Our friends at NYMagazine and Lawrence O’Donnell Jr, a writer/producer for JWStraz’s favorite show (The West Wing, duh), have come together to bring us the glorious screenplay: Four Days in Denver.
The Democratic Party is closer than it’s ever been to a political nightmare—a deadlocked convention. Though the odds of its actually happening are still remote, the idea is so rich with dramatic possibility that we asked Lawrence O’Donnell Jr., former West Wing writer-producer, to play out a scenario in movie-treatment form. The premise is that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton arrive in Denver, neither having sufficient delegates to gain the nomination nor a decisive majority in the popular vote. And so it’s on…
A sampling of the drama:
CUT TO:
Obama suite. Dean and the leadership are meeting with Barack and Michelle Obama.Barack: But I have the lead in delegates, the lead in—
Reid: We know. We just think a unity ticket is the only way we can—
Michelle: Why should the guy in the lead take the VP slot?
Reid: We—
Barack: Because you already asked Hillary to take VP and she said no?Dean: We haven’t exactly asked her that yet, but if we could tell her you’re ready to accept the vice-presidential nomination …
Barack: No.
Reid: Barack, if this goes to a second ballot, all hell could break loose.
Barack: No.
Dean (pointing to Gore on Larry King): You know Gore’s gonna make a move if we get to a second ballot. You really think you can hang on to all your delegates then?
Barack shoots a worried look at Gore on TV.
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That was great.
It should have been longer though. He could have really fleshed out the juicy details about what went into each of the balloting rounds, and what got some voters to realign.
The drama was West Wing like (duh). I really enjoyed it. Its something I’d watch on tv…oh wait I might.
This is truly a worse case scenario…lets hope it doesnt come down to that.
Al Gore ascends to the presidency…
…damn, I wish the West Wing would come back!
p.s. – I wouldn’t mind an Obama-Clark “unity” ticket.
1) We can only hope Al Gore somehow takes the nomination.
2) Josiah Bartlet, best president ever.
EVER.
I disagree with the Al Gore part…
But yes, Josiah Bartlett best president ever.
Did anyone notice that West Wing really predicted this campaign well? On the Democratic side a young upstart minority (Santos=Obama) inspires his way to the nomination after a floor fight against the once presumptive nominee (Hoynes=Clinton). On the Republican side a “moderate” (Vinick=McCain) beats out a right-wing pastor (that dude=Huckabee) relatively easily.
Wow, Zach, that’s deep.
Styer, it is time for your dream of Al Gore becoming president to die. It has been beat over the head, stabbed by a midget, thrown into mud, stomped on by an elephant, shanked by the hick prisoner from Prison Break whose name I can’t remember, strangled, waterboarded, and kicked by a donkey. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
I also agree that Bartlett is the best president ever. And, they should continue it with Matt Santos as president.