West Wing actor calls show 'soothing progressive porn' at Miami

Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer
Actor Bradley Whitford, known for his role as deputy White House chief of staff on the show, “The West Wing,” spoke at Miami University on the effect of the show on political discourse today,
Actor Bradley Whitford, known for his role as deputy White House chief of staff on the show, “The West Wing,” spoke at Miami University on the effect of the show on political discourse today,

OXFORD, Ohio – Bradley Whitford spoke to a Miami University audience Monday night about his role in "The West Wing" and the "desperate" way people cling to the decades-old TV series today.

Whitford played Josh Lyman, a White House deputy chief of staff, in the political drama which aired from 1999 to 2006. Several Obama White House staffers told Vanity Fair in 2012 that "The West Wing" prompted their interest in politics; former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said binge-watching the show brought her back to politics after leaving the Obama White House.

Whitford is also a political activist who hosted a fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign in 2019 and came to Cincinnati in 2018 to support Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval when he ran for Congress.

In a discussion with, John Forren, a Miami University professor and executive director of the Menard Family Center for Democracy, Whitford said The West Wing has become "soothing progressive porn" with its depiction of well-intentioned, bright people trying to solve problems.

Asked about the new generation of West Wing fans, Whitford said people hold onto the show in a different, more "desperate" way now.

Whitford described his character on The West Wing as "heroically pragmatic" and said in a political system where you have to find a compromise with people you disagree with in order to get anything done, the main question Josh wrestled with is "How dirty do your feet have to get without you disappearing in the mud?"
Whitford described his character on The West Wing as "heroically pragmatic" and said in a political system where you have to find a compromise with people you disagree with in order to get anything done, the main question Josh wrestled with is "How dirty do your feet have to get without you disappearing in the mud?"

Whitford said he's proud that the show was not cynical about public service, but that he thinks people in progressive circles too often look to culture rather than politics for a moral vision.

"The West Wing was a big hit, but it won't help you if you have a pre-existing condition and The Handmaid's Tale is doing very well, but it won't help you if you're a 13-year-old rape victim. The show was telling the story of how important politics are, especially following through politically, especially for our most vulnerable citizens," he said.

He said he gets frustrated with progressives' need to fall in love with a candidate.

"Voting isn't Tinder, you know. It's public transportation. It's ... to get you closer to where you want to go," he said.

Erin is the watchdog reporter for Butler, Warren and Clermont counties through the Report For America program. The Enquirer needs local donors to help fund her grant-funded position. If you want to support Erin's work, you can donate to her Report For America position at this website or email her editor Carl Weiser at cweiser@enquirer.com to find out how you can help fund her work.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: West Wing star Bradley Whitford talked progressive politics at Miami

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