Off Topic — HabitableZone

Off Topic » in reply to First, I would start by using an actor who is a conservative

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Robert — (archived)

Sorry, Larry, I see I've given you mixed signals. My subject line asked how you'd create an acceptable fictional Republican--the process--while my concluding paragraph inside the post was closer to what I was wondering--what would the resulting character be like? How would he/she differ from past Hollywood portrayals of Conservatives? How would it resemble the current actual Republican President, or be different? What would an idealized Republican President say, what would he/she do, how would he/she relate to the opposition, and to the press? Maybe it would be illustrative to describe a scenario to challenge a President, and then relate how the ideal Republican would respond. Something that's a test of character, like an aide being indicted--coverup or forthright denunciation and dismissal? (Careful, history may not match the ideal!)

The thing about fictional characters is that they're, well, fictional, and people choose to like or dislike them, or to identify with or reject them, more for how they resonate with one's self-image than on objective factual criteria. In terms of art, a character's plausibility doesn't depend entirely on conformance with objective facts, but more on conformance with ideals and self-image.

What's the idealized fictional Republican politician who reveals the heart of the Right?

Come to think of it, nobody's addressed an important question: Do you think that The West Wing accurately portrays Democrats?

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