0.12: How Barack Obama Shaped Matthew Santos (with David Axelrod and Eli Attie)

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"Tell me about Barack Obama." That's what Eli Attie said to David Axelrod in 2004, while searching for inspiration to help flesh out the character of Congressman Matthew Santos. In this episode, we talk to both of them to find out what Eli learned and how it shaped the sixth season. And David Axelrod tells us about his own experiences as the guy behind the guy, and what The West Wing means to him.

footnotes —
Barack Obama’s 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address

6.14: The Wake Up Call (with Lawrence Lessig)

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We’re joined by the real-life Professor Lawrence Lessig, who appears as a character in this episode, played by the real-life Christopher Lloyd.

footnotes —
JFK Library - Breton Fisherman’s Prayer Plaque

6.13: King Corn (with Karis Campbell, Evan Arnold, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and Michael Grunwald)

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We have so many great guests for our discussion of “King Corn” that you’re going to look at this podcast episode the way Will Bailey looks at an ice cream sandwich. We talk Ned & Ronna with Evan Arnold & Karis Campbell, we talk Turkey with West Wing writer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and Politico senior writer Michael Grunwald walks us through the political maize of supporting ethanol.

footnotes —
How the 2020 Democrats Learned to Love Ethanol
Iowa operatives say ethanol worship is now as corny as The West Wing
Land Clearing and the Biofuel Carbon Debt