Happy Election Day

Happy Election Day everyone. I can't wait to get home from work and start watching the election returns come in. I'm sure everyone is burnt out on all the political debates that seem pop up everywhere you look (family parties, friendly gatherings, work, blogs, facebook, etc.). So I thought I would take a different angle. I would like to congratulate the writers/producers of The West Wing for predicting almost exactly how this election would turn out. Its remarkable. I don't know how many of you watched that show, but it was a great show. Katie and I love it, and we've watched a few reruns over the past month as we walk and bounce Ella late into the night (thank you, colic).

In the final season (2005), the show shifted much of its attention to a presidential election to replace the 2nd term incumbent President. The primary races featured a moderate republican who held off several challengers who were far more conservative, but had the nomination in hand far before the Democrats. Sound familiar? The Republican candidate then faced a major choice about his VP candidate: pick a conservative to satisfy the base, or go with someone more moderate that he would feel more comfortable with. He ended up going with the moderate, so the show didn't predict that right, but so far we're pretty close.

In the Democratic primary, it started out with the clear "next in line" candidate running on a platform of inevitability. But that candidate started facing an unexpected challenge from a young, exciting, likable, minority candidate. The primary contest became a long drawn out fight, and there was even debate about what might happen if the race wasn't settle by the convention. Really!?! Now that's pretty amazing.

The young, likable candidate wins the nomination and then moves into another long, fiercely contested battle for the presidency. In the end, the Democratic nominee wins.

I guess we'll see tonight if The West Wing got the last thing right.