I think the show speaks to many of us who may like
Clinton's
ideas but have been
let down by his
actions. (and I'm not talking the
sex--more Clintons' desire to have everyone like him, and him thinking the best way to do that is to be
malleable.)
Martin Sheen presents a
Clintonesque president with none of the flaws--
President Bartlet has served in the
military, is
decisive and
genuninely likeable.
I think liberals enjoy the show the most, because after getting hammered by conservatives for most of the last 20 years, this show is showing liberals who aren't knee-jerk or stupid, but liberals who are part of the system and whose ideals actually seem just and pure. The West Wing shows effective, politically powerful liberals, and I think that probably scares conservatives more than anything. Of course, the conservatives look at it as more liberal media bias and storm off in a huff. And yes, the show is mean to conservatives, at times--a recent episode showed a conservative getting hired by the Bartlet administration, and somewhat repudiating her beliefs to do it.
What really makes the show is the writing, directing, and ensemble cast. Yeah, that's three things, but they all mesh together so well. The cast includes Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Moira Kelly (quietly disappeared in the 2nd season, with Janel Moloney's character promoted to lead status), Allison Janney, John Spencer, Bradley Whitford, Benjamin Schiff, and Dule Hill. And tons of other incidental characters--think ER or Sports Night--which is appropriate because West Wing was created by executive producers of those shows (John Wells and Aaron Sorkin, respectively.)
NSA's comments are especially relevant considering the most recent
presidential election. Those of us who aren't happy with
Dubya will turn to
The West Wing for our
powerful liberal escapism. Bartlet is the dream
liberal president and it's easy to get lost in that. Hopefully, it will continue to be as politically pointed as it has been.