"Break's Over"

So.

Maureen Dowd calls up Aaron Sorkin. Asks him what he thinks President Josiah Bartlett would have to say to this year's Democratic presidential hopeful.

The results are, simply put, wonderful.

Now, this only really works if you've watched the “The West Wing” – the more of the first four seasons, the better. Because hearing this in the voice of Martin Sheen's thoughtful (but fiery!) economist president is delightfully perfect. Yes, it's written as television, and sounds like it. Sure, it comes off a little smug, a little too “meta.” We get the easy lines like “as a Democrat I was surprised to learn that I don’t like small towns, God, people with jobs or America,” and “the idea of American exceptionalism doesn’t extend to Americans being exceptional.” Shortly put, it's fiction, written by a master of the form, delivering more of a beloved character we're already familiar with.

But damn if it isn't inspiring and well written, a satisfying glimpse at the kind of leadership, the level of statesmanship, so many of us dream of.

And Bartlett's advice? Spot on!