obama meets bartlet

remember the episode of the west wing where barack obama meets former president jed bartlet to get his advice about obama's campaign for president?

i don't either. but at the (brilliant) suggestion of the new york times columnist maureen dowd, aaron sorkin has written the scene. it is essential reading, and if i had any say in campaign strategy david axelrod would be on the phone to martin sheen right now arranging to film it as a long-form political commercial.

a taste:

BARACK OBAMA knocks on the front door of a 300-year-old New Hampshire farmhouse while his Secret Service detail waits in the driveway. The door opens and OBAMA is standing face to face with former President JED BARTLET.

BARTLET Senator.

OBAMA Mr. President.

BARTLET You seem startled.

OBAMA I didn’t expect you to answer the door yourself.

BARTLET I didn’t expect you to be getting beat by John McCain and a Lancôme rep who thinks “The Flintstones” was based on a true story, so let’s call it even.

OBAMA Yes, sir.

BARTLET Come on in.

BARTLET leads OBAMA into his study.

BARTLET That was a hell of a convention.

OBAMA Thank you, I was proud of it.

BARTLET I meant the Republicans. The Us versus Them-a-thon. As a Democrat I was surprised to learn that I don’t like small towns, God, people with jobs or America. I’ve been a little out of touch but is there a mandate that the vice president be skilled at field dressing a moose — ?

continue reading here.