At 7.15am this morning President Bush will be addressing the CPAC Conference. Wild horses wouldn't drag me out of my bed at that ungodly hour, even to see the most powerful man in the world. However, sixteen hours later I hope to be getting a private peek inside the Oval Office during a private tour of the West Wing of the White House. As you can imagine, I am rather excited about it. I suspect it is not much like the set of the TV programme. Now here's a question to ponder: given the opportunity, would you rather meet President Bush or President Bartlett? Laura Bush or Mrs Bartlett? The current White House Press Secretary or C J Cregg? The current Chief of Staff or Josh Lyman? The current White House Communications Director or Sam Seaborn? Yep. Me too.
27 comments:
Let's not mess around, you may hate the policies of the Bartlet administration but at least they are fun people.
Me, Amy and Donna and a hotel room for the night. Sweet.
Bartlet and Bush couldn't be further apart. I know who I'd like to see behind the Resolute desk.
Think you're a little behind the times Iain.
Jed Bartlett retired to his library in Manchester, NH after handing over to Matt Santos in 2006.
The wonderful CJ Cregg left the White House despite offer to be Special Adviser to the President from Pres Santos I seem to recall she went to the West Coast with her long time squeeze Danny Concannon.
Who can forget her exit from The White House as she walked down Pennsylvania Avenue and a tourist and his young daughter asked if she worked at The White - "No !" she said "I don't work at The White House" as she walked off. Not a dry eye in the house.
The Jed Bartlett Presidency - the best years the USA never had.
Sam wasnt Comms Director, Toby was, he was assistant.
Tut Tut.
Sam Seaborn was only the Deputy Director of Communications. Toby Ziegler was the Director of Comms (despite clearly having little idea of how to manage the media).
Can you stop this self-indulgent bollocks ? I don't watch the West Wing or the Sopranos or any other telly for goodness sake. I tune into this blog for politics. Not comments on some asinine TV series and people I've never heard of.
This is reality calling, Iain, can you hear us ?
I'd rather meet Dana Perino over CJ any day of the week!
Hi Iain,
Lucky you! As a fellow West Wing fan and avid blog reader (and a fellow Hammer, btw), I'd love to know what it's like inside the real West Wing.
Cheers, Simon (aka Prof. Simon Hix of the LSE)
ps. you really think McCain could beat Hillary or Obama? Dream on!
You're JOKING!
Bush never talks to the press, avoids even appearing in front of them. You have the chance to be there and you sleep in? I hope somebody takes a pot-shot at him just so you get to live with the knowledge you missed it.
Never mind meeting them, I'd rather they were running the bloody place!
I thought the story was that the Oval Office, at least, had been re-created in great detail, although I suspect the rest of the building wasn't. If it is like the tv programme, watch out for people walking down corridors at great speed talking to each other at even greater speed.
By the way... Josh never made it to Chief of Staff, did he? CJ followed Leo. (Pedant).
'Private *peek*', surely? A 'private peak' would be something very different! ;0)
You might not think so at the time Iain, but watch the WW AFTER your visit to the Oval Office. You'll be surprised about how well it all fits together in the programme...
Not quite Sam Seaborn, but his alter ego (Rob Lowe) was on my flight back from New York to London last night.
Come on Iain you're slipping. Josh Lyman was Deputy White House Chief of Staff at the time C.J. was press secretary (although did later become Chief of Staff under Santos) but Sam Seaborn was never Communications Director, only Deputy Comms and later Deputy Chief of Staff. Still...splitting hairs and all that.
Never having seen West Wing, I couldn't give the proverbial monkey's.
If it were me, I think I might actually have dragged myself out of bed for 7.15 to go to hear PotUS (even this one).
Iain, I'd rather stroll around the fictional WW too. That said, I understand that the actual TV set is pretty accurate - so much so that they didn't let people tour it for security reasons.
Probably best posted after your free private tour...?
But if Labour offer a proportional electoral system & the Tories don't.....
Josh Lyman was never Chief of Staff in the Bartlett presidency - only under President Santos. CJ Cregg succeded Leo McGarry as Bartlett's CoS.
The real West Wing is very different - the Lobby is much smaller, with offices where the Secret Service Uniformed Desk is in the Series. The Bull pen doesn't exist, & the Oval looks twee with Laura Bush's chosen decor.
Apparently the set was very similar to the actual Oval Office, even atmospherically speaking. They had a large number of advisers on hand that were part of the Clinton Administration, Dee Dee Myers being one of the notable aforementioned and also a credited series writer. Sorkin and Schlamme are also known for being absolute perfectionists.
For sure I have no doubt it would be a wonderful place to visit regardless of your country of residence or your political persuasion.
Enjoy.
I'd rather had President Palmer (the first one)
Josh Lyman. He may be fictional, but I'm in love with that man.
Lucky Donna.
Why are they letting you in? Is it Big Block of Cheese Day again already?
Did you watch Ashes To Ashes, Iain?
Mea Culpa - yes, I got some of the jobs wrong!
Anonymous 9.37. I cover my head in shame. I really do think that as I grow older my spelling gets worse and worse.
Asquith, er, they don't get BBC1 in Washington. I have however, had it recorded.
Iain Dale: "never apologise, never explain".
You either lived the only decent Presidency of my life (b.1943) or you're a horse's anus.
President Josiah Edward Bartlet was a great guy. His reputation increases with each slur on his memory. My only regret is that I didn't ever manage to access the history of his successor, President Matthew Santos (or, as, apparently, it was to be, of President Arnold Vinick). Both great guys: both better than what reality gave us.
And, surely, every defeated, rejected, failed ex-pol (yes, include me there) knows the bitter-sweet after-life of Candidate Arnie, buying his coffee down the road, when nobody knows your name.
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