Aaron Sorkin’s political drama “The West Wing” was popular with Washington insiders precisely because of its un-reality, portraying American politics as we fantasize it ought to be, a world where smarts and good intentions matter more than appealing to voters, raising money, or advancing an ideological agenda. The show debuted a quarter century ago now and its creator takes to the op-ed pages of the New York Times to tell us “How I Would Script This Moment for Biden and the Democrats.”
The problem in the real world is that there isn’t a Democrat who is polling significantly better than Mr. Biden. And quitting, as heroic as it may be in this case, doesn’t really put a lump in our throats.
But there’s something the Democrats can do that would not just put a lump in people’s throats with its appeal to stop-Donald-Trump-at-all-costs unity, but with its originality and sense of sacrifice. So here’s my pitch to the writers’ room: The Democratic Party should pick a Republican.
At their convention next month, the Democrats should nominate Mitt Romney.
Nominating Mr. Romney would be putting our money where our mouth is: a clear and powerful demonstration that this election isn’t about what our elections are usually about it, but about stopping a deranged man from taking power. Surely Mr. Romney, who doesn’t have to be introduced to voters, would peel off enough Republican votes to win, probably by a lot. The double haters would be turned into single haters and the Nikki Haley voters would have somewhere to go, Ms. Haley having disqualified herself when she endorsed the leader of an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government.
There’s more to it but . . . you get the drift.
Sorkin is being dragged on social media this morning for the sheer silliness of the idea. Of course Democrats aren’t going to give their nomination to Romney, a decent man but one whose policy views are still largely anathema to them.
But here’s the thing: his fantasy scenario is based on taking the Biden campaign theme at face value. If, in fact, the fate of American democracy were at stake in this election, it would be worth sacrificing every other short-term political goal to achieve that. But, as in 2020, Democrats think the sort of people who voted for Romney in 2012 should be willing to live with the consequences of electing a Democratic President to achieve that goal rather than Democrats having to live with the consequences of even a non-MAGA Republican President.
Now, that’s fair enough. After all, it’s Republicans who have nominated Trump. Three times in a row! Still, that Democrats aren’t willing to do what they’re asking of NeverTrump Republicans demonstrates how big the ask is. (And I write that as one who has in fact done the thing twice and is prepared to do so a third time.)
On its face, Sorkin’s fantasy makes sense as a bold gambit to save democracy. Many people who viscerally dislike Trump but can’t bring themselves to vote for a Democrat would jump at the chance to vote for Romney.
But, of course, their numbers would almost certainly be offset by Black, LGBTQ, Progressive, and other Democratic constituencies outraged that their party not only ousted the sitting President for whom they voted in 2020 and in the 2024 primaries but bypassed the sitting Vice President for whom they similarly voted—and every other Democrat in the country!—for they guy they voted against in 2012.
This one needs a rewrite.
