"The Newsroom" new HBO series from Sorkin

[aindik]

Originally Posted by marksman

To be fair nothing makes one a republican or democrat other then they claiming themselves so. There is no test or certification. People can decide what they want to be.

That's for real people. TV characters who say they are Republican but act like Democrats are declared to be Republicans (by the writer who created them) in an attempt to give acting like a Democrat more credibility.

(Posted by someone who hasn't watched any of this show yet).

[The Spud]

I just learned that a woman that I went to high school with is on this show.

Lisa Denke

[Steveknj]

Originally Posted by TAsunder

I think that's the "new" approach. I can see why my wife thought that the "old" approach was to be similar to fox news, especially given some of the events in episode 3.

I'll spoil this since it talks about ep3:

Spoiler:

After seeing ep 3, I'm convinced that my original though of the show was spot on. It appears that the Waterson character is trying to create a news show that is just old school news. But it appeared that Will took it off the rails. They tried to couch it as...well a newsman should have his opinions..

[Turtleboy]

Dan Rather has been reviewing the show for Gawker, and loves it.

http://gawker.com/5924306/dan-rather...njoyed-so-much

Of course, Dan Rather is extremely bitter about him being pushed out of CBS. Also, he has the same political beliefs and biases as Keith Olbermann, except he tried to pretend that he didn't.

[netringer]

There's a great interview with Aaron Sorkin on Fresh Air

http://www.npr.org/2012/07/16/156841...d-the-newsroom

Listen online or in a podcast near you.

It occurred to me that it's true that Sorkin doesn't write action scenes. Almost everything is dialog. You never see a character doing internal acting or discovery or realization.

[inaka]

Originally Posted by Turtleboy

He calls himself a Republican once or twice. But he doesn't at any time (through the first 3 eps) act or say anything Conservative or Republican at all. So what Tapper is saying is that Sorkin calls the character a Republican and then makes him as liberal as everyone else.

Not really. I think the point of the entire series thus far is that he's a fed up American, belonging to a party that now denounces science and facts, which is why his character goes after the Tea Party. The Tea Party influence over the Republican party itself means that his current party isn't "Conservative or Republican at all" even if he's a Republican by name. Kind of like how Reagan used to be a Democrat but famously said, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The party left me." I think it's much the same with Will McAvoy and the current Republican party on the show.

[Steveknj]

Originally Posted by inaka

Not really. I think the point of the entire series thus far is that he's a fed up American, belonging to a party that now denounces science and facts, which is why his character goes after the Tea Party. The Tea Party influence over the Republican party itself means that his current party isn't "Conservative or Republican at all" even if he's a Republican by name. Kind of like how Reagan used to be a Democrat but famously said, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The party left me." I think it's much the same with Will McAvoy and the current Republican party on the show.

But I think what Sorkin is saying is that the Repbulicans of McEvoy's generation is different than what it is today. Maybe that's just a liberal viewpoint in what he thought the Republican Party was. What Will strikes me is what the vast majority of both parties probably are. Somewhere in the middle who hates what both parties have become. Some of us feel we have to support the party no matter how far it's gone to one side, some feel betrayed and just become independent. I think Will is that way. He reminds me of Andrew Sullivan in that regard. A man who's a fiscal conservative, but just doesn't like the way his party has turned.

[inaka]

That's exactly what I'm saying as well. It was pretty evident from his opening meltdown/rant from episode one scene one that was so dead-on.

[Rob Helmerichs]

Right, and again, he sounds a lot like my lifelong Republican father, who was dismayed by the Bush era Republican Party and is disgusted by the Tea Party era Republican Party.

[Ereth]

That's the result of the Republicans pushing the Rinos out. Some of us are left with nowhere to go.

[Shaunnick]

Originally Posted by Ereth

That's the result of the Republicans pushing the Rinos out. Some of us are left with nowhere to go.

Psssst, the D's have a very big tent now if you want to come in.

[Jesda]

Originally Posted by Shaunnick

Psssst, the D's have a very big tent now if you want to come in.

Not THAT big, LOL