I’ve recently been watching the TV show The West Wing, about 10 years after everyone else! Anyway, there’s a scene where the president Jed Bartlett, played by Martin Sheen is being challenged by an aide that he mistakenly plays down his intelligence and academic background on occasions to seem more agreeable to the common man. This all takes place against the backdrop of a re-election against a seemingly “stupid” opponent. Incidentally, based on real life criticism of Al Gore during the 2000 election campaign against George W Bush.

Responding to the perception that he’s being called a snob, he says:

If a guy is a good neighbor, if he puts in a day, if every once in a while he laughs,

if every once in a while he thinks about somebody else and, above all else,

if he can find his way to compassion and, and  tolerance, then he’s my brother,

I don’t give a damn if he didn’t get past finger-painting.

As I watched it, I thought it was a cool quote and i think a good measure of a person. I guess the point is, The West Wing is well written… and I would most likely vote for Jed Bartlett!!