The Influence Of Real-World Events
The West Wing regularly covered current political issues and real-world events. For example, when President Bartlet hid his relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) it was compared to President Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. Bartlet was investigated for non-disclosure of his illness and was eventually censured by Congress. A special episode was written following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and while it did address terrorism it did not specifically refer to the event. Other topics the show did address include the genocide in Sudan, the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, the War on Drugs, the conflict in Colombia and a federal government shutdown.
