This explains everything

I've been trying to put my finger on something regarding our current political landscape and believe I may have found some direction that partly outlines why we're in our current situation.

I'm a big fan of Aaron Sorkin, the writer of such movies as "A Few Good Men" and "The Social Network," among many others, and the creator of television shows like "Sports Night," "The West Wing" and "The Newsroom."  I love that his characters seem to speak as real people do, imperfections and all, but there's generally room for some high-minded idealism in his characters and plot lines.

This is never more true than in his screenplay for "The American President," directed by Rob Reiner.  It's about a widowed President of the United States (played ably by Michael Douglas) who falls in love with a lobbyist (Annette Bening) and their relationship is used for political gain by his would-be opponent in the upcoming reelection campaign.  Great movie, good characters, and "West Wing" fans will feel right at home watching if they have not already!

At some point late in the movie President Shepherd finally reaches the point where he's ready to make public remarks about the situation that his relationship has created, and there are so many pieces of the speech he makes before a stunned White House press corp that aptly fit the moment we're in now.  Here's a sampling:

"For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being president of this country was, to a certain extent, about character, and although I have not been willing to engage in his attacks on me, I've been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being president of this country is *entirely* about character."

If that doesn't make you think a little in light of current events, wrap your head around this:

"You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the 'land of the free.'"

And here's the most telling of all:

"I've known Bob Rumson for years, and I've been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Bob's problem is that he can't sell it! We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections." 

Does this sound familiar?

Thanks for reading.  This concludes today's civics lesson, with profound thanks to Aaron Sorkin, because his words are far better than any I can offer.