'WEST WING' DEBATE THROWS OUT THE RULES

Associated Press

Frazier Moore

Monday, November 7, 2005

NEW YORK - It was a debate both startlingly realistic and straight out of fantasyland on NBC's "The West Wing" Sunday night.

In a live presidential faceoff, pretend Republican candidate Arnold Vinick shocked the audience, along with his fictional Democratic rival, Matt Santos, by suggesting at the outset that their carefully negotiated rules be thrown out.

"When the greatest hero in the history of my party, Abraham Lincoln, debated, he didn't need any rules," declared Vinick (played by Alan Alda). "We could junk the rules."

"OK, let's have a real debate," said Santos (Jimmy Smits).

However unlikely it might be that political opponents would agree to such a high-risk, no-holds-barred format, the trappings of the debate sure looked real enough: In their dark suits, both candidates were stationed at lecterns in front of the expected blue background (that is, until midway through the hour, when both men called for hand microphones to roam the stage).

To add to the realistic feel, real-life TV news veteran Forrest Sawyer was on hand to moderate.

His first question went to Vinick: "What would you do to seal the Mexican border (to illegal immigration)?"

"Enforcement first, that's my policy," said the California senator. "I would double the border patrol."

"I don't know how you're going to find room in the budget to double the border patrol with the tax cut you're proposing," fired back Santos, a Texas congressman.

A bit later, Santos promised a million jobs would be created in his first term.

"How many jobs will you create?" Sawyer asked Vinick.

"None," he replied. "Entrepreneurs create jobs. Business creates jobs. The president's job is to get out of the way."

And, inevitably, the term "liberal" was debated, as well.

"Republicans have tried to turn `liberal' into a bad word," said Santos. "Well, liberals ended slavery in this country."

"A Republican president ended slavery," Vinick retorted.

"Yes, a LIBERAL Republican, Senator. What happened to them?"

But there was much more to their give-and-take, which fell into a pattern of dramatic exchange, even heated confrontation — the sort of informative clash that actual presidential debates never permit. It was substantial, at times downright wonkish, and a remarkable contrast to the real thing.

It was a blend of scripted dialogue and spirited improvisation, with a second live performance three hours later for West Coast viewers. The actors and Sawyer pulled off the latter half of the double-header smoothly.

This special episode was hyped as a signal event in the ongoing campaign to determine which candidate will inherit the White House from Democratic incumbent Jeb Bartlet (Martin Sheen), whose administration has been the centerpiece of "The West Wing" since its premiere six years ago.

Exactly when the election will take place has not been announced, although it is expected sometime this season. And who will be the victor? Both Alda and Smits claim not to know their characters' fate, while the series' producers hint they may not have decided.

As for viewers, no matter who they side with, they won't be able to cast their ballots. Even so, the Vinick-Santos presidential debate provided a lot to think about for voters in the audience — including, why won't real candidates debate this way?