West Wing - In God We Trust Episode #131 - Barlet, Vinick, Ice Cream and Religion

[SDLRob]

Was that Don S Davis?

[whitehat03]

As a liberal democrat, I was actually rooting for Vinick and his campaign. (All right, someone convince Sheen to run as Bartlett and have Alda run as Vinick in 2012 or 2016. Who'd be up for that?)



[feanor485]

An atheist republican working with the democrats on debt reduction. This is exactly what the country needs

[9claudiajenssen]

I love this conversation! "The only thing you can pray for in this job, is the strength to get through the day. You can try coffee if you want, but prayer works better for me." Pres. Bartlet was always one of my fav characters! <3

[Tinkermeg27]

Can't believe they're double-dipping.

[marvelrobbins]

Vinick was a true moderate.While many compare him to Mccain Vinick has prinicables.He was

a Republican Democrats could respect and could agree on a few things.Mccain the maverick

was a myth.

Imagne a Republican like Vinick who Is pro Choice but opposes partial birth abortion.Who believes In science but supports driling.Who supports Civil Unions while opposing gay marrage.Who Is willing to work with Democrats on some things.

[downunderdemocrat]

American politics. Obsessed with two main issues the politics of the bedroom such as..gay marriage and abortion and God.

[Water4Jeremiah]

Thumbs up if you came to this video after the Iowa caucus.

[DarkFenix34512]

Rick Perry should have watched this before airing that Strong Ad

[supowit]

Politicians don't know this much. Republicans NEVER know this stuff.

[bmillsistheman]

@supowit you think there are not republicans who don't think like vinick?? Not every repub is a bible thumping social conservative....

[Significantpower]

@bmillsistheman They exist but the party has been consumed by an alliance of convenience between fundamentalists and corporatists.

[bmillsistheman]

@Significantpower many of the same corporatists that control the repubs also control the dems...not sure who or what you mean by fundamentalists? unless you are talking about the religious right, in which case you would be correct...though the fiscal conservative/libertarian wings of the party are fighting to regain control from the social cons and the neo-cons as we speak

[atheistram]

@bmillsistheman Maybe so... but most are.

[Newenlightenmentnow]

Damn!!!! I wish that guy was running for office.

[fred5399]

Two Americans with a sense of history.

[mickdukes]

@6olddude2 How 'bout a Democrat willing to compromise? Goes both ways, bucko.

[fenderboy88]

No true advocate of ''small government'' would support raising the minimum wage in fact such a policy would be abolished by a true ''libertarian Conservative''.

I like The West Wing but it is unrealistic because the the show presents too much of an idealistic view of what government can actually accomplish.

[jmintube]

@fenderboy88 it's only idealistic because the masses refuse to aid in the transition to something better. This idea was documented back in the 1800s by Alexis de Tocqueville, he named it "The French Disease" He feared that democracy would produce men who weak of heart and unwilling to take part in political struggle not due to a lack of favorable conditions but because of a lack of passion (leave me alone with my TV and toaster....quote from the film network)

[NethDugan]

I wouldn't have voted for Vinick either but I'm totally behind him on this matter.

[aussiejed1]

Two living legends of Hollywood. How awesome it must have been to film this scene.

[gambitvoleur]

separation of church and state...agreements on the debt ceiling....where is this mythical place?

[umrvipersrt10]

Wow. That's quite the reversal of typical roles, with the Democrat being religious and the Republican questioning religion.

[gambitvoleur]

@umrvipersrt10 Yes. But once upon a time you'd see more conservatives who wanted small government in regards to religion as well as economics. Many of those conservatives who were pro-choice or didn't support the "family values" religious movements were/are being forced out of the party.

[studentofsmith]

@gambitvoleur In some respects the Democrats are a more favorable home these days for that brand of conservatism: "Obama on Church and State" (watch?v=DOwzy-vKaFI)

[FilamentDesigns]

HUGE fan of the show. Vinnick's position here is so refreshing — I can only dream it would some day be the position of all those who run for office.

[bluesboy25000]

Wonder if President Obama, Speaker Boehner, Rep. Cantor, Rep. Pelosi and Senators Reid and McConnell were just eating ice cream the whole time during this debt ceiling negotiation.

[denverchaapai]

Alan Alda is a gift to America. His role here is outstanding. His work on ER was amazing. truly a gift.

[nnix]

This scene's pretty solid, but it's hard to miss the hit in the quality of writing after Sorkin left, especially in terms of what comes out of Barlet's mouth...

[RoInSM]

Debt ceiling bill....never noticed that.

[mjs488]

One of the best scenes in WW ever.

[LestatandBerial]

I prefers Vinick to Santos, and I'm democtatic. Vinick was true to who he is, whereas Santos let Josh drag him and direct his views. Towards the middle to end, I started to find Josh WAY to smug. Believing everyone who was against something of the president was bluffing or something.

[TOTisback]

We Republicans need more people like Arnold Vinick in the party. The Palin, Bachmann, West, Rubio, etc types are the true 'RINOs'.

[TheFrogger15]

@TOTisback If this was true to life, the Republican Party would have never nominated a Arnold Vinick if he held these views.

[bmw318racer]

Vinnick's comment to the press at the end was spot-on.

Keep religion and politics SEPARATE.

[PT109Boat]

"then I read it"

Love it!!!!

[Kasino80]

"I hope not, that would mean all his references to God were purely political"

Classic line!!!

[jamie32501]

Was I the only one who wanted Vinick to win..? Would have been an interesting twist anyway

[Kasino80]

@jamie32501 I think he was meant to, but then John Spencer tragically died and the writers thought it too much losing a VP candidate and the election at one time.

[AnimaTempli101]

@jamie32501 I heard somewhere that they actually wrote the election on the fly.

[Water4Jeremiah]

This video has 83 likes and 0 dislikes. I'm disliking this video because in the end, this show is fantasy. It's an ideal of how politicians struggle, but the only way to change would be to shut down every church in the world and create art museums out of them. We shouldn't outlaw religion, we should give money to pastors so they can educate themselves and offer them jobs as scientists. And we should publically make fun of those that refuse, because only fools takes for granted a free education.

[felipealvarez1982]

+1 for flying spaghetti monster

[MegaObserver1]

There were only three scenes in TWW with both Martin Sheen and Alan Alda. This one, the scene where Barlet tells Vinick and Santos that he was sending troops to Kazakstan and a scene on Air Force One following the nuclear plant accident.

[clmetsfan]

I love this scene and I love Arnie Vinick, especially since I'm an atheist myself. But he's wrong when he says that Lincoln could have used a little help from the Bible. Mark 3:25: "And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."

[YNot1989]

Sorry but in the real world, Bartlet would have lost his second election to a Primary challenger. Its one thing to have a President who can't walk, its something else entirely when a President's brain could go at any minute.

[MegaObserver1]

@YNot1989 MS does not affect thinking functions, only muscular control. And the form of MS Bartlet had was a chronic, sporatic condition. When he was in remission, which was almost all of the time, it was undetectable. When he was in relapse, he temporarily had either muscle stiffness or paralysis that would last a few hours to a day. It is called "Relapsing-Remitting MS" as opposed to "Progressive MS" which causes permanent muscle paralysis.

[bec6143]

Such a great discussion, I wish our politicians were so wise.

[bec6143]

Such a great discussion, I wish our politicians were such a moral individuals.

[ImperatorDominus]

I'm happy the other guy one, but he would have made one Hell of a President! At least the got to be Sec of State. Thats not bad at all.

[wesj1989]

It's about time for an atheist president!!!!

[rayblack2004]

that ice cream looks shit. He should have had an entire ice cream parlour run by Ben and Jerry themselves :)

[Disney312]

Well this show is supposed to be trying to be a real representation of what the West Wing is like. So does the President have a stash of ice cream like this downstairs?

[Disney312]

My question is what the hell did they do with all that ice cream after they were done? did they just stick it back in the fridge, even though they had both spooned the hell out of it?

[Kaalec]

@Disney312 It's a TV show. It's not real ice cream. Real ice cream melts under the lights. This stuff is, basically, edible props. Not tasty, but edible.

[FUwogs]

religion is for the weak!

[Hateocracy]

Wow-- this show is actually REALLY good! I always just passed it off as some generic drama but this is actually really good TV

[PrisonerNumber9653]

@Hateocracy Yeah, it was over before I ever started watching...I watch almost no TV outside of PBS, ballgames and old black and white movies. My dad turned me onto TWW with a DVD set, knowing what an Alan Alda fan I was from MASH, and now I own all the seasons and have watched nearly every episode repeatedly, it's so well written, so well acted, there've been very very few shows this good ever on TV,

[jimmywrangles]

I watched this episode when it came on a while ago and I've been thinking about what makes it brilliant and my conclusion....It's the ice cream.

It makes it real for some reason.

[Hateocracy]

@jimmywrangles Hah, you're actually quite right. The fact that they're eating it straight from the bucket is just great.

[tfn105]

@dandreamer3 I couldn't agree more. He was an inspired creation to be the face of the republicans in the final season's election campaign.

[gallantly1]

This series, this episode, and this scene represent the BEST of dramatic television.

[brandondash]

I don't need to know, but then I'm not going to vote for you anyway.

[sunnchilde]

What, they've never heard of eating out of small bowls? Eating out of the gallon tub is just unsanitary.

[jimbopumbapigsticks]

@sunnchilde haha that's what my mum said when she watched this episode.

[RuleNr34]

@sunnchilde oh tell me you wouldn't if you could.

[sunnchilde]

@RuleNr34 No, I wouldn't. I'm not a pig. I would use a bowl and a spoon.

[Hootshot112]

@sunnchilde In fact, if they put the ice cream back in the freezer, bacteria and germs won't grow. I'm studying biology. These cells cannot divide in these cold temperatures. It's more unsanitary to kiss your boyfriend/girlfriend right in the kisser, so stop the crap.

[RachTrinity]

AMEN, however, let us remember there is a difference between RELIGION and faith..a huge difference..and one that this nation sees in each person they elect.

[dwolfcoach]

Instead of separating church and state, let's just separate church-what a total fraud! Do you think politics needs more fraud??

[jimbopumbapigsticks]

Vinick was such a hero. Pity McCain doesn't have any of his intelligence and charisma. Vinick would also have never hired Sarah Palin as a prospective VP.

[daviesman1]

@jimbopumbapigsticks he did run with a far right vp

[jimbopumbapigsticks]

@daviesman1 Not really. The only significant difference with Vinick was that he opposed abortion comprehensively.

[daviesman1]

@jimbopumbapigsticks haha well perhaps not far right but he was chosen to get the southern base out

[jimbopumbapigsticks]

@daviesman1 Plus he supposedly got on well with the Democrats in his state, so it was just good sense. He wasn't a total nutcase like Palin.

[daviesman1]

@jimbopumbapigsticks Palin doesnt even get on with the republican candidates in Alaska some formed a coalition with the dems.

[PrisonerNumber9653]

@daviesman1 Hard to know HOW "far" right, he was certainly out there, that ole what's her name who joined the campaign late that drove Bruno nuts was talking about "Family values" was a fan of his said a lot. But that choice is always about politics, we have had lots of big splits on both sides. Clinton and Gore had differences, and Gore and Lieberman even bigger ones. I busted my hump working for Gore's campaign, and hate like hell the idea of Lieberman EVER being president, God no.

[daviesman1]

@PrisonerNumber9653 McCain wanted Leiberman to run as his VP if i remember correctly.

[PrisonerNumber9653]

@daviesman1 It was considered, certainly. He matches up more closely with McCain than Gore, certainly. Lieberman is an incredible disappointment, a major fraud who PRETENDED to be a Democrat until it no longer served his purposes, then stabbed us in the back.

[WillBraden]

@jimbopumbapigsticks Hear Hear!

[bmillsistheman]

@jimbopumbapigsticks he would have wiped the floor with obama in the debates as well

[quedasobravo]

@bmillsistheman Well... if he didn't do it with Jimmy Smits... Obama is no slouch.

[bmillsistheman]

@quedasobravo i thought "vinick" took it to "santos" in the debate..."santos" got after him on a few issues, but i thought overall, vinick won the thing...as far as obama goes, yes he was good in the debates both in the primaries and general election....of course now obama will not just be able to sit back and attack, he will have to defend his own policies and choices, he will have to make up with the liberals for screwing them over without losing independents...that wont be as easy this time

[quedasobravo]

@bmillsistheman Indeed, a sitting president in a broken country (sorry for being so blunt talking about a foreign country - I'm portuguese) always has a rough time, because people tend to associate the crappy lives they live with the acting president. Which is, to a certain degree, how it should be. But Obama, who I wish was more sure of his convictions at times, did have a lot of mess to clean up. It's not easy following Bush... I think that will be his main argument. Will it work? We'll see ;)

[bmillsistheman]

@quedasobravo hard for him to blame too much on bush when he has adopted many of bush's policies, and actually extended many of them....wiretapping, keeping gitmo open, expansion of the war in Afghanistan, maintaining bush's slow withdraw policy out of iraq, extension of bush tax cuts for all americans (not just the poor), and interventionist foreign policy

[chrissline77]

Sara Palin would be the best president in the world. You're jealous.

[jimbopumbapigsticks]

@chrissline77 I'm really, really not.

[bluesboy25000]

@jimbopumbapigsticks Well Vinick almost picked Butler which would have been as bad as Palin.

[jimbopumbapigsticks]

@bluesboy25000 From what little we see of Butler, he was a self-made guy who had a brain and a strong sense of personal integrity. I didn't agree with his views at all, but I don't think he would have been half the disaster Palin would have been. Plus, he was as old as Vinick, so it wasn't likely he would die and leave Butler to assume the presidency.

[bmillsistheman]

The republicans and certainly the country desperately needs someone like vinick right now

[RJY4356]

@bmillsistheman They do. His name is Mitt Romney.

[bmillsistheman]

@RJY4356 i respectfully disagree...romney is okay...but i would say the closest thing to vinick in real life is ron paul, because he is willing to take on the republican establishment...

[bonangusacdc]

Send this episode to every member of the religious right and make them think.

[studentofsmith]

@bonangusacdc You can lead a horse to water...

[mongomondomongo]

One of the best "Post-Sorkin" scenes on the West Wing. Thanks for the upload.