About ABC's "Commander-in-Chief"

[T Wolf]

Politically speaking...

My wife and I have had a couple of (short) discussions about the new Geena Davis series. Her take so far is that she is not sure if she likes it. It does push her button as far as showing a female president, which I hope is the only reason she is undecided about whether she likes it.

I, on the other hand, have taken an almost-immediate dislike to the show. Sure, it shows the repuke Speaker (Donald Sutherland) as a shit. But the new Prez is way too conservative for my tastes. And don't get me started on the spoiled-brat of a teenage daughter. Her - I would have violated my "no-slapping" rule at least ten times already.

What's the verdict here?

[clydefrand]

1. I've seen it since it began. Where is she too conservative?

I hadn't gotten that impression, yet. I agree the spoiled-brat daughter is a drag, but the writers have got to give mother another role to see if she can handle both roles of motherhood and the presidency. I think she'll succeed.

[T Wolf]

let me count the ways

1) The fact that she would run on the republican ticket.

2) Keeping the dead president's Chief of Staff as hers - talk about having a saboteur (for any progressive moves) on the inside

3) Taking such an aggressive military approach to last night's problem. Could not the writers have created a more realistic situation - such as having the democratically-elected ex-prez having been overthrown by an American/CIA-backed military coup.

4) In the meeting last week with the Congressional Dems when they presented their list of VP suggestions, she let the puke Chief of Staff throw out that "card-carrying communist" description of one of the Democratic candidates without slapping him down for that.

It does appear to me that they are playing into the repuke-led stereotypes of anyone who is not a card-carrying member of the GOP - that unless they are militaristic assholes, they are unpatriotic and unqualified to hold public office. Since it is a (fictional) television show, why could they not have shown an actual progressive in the Oval Office? Would Idiot Amerika not accept that? Isn't the make-believe world of fiction the only place where that kind of idea could ever get exposure?

I've watched it for the last time. Unless President Mac (how cute) straightens up and flies LEFT.

[Seen the light]

22. The first two don't have anything to do with her actual policies

And I wouldn't consider random bombing of cocaine labs to be an "aggressive military approach," especially not in this world we live in where we can invade countries for no legitimate reason.

And your last reason doesn't show it either. She was just playing what she felt to be smart politics. After all, most people wouldn't think it would be a good strategic and political move to nominate a Communist to become their veep.

[T Wolf]

28. What?

Bombing the cocaine labs - so, we now compare everything to the less-than-low standard established by Chimpy? Anything not as bad as he has done is OK?

The Dems actually have a registered Communist in the fictional Congress? My issue was with allowing the standard puke slur of "CCC" go unchallenged.

[hippiechick]

24. Did you ever hear the phrase

"Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer" ?

That's what she's doing with the Chief of Staff, IMO ... hoping he'll either turn alliances or slip up re: what the Speaker's up to.

You're working from the assumption that because Sutherland's toady character doesn't like her, she's supposed to be a Progressive.
Keep in mind, she's not a DEM, she's an INDEPENDENT (and we don't know if that means Green-leaning or Libertarian-leaning), with more than enough reasons to dislike & distrust BOTH parties at this point.

Just my .02

[gulfcoastliberal]

55. Look how well keeping Freeh worked out for Clinton.

I rest my case. That was real life, too.

[Fla Dem]

25. Gosh, really stretching to make your points. But remember, she is

an independent, so will not march lock step with progressive leanings.

[IdaBriggs]

2. I love it. I want her for President.

The selfish teenage daughter seems pretty typical of both a) teenage girls, and b) Republicans in general. I am very impressed so far. :)

[MiniMandaRuth]

17. hey!

Oh, I feel loved.

Not all teenagers act like that. :hi:

[Demit]

3. I like it.

A little fairy-talish about her being a Super Mom, but I'll take any White House alternate reality I can get. It's wish fulfillment for me, and now that the show West Wing is in campaign mode, I'm tuning in to COC for my alternate reality fix. She has integrity, she's smart, she's unflappable, and she has grownups around her. I wish.

[cry baby]

4. I like it a lot...I love seeing a woman being shown as tough and

smart. It seems the men around her keep thinking she won't do the hard thing, but then she does and they seem stunned. I think the show also shows how absolutely cutthroat politics can be behind the scenes. Flashback shows the prez (before he dies) saying to the speaker that he wants to replace her and that he has a plan to do it. The speaker reminds him that she got him elected. He didn't seem to care what the people thought, he just wanted her out.

I love it anytime I see a woman portayed as a smart, successful type. I may not agree with her politics so much, but that's ok, still enjoy the show.

[T Wolf]

18. So, any "strong" woman is a good role model, even if she is a rw hack?

Sorry, I judge people by what they do, not what they have between their legs.

Granted, I do not have as strong an emotional tie to the female-prez thing as some might. As someone else said, we should be beyond that by now. The fact that Amerika is not does not mean we need to roll over and obediently clap just because "she" is now in office.

[hippiechick]

27. You're labeling her a RW hack because she's not Gerry Brown, I assume ?

Or is "liberal" only applicable in your book to be as far left as we can possibly get without falling off the grid ? Did you learn nothing from the Clinton years of compromise ?

[T Wolf]

34. I did not learn to "compromise" my values just to get a few crumbs

thrown my way. That DLC approach has really worked well since 2000, hasn't it?

Bill Clinton only won because Perot took enough votes to squeak by Daddy Bush ('92) and Dole was even more of a putz ('96). Yeah, BC was better than either of those two, but not liberal or progressive by any stretch of the imagination. Puke-lite just is not my goal.

[cry baby]

40. Hey, I'm talking about a fecking tv show!

BTW, the TV show character is an Independent, not a RW hack.

It sounds like you are getting a little testy about women being in places of power. Even if she is on TV. Get over it.

[T Wolf]

52. "getting testy about women" in power??????

I don't think so. And my wife and daughters would disagree with you. Your accusation of sexism against me is a typical repuke tactic and as baseless as theirs always are.

I just don't celebrate a woman in power simply because she is a woman. Especially not if she is acting like a wingnut.

Are you saying you support Meirs simply because she is a she, regardless of her views and policies?

[cry baby]

53. Hey - slow down voofie, it's a damn TV show!

No, I don't support Miers because she is a right wing nut who worships *. I am not celebrating a fecking TV show. And I didn't accuse you of being sexist, that is nowhere in my post. I only mention the testy about women thing because you seem so testy.

I don't want to argue with you over a goddamned TV show, OK?

[cynatnite]

5. I like it...

I don't like the premise much. I would have preferred her get elected to office rather than by default. It weakens her.

I am hoping Sutherland's character gets more depth as he goes along. The daughter has issues and I don't think she is spoiled.

I don't know about being too conservative. I haven't noticed that as of yet, but my guess is she may be pro-life since she was on the ticket of a republican. That doesn't necessarily translate to anti-choice, but we'll have to wait and see.

The only real big issue I have is that out of the first three episodes is that she has bluffed two times in order to get the results she wants. I can't see it working beyond that.

[Midlodemocrat]

13. I like the show as well. And, I like that she was put in office by default

I think we will see as the series goes on, that she gains strength from the premise that she was unwanted.

I have enjoyed it so far and plan to continue to watch it. The teenager meh, I've got one of my own, so I can relate.

[cynatnite]

15. What I do like about the way she got in...

is that she believes, along with most everyone else, that running for another term is out of the question. Being an independent she doesn't have the backing of the dems or the repubs which means no money for campaigning.

She's not thinking about campaigning at all. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out if the series lasts long enough to get to that point.

on edit: she could get the backing of the dems with having such a strong VP :)

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

35. The question is, if she doesn't feel she has the backing, and is not

(currently) interested in running, why did she assume power in the first place when she could have easily agreed to the dying prez's wishes and let the Repuke speaker have it?

Was it because she realized what an ass that guy was, or had a specific agenda she wanted to try and accomplish? Haven't watched the show yet...

[cynatnite]

37. The speaker is a repuke male-chauvinist

Bad, bad guy and the idea of him running the country was enough for her to take on the job.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

38. Obviously if the show does well, a major story line will then become her

campaign for election. Enough to fuel half to a full season worth of shows.

[hyphenate]

45. She was willing to resign

but then Templeton blew it, and blew it bad. He's an asshole in the full regalia of a Bush puke, and she knows it. She also knows how much dirty politics he's involved in and she's determined to show him that he needs to make a pact with her instead of spouting his chauvinistic bullshit all the time.

[zalinda]

6. The character is not a dem,

but an independent, riding in on the coattails of a repub president, that is why she is conservative.

As for the daughter, I can't stand her either, but she's supposed to be the right winger of the family.

Sutherland's character is a typical neo-con, so we get to see some good back stabbing tactics.

Remember, you've got to hook people into a series for it to fly. The fact that it's a woman will bring in the dem/libs and the fact that she's not a dem/lib will bring in the rep/cons. There is plenty of room to move the character to the left.

This program may be a good learning experience for all.

zalinda

[rndmprsn]

7. i watched the first episode...

and wasn't impressed...it seemed like the rest of the season will be dedicated to making the female president look tough to overcome her...well female'ness.

i would have thought by this day and age that the female-for-president argument would have evolved pass this pretty basic and crude question "Is the president tough enough?" to more important things like, healthcare, corp welfare, outsourcing jobs, science vs fundamentalism...these are more important issues to me rather than talking endlessly about a president's toughness...i usually assume just by getting to the office makes one tough (but then came along dimson), but i digress...

i care more about "moral toughness", standing up for ones beliefs and standing up for the powerless and against private power...than just this generic "bush" toughness, policy wise his toughness has gotten him into WAY more trouble than if he were humble.

blah

[Connie_Corleone]

8. She's an independent.

The creators of the show said that she would have both liberal and conservative traits. So far, I don't see anything that would be considered too conservative.

[Nimrod2005]

9. Saw the show last night for the first time

I LOVE IT...

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. It's my new favorite show and one I will PLAN to watch.

The teenage fascist RW daughter just needs her ass kicked! Just kidding, but she is such a little snot...typical repuke though, don'tcha think? I like how she handled the incident in that country whateverthehellitscalled.. Instead of killing a bunch of people she called for a coup. SWEET. I love how they portray the repukes as the evil bastards they are. love, love love that. Geena's charcter is brilliant, like Clinton and she can multi-task. :) She's also one step ahead of the repuke Speaker of the House bastard. He ain't got nuttin' over her. ;) Great show!:thumbsup:

[clydefrand]

19. I agree with your assessment. That show and Boston Legal

have become my favorites. I like the way Geena can multi-task, too.

I think the guys are beginning to see her in a very different light. In the first episode she saved the life "1" woman from Africa! What male prez would even consider saving one black woman in Africa or elsewhere. I don't see her as DEM or Repug. Just using common sense to get things done.

I think the writers have a plan to keep the widow on this show so she can play an important role in the government. At first I wondered if she wouldn't choose her to be the VP. If her choice doesn't get confirmed, maybe she will get the position.

I think her Chief of Staff is seeing that she is much better than the former prez. And certainly her pick for VP quickly changed his view of her last night.

[Individualist]

41. Same here

[Ilsa]

11. Who is producing it? Is it someone like

Bloodworth-Thomason who also did Designing Women and promoted Bill Clinton in the show? I have wondered this, but haven't watched the show.

[Adelante]

39. New producer - Steven Bochco

The first guy, the one who created it, was doing a show more about the East Wing than the West Wing. I don't have any idea why he's already being replaced, but Bochco does a more hard-hitting kind of thing, Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, LA Law, so it could turn out to be good drama. I don't get ABC, so I haven't seen it, either. The VP nominee is partially based on Wes Clark, apparently, though fictionalized, so I wish I could see it.

[mattclearing]

12. Bad writing, weak characterization, and totally unrealistic.

If you're going to do a show about the White House, fair or not, it has to be at least as good as the West Wing.

This show isn't even close.

In the episode I saw, I loved how some congresswoman tried to strongarm the president into picking the VP she wanted. Who is she, Tom Delay?

Dumb show.

[cynatnite]

16. It was never meant to be another West Wing...it shouldn't be either n/t

[mattclearing]

21. Good, cause it ain't. n/t

[IdaBriggs]

30. She was actually the chief of staff for the Repuke guy unless

you are talking about the Nancy Pelosi character (who would probably try to strong arm her choice of VP candidates -- wouldn't they all, up there on "capital hill"?).

[mattclearing]

36. No, she was being unbelievably rude to the President.

Like, no respect for the office. It was totally laughable.

14. I like Geena Davis

She is incredible. However I do feel the show will be predictable with them showing how magnificent the president is, with the bad guys biting at her heels and her saving her family periodically.

So for me, it is too predictable. Would have been good if they could have modeled her on Hillary, so we could at least fantasize what her presidency would be like.

[MrBenchley]

20. Great cast...poor writing, wooden characters...

By the way, Peter Coyote seems to be making a career out of playing military types, especially generals...which is very ironic, considering he was one of the founders of the Digger commune in Haight-Ashbury during the Summer of Love.

[DanCa]

23. IMO It's a good tv show

It has a few rough spots but it has only been on for three episodes. My only gripe is that it interferes with House. I haven't made my mind up about any of the characters its too early to tell but for abc its pretty damn good. Ill give to the end of the first season before i give you more of an indepth review.

[Fla Dem]

26. Love the show, Genna Davis is super in the role. Great dramatic series.

[napi21]

29. I love the new show too! Like the idea that the entertainment

medium has inserted the "Independent" candidate into the public mind, and all the problems associated with that.

Everybody is criticizing the brat daughter. I saw it differently. You have a teenage girl who has close friends at school, and the political opposite of her family. They talk her into accepting her mother's decision to be the POTUS, and then she is thrust into the glass house life in the WH, feels like she's lost HER friends, has no privacy because the SS are following her everywhere, and the Press is a big PIA! How would YOU feel???

I still watch West Wing on Sun night, but will tune into CIC and Boston Public every Tues, for sure!

[wug37]

31. I quite enjoy it

My only complaint is that it goes up against My Name is Earl, so I really only get to watch the second half in full, and some of the first half during commercial breaks, but I still like it. As far as too conservative, I don't see that. They are trying to appeal to a wide audience, so I see it as simply mainstream, not leaning too far one way or the other.

[erinlough]

32. I like it and plan on watching every week. and

since we have so few options (if you are not a fan of reality shows and people eating bugs, or sports) it feels good to have something on tv to watch.

[UTUSN]

33. I'm with #s 12 & 20: Cheesy Lines and Straw'man' Characters

I saw the 1st episode and left it on last night, out of the latter of which only one line was enough to gag on: There's a second of Quality Time between daughter and President, who says, "I'm about to Address the Nation."

From the start this president's character was set up as just laserlike in character and instincts, just so AWARE of both the biggest goals and smallest details, and yet always with time for the most '50ish details like a stained blouse. I might have missed it if it already happened, but there are promos out there of her and the 1st Gentleman doing the nasty. Ewww. Automatically brings up the image of Shrub and Pickles doing it, RAYGUN and RAYGUNness, or RAYGUNness and SINATRA, or possibly worst of all Poppy and the Hound from Hell.

[KittyWampus]

42. Geena Davis Is A Substandard Actress & It's Painful To Have Her

in the same room with Sutherland who can't help but chew the scenery.

Reminds me of the time I happened to catch Hugh Grant doing Shakespeare. At first, I thought it was a comic take his acting was so bad.

There's a reason Davis doesn't do movies anymore and it's telling the ONE movie she got noticed in had her playing a nitwit character.

Then there's the bad script writing and unworkable story lines that apparently suffered from too many rewrites (it shows).

Then there's the fact it runs opposite "My Name Is Earl"- nuff said.

[Kenroy]

56. Huh?

What's the ONE m ovie she got noticed in?

Tootsie? Accidental Tourist (for which she won an Oscar)? A League of their Own? Thelma and Louise?

I've certainly noticed her in more than one movie.

[hyphenate]

43. I like it

and I love the character's ability to think outside the box--and outside the Beltway.

She's supposed to be an independent--there are going to be times when her character supports something far more conservative, and times when she supports something more liberal. I don't think that's bad. It gives something to both sides of the fence, and it makes people think.

The bloodless coup from last night was a good example of her ability to take control. In the eyes of the repukes, it was a horrible thing for her to say over the air, but in truth, it was exactly what was needed to be said.

In a way, I like having the middle child as a foil. The bit of tension there can lead to some very interesting scenes, and definitely can figure into future plots.

I look at the series as someone who has been involved in television production, and know that "good guys" who have no good "bad guys" rarely make high ratings. Situations need to be established which will figure into the plots later on. Unless there is a situation to build on, however, there will be nothing but wimps for characters.

The current executive producer, however, Rod Lurie, has taken over new duties, and won't be working on the show anymore. In fact, Steven Bochco is taking over, and that bothers me. Bochco can make wonderful fantasy cop shows, but his forte is action, and CiC is a thinking person's show. It requires some deftness in character study, in ingenuity and definitely in creating new paradigms. Whether he can accomplish that or not, I don't know. One wonders if the switch was made to bring the show to a rapid end, or to help give it a boost. Only time will tell.

[AlCzervik]

44. I love it.

[gauguin57]

46. My verdict: Either move it away from being opposite the Office, or...

I'll never have a verdict on this show. Because I can't watch it and miss The Office.

I'm always out on Tuesday evenings, and can only tape one thing. And it's gotta be "The Office."

"Earl" is funny, but him I could miss (especially since Jason Lee, though a good actor, is a shill for the greedy, murdering cult of Scientology.) "The Office"? Can't miss that!

[Francine Frensky]

47. I love it, and think it's about time we had a strong female leader

I agree it's not the best-made show, and sometimes it feels stiff and forced, but as for the politics, I think it's been pretty non-political so far. Except showing all the right wing hacks as hacks.

What bothers me more is what has happened to West Wing. They have made it about the bush whitehouse, and I can't watch more than a few minutes of it.

[hopein08]

48. Love it...

Prez Allen is an independent...I think it's trying to show the best and worst of both traditional worlds (Dem. vs. Rep.). Yesterday it was a bit too conservative but last week was perfect.

[Tiggeroshii]

49. The show's too 7th Heavnish

or too fake for my taste. They need different writers. Somebody along the lines of who wrote , well, you know who...

[Greyhound]

50. The "independent, short term Prez with no ambition/hope for re-election"

is an appealing fantasy. I've had a crush on Geena Davis for years. My only problem is the idea that most of them are there because of some great sense of duty.
So far, so good, we'll see which way Boccho takes it (Prez limo in a high speed chase with the terrorists?).

[tgnyc]

51. It needs a few more weeks to feel itself out, but IMHO it's pretty good.

She needs to face a wider variety of situations before we can tell where the show is going. But I think it's hitting the right tone -- not "West Wing" but not too much predictably corny "can a woman really do this job" nonsemne either.

[Fleshdancer]

54. West Wing spoiled me...

I like the idea of Commander-in-Chief but I'm ready for them to get over the "Oh my God! It's a female President!" attitude and start discussing policy and issues. My husband and I discussed it and we both came to the conclusion that West Wing spoiled us forever on political shows. Had the new ABC series come out before West Wing ever started, then I would have probably enjoy it more than I do.