Why Washington can't escape The West Wing

05/09/19 • 25 min

When The West Wing was on the air, during the Clinton and Bush years, a lot of liberal viewers were pining for a Democratic president with a strong sense of right and wrong — someone like President Bartlet. His fictional administration made for great entertainment, an idealistic vision of what politics could be. But the show’s idealism was decidedly white — and mostly male. It also obscured a very real partisan divide.

Music credits:

Voyage (a) by Jon Lorca and Peter James Quiney

Primetime Theme Music by Brandon McFarland

A Most Quiet Season by Richard Bone

Hot Air Balloon by Jon Lorca and Peter James Quiney

Two Dollar Token by Warmbody (from Blue Dot Sessions)

Rue Montclare (a) by Joe Henson, Alexis Leon Smith, and Reinould Willem Rutger Ford

Soothe by Bodytonic (from Blue Dot Sessions)

Constructions (B) by John Devereaux

Night Time Adventure by John Lorca and Peter James Quiney

When in the West by Landsman Duets (from Blue Dot Sessions)

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Music credits:

Voyage (a) by Jon Lorca and Peter James Quiney

Primetime Theme Music by Brandon McFarland

A Most Quiet Season by Richard Bone

Hot Air Balloon by Jon Lorca and Peter James Quiney

Two Dollar Token by Warmbody (from Blue Dot Sessions)

Rue Montclare (a) by Joe Henson, Alexis Leon Smith, and Reinould Willem Rutger Ford

Soothe by Bodytonic (from Blue Dot Sessions)

Constructions (B) by John Devereaux

Night Time Adventure by John Lorca and Peter James Quiney

When in the West by Landsman Duets (from Blue Dot Sessions)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Previous Episode

Introducing Primetime

Welcome to Primetime, a podcast about the power of television and how it affects and reflects our culture. In the first season, host Todd VanDerWerff, Vox’s critic at large, explores the American presidency on TV: stories about how presidents have used TV to further their political ambitions, and how TV has used the presidency to achieve its own goals. From Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network, Primetime premieres Thursday, May 9. Subscribe to the show for free in your favorite podcast app.

Music: Restive by Anthony W. Mawer

Rue Montclare by Joe Henson, Alexis Leon Smith, and Reinould Willem Rutger Ford

Falcon Hood (Tight) by Podington Bear

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Next Episode

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Music credits: “Pythagoras” by Podington Bear“24 Theme” by Sean Callery“Going Forward Looking Back” by Podington Bear“Ongoing View (C)" by Laurent Dury“Voyage (A)” by Jon Lorca and Peter James Quiney“New Connection” by Bob Bradley and Thomas Richard Balmforth“A Most Quiet Season” by Richard Bone“Two Dollar Token” by Warmbody (from Blue Dot Sessions)“Soothe” by Bodytonic (from Blue Dot Sessions)“Primetime Theme” by Brandon McFarland

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