This is the only scheduled show we watch any more, and it's rapidly approaching the tipping point.

Now let me first admit I'm a political junkie, and served a year as full time safe on a bruising U.S. Senate campaign that went flaming into the ground. So I can identity with, or at least appreciate, many of the characters that are portrayed on this show. However, I still find it hard to follow the fast paced dialogue, even with the captions turned on. Maybe I should consider watching this show sober but drinking was an important part of the political campaign process.

Most of the time everything is an incredible muddle and one hopes that someone will demonstrate brillance, take charge, and make it all better. Sometimes that happens on West Wing. But often people make poor choices or are forced to compromise so much that the result is depressing.

I was hoping for an even better debate, but it was vastly better than the more regulated "real debates" we get to watch.

So we'll continue to watch this show, till its ultimate demise.

By that time we'll probably be working on the 2006 Congressional election, and it seems to me that could be even more important and interesting.

Charley Noble