Art and Life

[madrobins]

I suppose in honor of today's big news, Bravo is running episodes of The West Wing, which I discovered all unsuspecting when I turned on the TV to unwind after spending the day doing typing and software assessment tests (o! the indignity of looking for an administrative job). Caught the last half an hour of the penultimate episode, and all the last episode, and found myself in a strange, pleasant feedback loop. Matt Santos, the candidate who wins and comes in after Bartlett, was based in large part on Barack Obama. Watching The West Wing used to give me the same frisson of civic pleasure, of the possibility that patriotism and governance might be not only worthy but high callings, that I got this morning watching Obama's inauguration. Art imitates life which is repeating what art already said. Tomorrow is for worries; today is for civic pleasure.