The cast of The West Wing reunites for a wistfully hilarious (and actual) campaign spot

While I don't officially endorse Bridget Mary McCormack, who is running for a seat on the Michigan State Supreme Court, I do endorse the viewing of the campaign ad she's running for her non-partisan race. As the sister of actress Mary McCormack, who played security advisor Kate Harper on The West Wing, she was able too hook herself up with her very own reunion of the cast of Aaron Sorkin's presidential series. Practically everyone is back -- McCormack, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Janel Moloney, Bradley Whitford (who has the best line in the video once he's done stumping for McCormack), Joshua Malina, Melissa Fitzgerald, Lily Tomlin (!), and President Bartlet himself, Martin Sheen (who is a little grayer than he was on the show, looking a little Clintonian). Apparently, Dulé Hill was busy, but I'd like to think that his character Charlie was sent by the Prez to go accomplish some ridiculous task in a vintage bookstore. (Also: Watch for Sheen's Apocalypse Now joke.)

As much as I like The Newsroom, there's just something about this group of people pedeconferencing that warms my heart. I wish they'd just make everyone happy and do a web series together.

Virtually the Entire Cast of "The West Wing" Reunites for an Awesome Campaign Ad [Pajiba]

• [IndependentGeorge]

  You like The Newsroom? For shame, Jaime.

  • [xzzy]

    I’d rather watch shows that pander to my sense of justice than the talent shows and safe sitcoms that dominate broadcast networks.

    Or worse, JJ Abrams’ latest attempt to be MYSTERIOUS.

    • [RedShirt77]

       Nice.  JJ is shallow.

  • [RedShirt77]

     I keep watching the newsroom.  It has gotten better since the initial episodes when it was clear that Sorkin was writing it single handedly.  I hate to say this, but the problem is really that several of the actors just suck.  Mostly the producer lady and the blond woman.  It really says something that Olivia Munn is the strongest female actor on the show.

    • [cellocgw]

      Maybe that’s ’cause she reminds you of Xena?  

• [J. Brad Hicks]

  I’m Brad Hicks, and I endorse the idea of a web series reunion. No matter how controversial he was by the end of his term, I feel like Josiah Bartlett (in that timeline) went on to be one of America’s most-beloved ex-Presidents, and the Bartlett Foundation for World (Something or Other) would probably have re-united as many of his old team as can be found willing to work on the series. The rest can maybe be persuaded to show up as talking heads on fictional Meet the Press or whatever.

  Watch that clip, and look at their faces: these people are having the time of their life falling back into those characters, even for parody. You know the old West Wing audience wants it. You know the actors want it. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Why isn’t this being done?

  • [Just_Ok]

    I blame Obama or cocaine

  • [EH]

    Maybe they’ve already done all the attention-sink storylines and all they have left to do are issues that might actually have an effect in the real world, which cannot be allowed.

• [☆Krysta☆ Mae☆]

  I am living on cloud 9 seeing my favorite cast come together again.  I love that Toby and Josh were in the same room together.  It kinda allowed closer, the closer they didn’t get at the end of the series.  I miss Charlie, Margaret, Sam and of course Leo (RIP John Spencer)

  I too like The Newsroom but this cast will remain my absolute favorite for life.  I support the idea of a web series with these fabulous people. :)

  • [ocker3]

     Closure?

• [5onthe5]

  I got the most enormous smile watching this. They got Carol back! Carol! Just for a few seconds the West Wing was back. Amazing.

• [papiermeister]

  Anyone else LOL at Martin Sheen asking “so it’s an Apocalypse Now “?

• [James Atherton]

  We don’t have campaign ads in the UK (unless you count Nick Clegg saying he is “sorry”) but if we had to, I wish they were all like this. (Just one point–how did Bartlet get re-elected for a third term, and how did he oust Santos?)

• [axlrosen]

  It’s got some clever lines. I wonder who wrote it?

  FYI:”Extra,” the syndicated TV show, will feature a segment on the making of the video to air Thursday night. Check local listings.

• [Doug Nelson]

  Do a lot of parents give their children the same name (“Mary” in this case)?

  • [Reedley Smith]

    It was quite common among earlier generations of Catholics to give all their daughters the name Mary (in addition to another name which was used day-to-day.)

    So the West Wing actress is Mary Catherine McCormack, who goes by Mary, her sister (in this ad, running for judge) is Professor Bridget Mary McCormack, who goes by Bridget.

    Aside from this Catholic tradition, I’m not aware of another common naming tradition among Americans that lead to a single name being used for all children.

    (I am aware, of course, of the tradition of all of George Foreman’s children being named George Foreman.)

• [Randy Murray]

  All I can say is, “Ahhhh.”

  I don’t need a new series. There’s always the DVDs. But this was like bumping into an old friend at Starbucks. So good to see you all.

  • [Donald Petersen]

    You said it.  I hope McCormack is actually a good candidate, because how could anyone vote against such an awesome endorsement?

    It would suck to have to run against this, particularly in a state election.

• [legotech]

  Can we get them to do a national ad just telling people to go VOTE…of course the people who would be swayed by an ad telling them to get out and vote are probably the people who already are.  Sometimes this country makes me sad.

• [millie fink]

  walking and talking. ha!

• [Susan Carley Oliver]

  Dulé Hill was in the Funny Or Die PSA they put together promoting walking. Not sure why he wasn’t in this.