Life imitating art?
A funny thing happened when I popped in to George Osborne's office yesterday to hear his explanation of Tory tax policy (you can read my explanation ).
I was confronted by a familiar face. I looked, I thought, he spoke. Yes, I remembered who it was. It was - you know, President Bartlet's former campaign adviser who switched sides to help Arnie Vinnick (in ). My God, I thought, the Tories are attracting the attention of the big boys from D.C.
But hold on, The West Wing - I have to break this to you lightly - is fiction. This was . But just to continue the fact/fiction confusion, Silver's no mean politician himself. Once a Democrat, like most in Hollywood, he's become an outspoken supporter of George Bush's since 9/11. He introduced Rudolph Giuliani at the Republican Convention in 2004. Bruno, I mean Ron, also turns out to be a chum of the Tory Party's money man...
I'm 
Comments
Speaking of acting....
Your live links seem terribly scripted Nick, almost poetic at times. Much moreso than other reporters. This is clearly your style. Almost hypnotic at times.
I've taken to watching ITN's political correspondents as you repeat yourself over and over throughout the day across the Beeb's many outlets.
Couldn't you change the script more often?
Nick I am very very confused
Perhaps he was working on young Gideon Osbourne's voice? I wonder if you can report to the masses on this blog if the shadow Chancellor has been having voice coaching?
Life imitating art?
I remember the reports that appeared some years ago that went on about how many in the Prime Minister's office loved The West Wing... I was always faintly worried about the prospect of someone thinking that the US executive office style of governance would be a suitable way to run our country, but dismissed such ideas as silly. No one would EVER try and do that...
(I am sure other readers will have opinions on such a concern)
I鈥檝e had the suspicion for some time that Prime Minister Blair would step down as party leader and hold onto his Premiership. Given the calibre of leadership he鈥檚 been displaying recently, the fact that no clear replacement is available, and the general policy drift being constructive, positive, and well supported in the country, I wouldn鈥檛 be surprised if he got away with being Prime Minister until hell freezes over on that basis.
I greatly admire Ieyasu Tokugawa, the Sh艒gun who cemented Japans national unity, created clear and workable laws, and laid the foundations for 300 years of unparalleled creativity and economic growth in Japan. Even today, behind Japans democracy, like our own, lies the history of its feudal roots. One element of this is that the Japanese Premier is elected by the full Diet. Sh艒gun Blair isn鈥檛 without its precedent.
Stranger things have happened...
Nick I was watching Commander in Chief on the Telly in the early hours, just waiting to see what would come next on your blog (I'm lying Nick, I watched a rerun on the vid).
I realised the Hollywood mob make the real thing look so unprofessional its a wonder we don't get revolution either here or there in the US. Mind you the Telly versions can do retakes, the real ones screw up before our eyes..
Why is it Nick, after 5 years that President Bush and PM Tony Blair are only now realising what an awful mess they have made of things? Surely they are not that dumb and stupid?
And why on question time do all the labour lap dogs seem bereft of truth, and why is Mr Dimbleby so even with them. Do all of you have to be couteous to these buffoons?
Can't you ask that burning question Robin Day put, "Now Tony, what's it like to be a here today, going tomorrow kind of PM?"
We know thew answer already. Whatever happens next Blair has stayed too long defending in office, when he would have been better defending the record out of office. Power and ego? Too blinking right!
Re Marc's comment, at 9.37pm, I have to say that I felt, on many occasions, that if our and the US Governments conducted themselves with half of the integrity as portrayed by TWW, I'd be a very happy man indeed. One can but dream...
I love your reports Nick, keep the style. You'd make a great MP by the way, how about it?
Nick!!!
I'm only on the fourth series of the West Wing and now you've gone and spoilt a future story line!!
If only our Prime Minister could be more like Jed Bartlett hey!?
Proper values and ideologies that he sticks too.
I guess that's about as close as we're ever going to get to "The West Wing" in real life. President Bartlett is portrayed as a highly intelligent man who cares deeply about doing the right thing for the good of the country. The contrast with real-life politicians really couldn't be greater.
The great American democratic system seems to be particularly adept at getting people with celebrity status into office 鈥 Ronnie Reagan and Arnie Schwarzenegger, to name but two. Why so? Because, amongst other things celebrity status can give you access to loadsa money!
Most of us find it easier to relate to an individual (even a Prime Minister or Cabinet Minister) than to a political ideology or party. Thus Prime Ministers, other party leaders and senior politicians have become entangled in our cult of celebrity, sometimes even promoting it (remember 鈥楥ool Britannia?鈥). Consequently, over the last 25 years Britain鈥檚 Parliamentary Democracy has become much more presidential in style. As 鈥榗elebrities,鈥 Prime Ministers now occupy a much more exalted (if not elevated) position. They are consequently more isolated and less accessible, and paradoxically more vulnerable by virtue of their exaltation. And thus, I would contend more defensive and evasive! I do not believe this to be healthy.
Strangely enough, our democratic system actually advocates directly relating to an individual - the local MP. It is actually our constituency MP, regardless of their party, whom we are electing every 4-5 years and the party forming the government and hence the identity of the Prime Minister should be of secondary, or even tertiary importance. At least they are open about it in the USA and people vote directly for their President (not sure what鈥檚 gone wrong the last couple of times). We do not, or at least we should not vote directly for our Prime Minister. It is therefore fair enough to refer to 鈥楶resident Bush.鈥 It is inappropriate and a lazy and damaging acceptance of Americanisation to refer to 鈥楶rime Minister Blair,鈥 giving him a presidential aura, which is wholly inappropriate and misleading. In reality he is 鈥榯he British Prime Minister, Mr Blair.鈥
The point is that the cult of celebrity is not only influencing, but is actually changing our British political system. Without a written constitution this is not necessarily easy to detect. The structures we have in place were not designed to deal with the way the system now operates. If we want to preserve our political system, we need to disentangle it from the cult of celebrity. Alternatively if we wish to treat our politicians and their advisors as celebrities, we may need to re-think our constitution if we want our political system to remain representative and effective.
Mixing politics with celebrity is dangerous!
Fact/Fiction, predicted politics,just about right on the money Nick,the truths and half truths of political spin.Is it not strange that Cameron wants Brown to be the new P.M, and Blair remains silent on who should succeed him?then we have Cameron the chameleon "green on energy and blue on tax" so it should come as no surprise that Osbourne wants to play the part of a serious politician,with some help from his American friends.Fact/Fiction or prediction,my money's on fiction,until Blair goes and the next general election is decided,until then the book remains opened and the story becomes stranger by the day.
Scott says: "I've taken to watching ITN's political correspondents as you repeat yourself over and over throughout the day across the Beeb's many outlets."
Scott - If you are watching ITN instead, then how do you know this?
A party within a party makes that party unelectable. The sooner David Cameron realises this, the sooner he can adjust to his new life as a Tory and set about defeating Labour.
I just want to disagree with Scott (#1)
Nick may repeat himself, but he is concise and the meat of the matter does not change from one broadcast to the next.
I have to admit I have no idea how ITV report politics (Where Nick did go until Andrew Marr leaving called him back from the dark side), as I can not stand know what Mr Beckham was wearing to where-ever it was he was. But the 大象传媒's politics coverage is 2nd to none. With the mix of 6 O'clock (politics easy), then newsnight (politics medium) and then the latenight Politics Show THis Week. You got all you need.
I do not read any papers now for their party bias. And although I was worried by the BEEB bringing back someone who thought ITV was a credible choice (Note: Mr Ryder, Mr Lynham), Nick has been as insightful as any before him.
The MP for Tatton is certainly moving in high circles!
Anon (#13), I said I have given up "watching" Nick. This doesn't mean I don't read his comments or listen to them. He is the 大象传媒 Political Editor after all!
I have given up with his "set piece" coverage at 6pm when he repeats his previous reports online and/or on radio.
In fact I prefer Martha Kearney on Newsnight. More substance less style.
The takeout here is:
(a) more perspectives the better
(b) Nick doesn't give us enough meat, the story is so heavily distiled in his story-telling manner for the 6pm audience most the substance is lost.
Ron Silver's character is always hitting on girls young enough to be his daughter or granddaughter. Bruno Ginelli is a great character and a political bruiser but boy does he charge into things. I will not spoil that earlier texter further enjoyment of the series but that briefcase incident with Vinick and Santos in the last series - if he had had his way? A Presidential nominee would have been blown out of the water and for no good reason except lack of research.
Yes he would do well here in Britain. Give him a job immediately.
Typical Tory policy of cutting taxes when we need taxes to an extent for good public services. I am not surprised Republicans are friends with Tories. Like they say, Tory is Republican and Labour is Democrat.I agree with Adam's comment. I would rather have Bartlett than Bush!
Nick,
I really enjoy reading your musings, but do wish they were more frequent. I am sure it is difficult to find the time, but maybe less time spent searching for the perfect turn of phrase and more priority given to just bashing out some 'of the moment' insights would result in something closer to the true spirit of a blog, take less time, and benefit from the spontaneity.
Matthew Lloyd
Are you Rory Bremner ????
there was a great programme by the former UK Ambassador in Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer last Saturday on Radio 4 - Corridors of Power - on that very issue of The West Wing effect and differences in political culture & satire between the two countries.
you can still listen to it on the Listen Again page - great stuff
tell me in all honesty who is telling the truth brown or osbourne ???