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Actor Who Played Obama-like Character on The West Wing to Rally With Obama Tonight in Florida

October 29, 2008 9:26 PM

Tonight, when actor Jimmy Smits joins Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., (not to mention former President Bill Clinton) on stage at a late night rally in Kissimmee, Florida, it will be a case of art meeting life imitating art imitating life.

Smits, you may recall, played Rep. Matt Santos, D-Texas, in the final two seasons of The West Wing -- a charming, inexperienced, young Democratic presidential candidate, a former community organizer with two young children who talked of breaching the partisan divide and was trying to become the first non-white U.S. President.

If Santos, whose election to the White House ended the seven-year run of the show, reminds you a bit of Obama you’re not alone. And it’s not an accident.

Santos in many ways was modeled on Obama, then just a candidate for U.S. Senate.

"I drew inspiration from him in drawing this character," West Wing writer and producer Eli Attie told the Guardian.  "When I had to write, Obama was just appearing on the national scene. He had done a great speech at the (2004) convention and people were beginning to talk about him." Attie called Obama senior strategist David Axelrod and said, "tell me about Barack Obama."

So Smits, who played Santos, will tonight be on stage with Obama, whose campaign in many ways already played out on TV, though in reality Santos was based on Obama not the other way around.

Santos on the show was challenging an older Republican from a Western state with a reputation for moderate positions, straight talk, and difficulties courting Christian conservatives. Alan Alda played the fictitious Sen. Arnie Vinick, R-Calif.

Lawrence O’Donnell, a producer and writer for the series told the New York Times that he used McCain as one of the templates for Vinick, though he said, "McCain’s resemblance to the Vinick character was much stronger in 2000 than in 2008."

Ultimately, Santos became president. We of course do not yet know how this show will end.

October 29, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (34)

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"Anyone remember Jack Ryan and the LATimes being ever so interested in suing to unseal his divorce records to help Obama get elected back to the Senate in 2004?"

Since it was the Chicago Tribune and a local TV station that led the charge and even Ryan's Republican opponents in the primary called for the records to be unsealed, I do not remember the ficticious right wing scenario offered above.

The lesson as always? Right wingers lie.

Posted by: Ryan C (That One) | Oct 30, 2008 2:04:06 PM

Anyone remember Jack Ryan and the LATimes being ever so interested in suing to unseal his divorce records to help Obama get elected back to the Senate in 2004?

Hmm...

Posted by: Michelle | Oct 30, 2008 12:59:03 PM

We get it Obama.
Or at least some of us get it.

Redistribution, Economic justice, Civil Rights.

Tax cuts-handouts-welfare-reparations.

Payback for slavery even though Obama will makes poor people slaves of the Gov't.

Obama is the judge and jury.

Posted by: bailey | Oct 30, 2008 12:11:02 PM

Why do the low-info voters have such a difficult time with the notion of 'conditional.'

No intelligent person makes a promise that is so open to breaking . . . without conditionals.

McCain campaign could not meet the terms of Barack's promise.

Seriously, it is easy to understand, and yet, they are still having difficulties with it.

Posted by: watchdog | Oct 30, 2008 11:53:02 AM

Top to bottom- a whole bunch of angry republicans. Sorry,too bad. Get used to the new situation.That shouldn't be difficult if you put your heart to it.

Posted by: EyesWideOpen | Oct 30, 2008 11:11:09 AM

unfortunately,

regardless to what you say Obama will be president of the U.S. Somthing McCain could have easily gotten if he stuck to the issue and not hate that man so much that all he could think about was smearing his name...its his fault!

Posted by: hahaha! | Oct 30, 2008 10:00:30 AM

Concerned in OH

...and all of the suits and bowties will be knocking on your door, making you buy sweet potato pies and radical Islamic propaganda.

Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | Oct 30, 2008 7:07:36 AM

EXCLUSIVE: Ali Abunimah is Likely Source of Secreted Obama/Khalidi/Ayers Tape; LA Times' Wallsten Plagiarized Schlussel Back in April, Said Politico


There has been much discussion throughout the Net about a secreted video showing Barack Obama at a dinner with terrorists Bill Ayers and wife Bernadine Dohrn, and the anti-Semitic Arafat advisor, Rashid Khalidi.

The Los Angeles Times has a copy of the tape, but won't release it because they said the source--whom I believe is Arab American Action Network (AAAN) founder and anti-Israel Palestinian activist Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada--required it not be released as a condition of sharing it. That's because it likely shows Obama applauding an anti-Semitic, anti-Israel poem that was read at the dinner

Posted by: Hero | Oct 30, 2008 6:58:29 AM

Great !! 2 actors together again...

Posted by: Jay | Oct 30, 2008 2:46:20 AM

Who Cares? Obama DREAMS of a Hollywood career! He is a frustrated Denzil Washington!
NEVER OBAMA.
COUNTRY FIRST McCAIN!!!!

Posted by: Hopey Uniter, is Dopey Divider | Oct 30, 2008 2:00:36 AM

Another Hollywood elite actor supports Obama.

And this is news??

Posted by: Greg h | Oct 30, 2008 1:25:07 AM

the times, they are a changin'.......

'A few days back President Bush 'requested' that the Justice Department intervene in the vote challenge dispute in Ohio. This is after Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner won the dispute in the courts.

Now comes word that the DOJ will likely to pass on the president's suggestion. '

Posted by: Blue | Oct 30, 2008 12:56:53 AM

... as their ship sinks and Palin takes the only lifeboat, Republicans begin to eat their young..
and.... as they drown in their own invective they still frantically call out the same talking points of their losing campaign..... pathetic but not unexpected.

as the page turns and Obama wins, we witness
an amazing moment in the history of America

Posted by: Blue | Oct 30, 2008 12:49:08 AM

"Roosevelt's running mate, John Nance Garner, accused the Republican of "leading the country down the path of socialism".[26]"

LOL, some history teacher you are. You've been teaching for how long? I used google for 2 minutes.

Posted by: Concerned in Ohio | Oct 30, 2008 12:20:26 AM

A Veteran: "I just know that the economy always improves, the tax revenues actually increase with accross the board tax cuts."

Looks like Georgie has some serious competition at that upcoming audition ...

Posted by: Donald from Hawaii | Oct 30, 2008 12:20:01 AM

I don't care about the President's personal life. To be honest, if he fixes this country's problem, his personal life is his personal problem. I'm sure many men and women cheat. I'm sure you are friends with some. Who cares. If Obama takes care of this country, that is all that matters. The 'Maverick' is just talk and whining because he didn't do what Obama is doing first.

Posted by: Marie | Oct 29, 2008 11:46:32 PM

DM,

I think I just found obama' long lost dog!...wait a minute, he is barking..

obama long lost dog: bark,bark,bark!!!

OMG! you say he left you?

bark,bark,bark

he didn't leave you any bones?

bark,bark, bark

don't worry boy, i will get your story to fox news, and john mccain and sarah palin. Obama is trying to run for president. I'll get something done for you,
bark,bark,bark,

what's that boy?
bark,bark,bark
Yes I will try to find Joe the Plumber for you, too.

Posted by: cheer up, smile, nertz! | Oct 29, 2008 11:09:24 PM

The Messiah-mercial reminded me eerily of those Sham Wow! infomercials...

Posted by: Concerned in Ohio | Oct 29, 2008 11:07:04 PM

{crickets}

Dear Political Punch:

You guys doing public relations press releases for Obama (D-ACORN) now.

Posted by: Captain America | Oct 29, 2008 11:00:05 PM

Senator Government is proposing a $500B Civilian Defense Corps.

Who thinks the uniforms will be suits and bowties?

Posted by: Concerned in OH | Oct 29, 2008 10:57:41 PM

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