The West Winger

Imagining the Santos Administration

In an election that may predict future voting patterns more than it reflects current ones, Matt Santos became President of the Alternate Reality United States on The West Wing last night.

But according to this article in the New York Times, the writers originally intended that it go the other way: Alan Alda's Republican Senator Arnold Vinnick was going to win. The difference, the Times says, was John Spencer's death, and the fear that viewers could not handle the death of Santos' v.p. and the election loss as well. So Santos wins, in a squeaker (when Arizona goes Democratic, thanks presumably to the new Latino vote.)

So our Alternate Reality might have included a West Wing next season in which Alan Alda was the star. Now there will be no West Wing next year (talk about your instant lame duck), and we'll have to imagine a Santos presidency, with universal health care, a sane foreign policy, urgent attention to the climate crisis, voting reform and a renewed industrial economy based on innovation in non-oil renewable and sustainable clean energy. As we search for a candidate who will bring all this to the real reality in 2008.

In coming episodes, we'll probably see the outlines of the Santos administration, including who stays and goes from the Bartlett crew (although even this isn't consequential; nobody has to worry about conflicting committments next season, because nobody is actually coming back.) Then we're free to imagine the Santos administration. And use it to help us clarify what we want in 08. As the Times article points out, real issues were discussed with more sense, analysis and wit on this fictional TV series than in the news media of the so-called real world. It's the major irony of losing this series---we've lost not only our alternate reality, but a place where the real discussions took place about the important political issues of our shared reality.