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Mr Sterling - will this show be more popular in reruns?
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Posted by: Family

I know Mr Sterling walks the edge of stereotypical junk TV, but in its own strange way there is a message that I believe will become more evident in future years. In a scene last week Senior Sterling said to his son that a successful politician needs to know when it is time to lead. The show has spent much of its time convincing the newly appointed senator to take more benign positions which agree with public opinion, however there have been a few instances where he has been encouraged to stand up for what he believes. I think a pattern... a mesage may be forming that (coincidence or not) may prophetize some future event in politics.

It is no coincidence that Mr Sterling stands for principles of the democratic party, but claims not to be a democrat. IMO the show is offering the message that the party and its leaders no longer have a soul... that their fights are more focused on achieving bigger gains from already won battles (transfer payments, civil rights) rather than ALSO tackling tough issues that represent more forward thinking in 2003. I am not campaigning for any one issue, but shouldn't some young viable Democratic leader make his platform about the loss of civil liberties or talk about progressive ideas in dealing with our drug problems (and the money wasted enforcing the laws), or seriously address the fact that most politicians (who are attorneys) create the demand for lawyers by passing more legislation.

I think Mr Sterling contains the message that the Democratic party is lacking the courage to lead. If the show spent all its time pounding in that point it would truly be trash, but it doesn't. In fact most of the time an episode revolves around the senator caving into political pressures. For this reason I wonder if ten years down the road (if it survives a few years) Mr Sterling doesn't become sort of a cult show. If it can stay away from the usual ratings grabbers does anyone else think that the show may be about more than just naive good looking hunk hits Washington?

Posted by: shaunrose

I think there are a lot of good and interesting messages in this show. However, I always question how much applicability it has to real life. What makes the show interesting is that through an extreme and unusual set of circumstances, Sterling got appointed as a Senator without having to engage in any the normal political activities involved in an election. In the beginning, he was able to keep to his convictions and it worked out for him. But it was sort of like the typical sit-com/drama storyline where the main character does something completely opposite to what they should do and it just happens to work out (eg, the person up for a promotion does something to insult the boss but gets the promotion b/c the boss admires his spunk and decides he wants someone who will stand up to him).

What I find interesting about the direction the show is currently taking is that Sterling is learning that he has to compromise to get re-elected, or to get things he cares about done. So, in five years, will he really be that much different from the rest of them? Like the female Senator from Nevada who sits next to him (I can't remember her name) -- she is basically a good person who has just learned what it takes to play the system and succeed. He's sort of headed on that path now.

I guess my feeling is that I like the messages and think they are good in the ideal world. However, in the practical world, I don't know that they would work for two reasons 1) special interest groups, the party leadership and other political powers-that-be would not respond well to it 2) the majority of the population, who may respond well to it, are not very engaged in politics and, except for on the presidential level, would probably never see the character behind such a politician.

Posted by: smak

I like the show more for it's "inside the senate" information than the political stuff.

I think he'll have to compromise a little bit to get re-elected, but it will be his character and his stand against special interests that gets him re-elected.

If the show gets that far.

-smak-