Simon Mayo of Radio Five

by Denis Campbell

This has been a depressing week. The ugly, angry mobs surrounding McCain – Palin, the potential, as my colleague Charley James writes, for last second raw racist 527 group adverts, a deeply divided country dragged into and immersed in yet another banal and trivial ‘business as usual’ political campaign instead of seriously debating serious issues as and by serious men and women.

BBC Radio Five’s afternoon host Simon Mayo has been on a wonderful adventure across the USA this week spending time talking to Americans in swing states and broadcasting live from: Detroit, Ohio, Louisville, Indianapolis and wrapping up moments ago today in Chicago.

A guest during the Indianapolis day was Ron Silver, ironically sitting in studio in London. Ron Silver is a man of deep principal and although we disagree politically, I could never find him personally disagreeable and his discourse on his stance came from a quiet place of deep passion. He is an impressive spokesperson and McCain supporter after years as a Democrat. I found my respect for him growing throughout the discussion and applauded him for stating his beliefs so eloquently, simply and passionately. He was not looking for a fight, just expressing his opinion.

The John McCain of 2008 has behaved so dishonourably that he does not deserve such an eloquent supporter. His party has devolved into a sideshow unworthy of the high office he seeks and the behaviour of John, Cindy and Sarah before and since the debate has been borderline criminal.

The discussion on Simon’s show (you can listen on the BBC iPlayer) turned to his role on The West Wing as Bruno, the campaign consultant. If think they had Dick Morris (now Republican strategist who supported Bill Clinton) in mind you would only be partially correct. The producers wanted to create a real contest for the last season and needed to find a sympathetic actor to play the Republican and take on a decent everyman persona. Enter Alan Alda, a man everyone loves from his days on M*A*S*H and Broadway.

Simon talked about owning the box set of The West Wing, being a true fan and simply replaying them over and over again, something I do when no one is available to talk me down off the ceiling and as therapy. Today I watched a repeat of the episode ‘Shibboleth’ where 96-Chinese refugees stowed away in containers aboard a cargo ship for 2 months. Only 83 survived and there is a memorable scene where an elder is brought to the White House to meet with the President. 

The fictional President in an act of political bravery calls the Governor of CA and asks the military to stand down so the refugees can escape into the hands of the waiting Red Cross and thus allowing China to save face.

I am desperately looking for a way a basically decent but seemingly misguided John McCain to somehow save face and regain his sense of honour. He has received bad advice and follows the same group of Republican thugs who attacked him, his wife and daughter in 2000. 

That he would now allow anyone in any audience he holds the microphone to yell words such as “Terrorist”, “Traitor”, “Kill Him” about his opponent or senior citizens to grab microphones and rant along uninterrupted with a “what can I do about it” shrug is beyond despicable.

I keep waiting for a moment of wisdom and courage to strike him where stands up and says, “this… is… wrong! I promised an honourable campaign on the issues and that is what we are going to have. No more 527 attacks from either of us, let’s debate the issues. No more trivial back-chatter Senator, you’ve been vetted over 20-months and deserve to stand here as do I, so let’s tell the American people and the rest of the world what we’re going to do and let them choose, let them decide because both of our mottoes should be country first.”

They would allow this extraordinary campaign to end on a positive and dignified note and perhaps end the era of never-ending Karl Rove protégé era of divide and conquer cockroaches to crawl back into the corners forevermore.

Then I could replay the closing scene today with actor Martin Sheen as President Josiah Bartlett and think, yeah, that’s my America, the one I remember, the one I love and the one we all want back…

From The West Wing Shibboleth episode

BARTLET
“Well over three and a half centuries ago, strengthened by faith and bound by a common desire for liberty, a small band of pilgrims sought out a place in the New World where they could worship according to their own beliefs. (Pause, slightly choking up at the irony.) Now therefore I, Josiah Bartlet, President of the United States, by virtue of authority and laws vested in me, do hereby proclaim this to be a National Day of Thanksgiving.”

SAM
I’ll see you out there, sir. [walks out to the portico]

JOSH
You asked the Governor to stand down the 22nd Division.

BARTLET
[taking off his glasses] And call in the Red Cross. We didn’t do anything illegal. 

We’re not involved in any massive criminal conspiracy. There’s no way I was letting them go, and we needed to help China save face, so now they can tell their people that the mighty American military was overpowered by…

JOSH
Yeah.

Bartlet starts to head out to the colonnade.

JOSH
So the guy passed the test, huh?

BARTLET
You think I would’ve sent him back if he’d failed catechism? Let me tell you something. We can be the world’s policeman. We can be the world’s bank, the world’s factory, the world’s farm. What does it mean if we’re not also…

He pauses for a moment, smiling a little. From a distance we hear several children starting to sing.

BARTLET
We’ve made it into the New World, Josh. You know what I get to do now? I get to proclaim the National Day of Thanksgiving.

HERALD [Outside]
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the President of the United States.

BARTLET

[to Josh] This is a great job.

With a big smile, he opens the door to the COLONNADE, and heads for THE ROSE GARDEN. Josh stays still at the door for a moment, and then follows him. A Secret Service Agent goes to close the door. Somewhere nearby, children continue to sing, with angelic voices we can now hear bright and clear. 

SINGERS [OS]
…to ask the Lord’s blessing.
He chastens and hastens 
His will to make known.
The weak and oppressing 
Now seized from distressing
Sing praises to His name,
He forgets not His own.

The song ends, and from the door, we slowly–

DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES.
FADE TO BLACK.
THE END

Yup, I can get behind this ending and so should we all…