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It’s going to be hard waiting for April 6, when the audience finds out who will be the next "West Wing" President. No matter which candidate is "elected," it will be hard knowing the other had to lose.

In spite of the advances Americans have made in the 229 years since signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776, there are some things which never seem to change. A political candidate who doesn’t consider it necessary to "have a personal relationship with the Lord" to lead this country as President of the United States is likely to find his efforts to get elected to even a minor position in government permanently stalled, let alone getting into the White House. Robert Green Ingersoll, the 19th Century Republican who was nicknamed "The Great Agnostic" found that out the hard way. His refusal to change his mind about religion cost him the chance to hold any political office after serving as State Attorney General, an office to which he was appointed by the Republican governor of Illinois in 1867. He became immensely popular as an orator, and he publicly endorsed two Republican candidates for the Presidency. However, his own ambitions for higher positions in public office were never to be realized. Personally, I think that was a shame.

With these newest story lines in The West Wing, however, we can begin to have a glimmer of hope. The writers and producers of this thought-provoking drama obviously disagree with the long-held notions of some Americans who feel that religious faith is a requirement to be elected President. Maybe one or several writers on the West Wing team did some research on Ingersoll, and used their findings to create the fictional character of Arnie Vinick. Considering that both Ingersoll and Vinick have the qualities of intelligence, honesty and being just plain likable in common, it is a good possibility that this was the case. Then again, maybe not. No matter how they came up with the idea of a pro-choice Republican candidate who has openly acknowledged his agnosticism and still received the nomination, it is still an idea that deserves high praise. As does Mr. Alda for playing Vinick so convincingly.

Will we see such a desirable candidate in the real world running for the Presidency in 2008? Maybe not that soon. But thanks to the vision of the West Wing writers and cast members, it may not be as far away as before. It may prompt a growing number of Americans to consider the idea that an agnostic candidate for President, be it a Republican or Democrat, could be just what this country needs to keep America from becoming a Christian-based theocracy. Sure sounds like a winner to me.