Inspiration
"West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin based the Ritchie character on his perception of President George W. Bush. Ritchie's intelligence is called into question, a common criticism of President Bush, and the character is the governor of Florida, as was the president's brother Jeb. Sorkin wrote the fictional 2002 election as a result of 2000 Democratic candidate Al Gore playing down his intelligence to compete against the folksy Bush. As a result, the West Wing election is in essence a version of events as Sorkin had wished to see them. Sorkin would leave the show at the end of the fourth year, with executive producer John Wells taking a more active role in story development. By contrast, in the 2006 election, Republican candidate Arnold Vinick is portrayed as likeable, principled, and intelligent.
Read more about this topic: Robert Ritchie (The West Wing)
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