I’ve recently been rewatching two of my favorite TV shows whose take on American politics couldn’t be more different: “The West Wing” and “Veep.” The former is the Clinton-era brainchild of Aaron Sorkin, a sentimental ode to public service and politics at their most idealistic. It also contains an interesting Dartmouth connection: its fictional president Josiah Bartlet’s resume includes a serving stint serving as governor of New Hampshire and teaching economics at the College. “Veep,” on the other hand, is a cynic’s rendering of the post-Bush years. Its characters are ruthless and uncaring yet hopelessly incompetent in almost every endeavor.
Both shows are masterpieces, and I honestly couldn’t choose one over the other as my favorite, so I’ve been cycling between episodes of the two. In doing so, I’ve seen an oddly accurate composite of American politics forming. The shows’ two central characters — President Bartlet and Vice President Selina Meyer, respectively — embody all the opposing qualities of American political culture: altruism vs. selfishness, inspiration vs. banality and passion vs. apathy.
So, as we mark the one year anniversary of the Democratic Party’s humiliating defeat in the 2024 election that feels so much like an episode of “Veep,” I ask: why can’t Democrats act like Bartlet, not Meyer? I argue that, in the turbulent times our nation finds herself in, Democrats should choose to emulate the intelligence and optimism of “The West Wing’s” Bartlet rather than fold to the incompetence and detachment of “Veep’s” Meyer.
“The West Wing” follows the two-term Democrat Bartlet and his senior staff as they navigate the intricacies of American politics. The show’s jam-packed with Sorkin’s trademark smart, snappy dialogue, and Martin Sheen is a tour de force who acts more presidential than any recent White House occupant. Although the show can be sappy, it’s still a valuable blueprint for how a president should inspire and the selfless desires that should motivate any president.
On the other hand, the creators of “Veep” — wittingly or unwittingly — wanted their show to send the exact opposite message. The show’s entire cast of characters range from reprehensible to morally ambiguous, and they’re all awful at their jobs. Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Meyer, a politician with no beliefs, morals or any real political skill. She’s crass, feigned and resentful of her family, her staff, her constituents and democracy as a whole. Yet she somehow finds herself failing upwards, and you can’t help but root for her.
Common online criticisms fall into the binaries of the two shows — people frequently lambaste Democrats for evoking the self-righteousness of “The West Wing” while showing the weak moral backbone and amateurism of “Veep.” They’re right to do so. It’s one thing for Democrats to constantly say that America is locked in a clear-cut battle between good and evil, but it’s another thing to act as though you’re the nation’s last line of defense from that evil. No example of Democrats failing at this is better than the Biden-Trump debate fiasco. Democrats handed away the election, and possibly all future elections, because they couldn’t decide for nearly a month whether to unite behind Biden or oust him.
Now, one year out from the midterms, it’s more important than ever for the Democratic Party to clean up its act. Democrats need to invoke the mantra “What would Bartlet do?” For example, they cannot stumble or capitulate as the shutdown drags into its second month. It seems the party is finally taking a stand by keeping the federal government shut down to prevent 22 million Americans from losing their Affordable Care Act tax credits. This would cause premium payments to more than double for this vulnerable group of Americans.
Meanwhile, in the “Veep” universe, where principle means nothing, Meyer would stand behind the shutdown until it started to inconvenience her, then she’d flip and sell her allies and constituents down the river. Two Democratic senators and one who caucuses with them have unfortunately already taken this route. It may seem as if voters will punish Democrats who continue to hold the government hostage, but if the past election is any indicator, standing for anything will prove to be more politically advantageous than falling for nothing.
At the end of the day, voters want to be fought for and genuinely inspired, not talked down to and disappointed by a lack of decisive leadership. Politics is, regrettably, a game filled with theatrics. So if Democrats are going to play a part, it should be Bartlet, not Meyer.
Opinion articles represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
