Lewis Rothschild: People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they’ll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They’re so thirsty for it they’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there’s no water, they’ll drink the sand.
President Andrew Shepherd: Lewis, we’ve had Presidents who were beloved who couldn’t find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don’t drink the sand ’cause they’re thirsty. They drink the sand ’cause they don’t know the difference.
It’s absolutely no surprise that Aaron Sorkin wrote “The American President”. I’ve been working my way through The West Wing since I started watching it in January. And if you liked that, you’re going to fucking love this.
I’ve been wrong for a very long time. I’ve not exercised my democratic voting rights in over a decade. I may have some good reasons for this but this year I’m changing my future.
We get the politicians we deserve. My own years of apathy towards Northern Ireland politics have contributed to the terrible state of affairs we have here. I realise now that it’s not enough to just be a voter, you have to be an active participant.
You know, I always harboured a suspicion that you might find yourself drawn to politics one day.
There’s certainly a gap for a secular, social democratic and gently unionist party in Northern Ireland.
I’d vote for that.
I am on the fence about whether there is a gap for a secular, civic and democratic, “status-quo-on-the-union-ist” party in Northern Ireland.
I think it could work. But then I also think it would be hard to get people off their sofas.