. Since he did not want to credit Bush for the job gains, he has to point out where the jobs really came from. I hope he remembers that next time when a Democrat president, may that day never comes, claims the credits for jobs creation.