Hollywood show runner Aaron Sorkin got major flack for proposing Democrats replace ailing president Biden with a Republican in the upcoming election.
The creator of NBC’s ’90s Oval Office drama “West Wing,” proposed on Sunday that the Democrats should consider nominating Republican Senator Mitt Romney to prevent former President Donald Trump from reclaiming power.
It’s an interesting twist, since Sorkin called on former President Barack Obama to label Romney as a liar during the 2012 presidential debates.
In Sunday’s stunning op-ed in the New York Times, Sorkin argued that nominating Romney would be a strong signal that this election is about preventing Trump’s return to office rather than following typical election norms.
Aaron Sorkin in The New York Times: “How I Would Script This Moment for Biden and the Democrats”
Beyond parody. pic.twitter.com/qzAN1BqlfT
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 21, 2024
“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, but about stopping a deranged man from taking power,” the screenwriter penned.
He pointed out that other Democratic candidates aren’t showing strong numbers against Trump, as Biden is being full-court pressed by his party, including Obama, to step aside.
“The problem in the real world is that there isn’t a Democrat who is polling significantly better than Mr. Biden,” Sorkin explained.
Aaron Sorkin telling Democrats to vote for Mitt Romney is the funniest fucking thing in this entire ordeal. They demonized him, called him a murderer, had a debate moderator step in to help Obama, and now they are like..Yeah we should nominate that guy. God this is so fun.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 21, 2024
“And quitting, as heroic as it may be in this case, doesn’t really put a lump in our throats,”
The “A Few Good Men” writer went on to suggest that the opposite side of the aisle nominating a Republican could serve as a “healing event” lawmakers called for after the attempt on Trump’s life.
He even envisioned former President Obama “full-throatedly endorsing his old rival” Romney at the upcoming Democratic convention.
Sorkin imagined Romney could argue that the Democrats are putting the nation over their party by nominating him over one of their own.
“And Mr. Romney could make the case that the Democrats are putting country before party in ways that the MAGA movement will not, and announce his bipartisan cabinet picks at the convention as well,” he fantasized.
Addressing potential criticisms, Sorkin acknowledged that his idea might sound like a fantasy from “West Wing,” but he emphasized the need for bold actions as the Democratic party is in a state of turmoil.
“The writing staff would tell me I was about to jump the shark, that this is a ‘West Wing’ fantasy that would never, ever happen,” he acknowledged. “But as Bradley Whitford used to say, ‘Isn’t the biggest fantasy on television a mafia boss in therapy?'”
“The Democrats need to break the glass and this is a break-glass plan, but it’s more than that,” he continued. “It’s a grand gesture. A sacrifice. It would put a lump in our throats.”
Drawing a parallel to his show’s fictional universe, Sorkin reflected on what might happen if a character like “Jed Bartlet,” who was played by Martin Sheen in his show, faced an opponent similar to Trump.
“What if Bartlet’s opponent had been a dangerous imbecile with an observable psychiatric disorder who related to his supporters on a fourth-grade level and treated the law as something for suckers and poor people? And was a hero to white supremacists?” He posited.
In 2012, Sorkin penned a scenario where ficiton meets reality with the help of NYT columnist Maureen Dowd, imagining Bartlet coaching Obama for debates against Romney.
Ironically, back then, Sorkin pushed Obama to confront his suggestion for the Democratic nominee directly by saying, “You’re lying, Governor.”
Conservatives have reacted negatively to Sorkin’s recent proposal, pointing out the Democratic Party’s treatment of Romney during his 2012 presidential run.
“Aaron Sorkin telling Democrats to vote for Mitt Romney is the funniest fucking thing in this entire ordeal,” conservative commentator Stephen L. Miller pointed out.
“They demonized him, called him a murderer, had a debate moderator step in to help Obama, and now they are like..Yeah we should nominate that guy. God this is so fun.”
“I admire Aaron Sorkin for recognizing that lived reality is somehow moving in his direction now and pushing the goalposts to even more bats**t places in response,” another added.
Romney, who has historically been a vocal critic of Trump, has not endorsed him. In June, he stated, “With President Trump, it’s a matter of personal character.”
“I draw a line and say when someone has been actually found to have been sexually assaulted, that’s something I just won’t cross over in the person I wouldn’t want to have as President of the United States.”