West Wing Election Redux
 |
James Joyner | Thursday, May 15, 2008 |
Along with others, I’ve previously noted the similarities between Election 2008 and the fictional West Wing election between Matt Santos, the brown-skinned Democratic junior legislator and Arnie Vinick, the elderly, moderate Western Republican Senator.
Listening in on a blogger conference call with Senator McCain this afternoon, another parallel jumped up: his emphasis on nuclear power as a solution to our energy and environmental problems. This issue, of course, proved to be the death knell of Vinick’s campaign in the show due to an unfortunately timed accident.
The fictional Vinick and real McCain are right on the issue, I think, but the symmetry is amusing.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
Follow James on FriendFeed | Twitter | Digg
- West Wing Election Redux
- Election 2008 Imitates the ‘West Wing’
- Star Trek Climate Reform
- Meet the New Doctrine
- Iran’s Right to the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy
- McCain ‘Broken’ ‘Family’
- Obama a Terrorist! McCain a Crook!
- Replacing Oil Ain’t Easy
- Debate Fact Checking: Kissinger
- Voting Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
- House Trades Freedom for Health Coverage, Senate’s Move
- Hasan a Muslim First, American Second?
- OTB Caption JamTM
- Taking “No” As Iran’s Answer
- Update on the Fort Hood Massacre
- OTB Latenight – Soft Cell
- Caption Contest Winners
- Breaking: Shootings at Fort Hood (Updated)
- Pentagon Expected To Ask For Supplementary War Funding. As Usual.
- Marking the Anniversary of the Embassy Seizure
The fictional Vinick and real McCain are right on the issue, I think, but the symmetry is amusing.
Well, with one caveat. They are wrong if they think we should add nuclear power production they same way we have in the past.
We need to learn from the French. And don't listen to the whining from Bechtel, Parsons, et all.
Actually I think the pebble bed technology from the Chinese is a better solution. What is so great about the French nuclear power vs the US nuclear power?
The pebble bed has the value of not being able to melt down by accident. Remove all the water and it will get very hot, but won't melt down as the fuel is encased in ceramic balls (hence the name).
Vinick-Santos where South Carolina goes Democratic for President. That's worse fiction than the stuff I write on the internet.
Cheers,
Bill
