Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren No show has captivated official Washington more in recent years than “Succession.” The HBO drama centers around two things that people who work in this city obsess over: media melodramas and the tragicomedies of truly terrible people. But this season, the plot has pivoted more squarely into the political realm. And for it, the show’s producers hired a trio of political consultants: ERIC SCHULTZ, BEN GINSERG and JUSTIN GELDZAHLER. Last week’s storyline (ALERT, SPOILERS AHEAD!) centered on a chaotic election night in which a television network’s morally suspect, editorially dubious decision-making effectively tips the scales. It felt vaguely real for a lot of people who lived through 2016 and 2020. But, we wanted to know, did the scenes reflect the actual lived experiences of the show’s advisers? And what lessons could the current White House draw from the plot, if any? For that, we dialed up Schultz — publicly a loather of West Wing Playbook but, in his heart, a fan — to discuss. Below is an edited version of our conversation. How many episodes did you consult on? All 10. And they couldn’t find anyone more sophisticated? I’m sure they tried. Was it just a budget issue? Yes. I was all they could afford. On a scale of 1-10, one being complete fantasy and 10 being pure reality, where did you think the depiction of election night falls? Let me just say, the writers on the show are brilliant. They are creative and they are hilarious... Eric. They’re not doing another season. I stand by my observation. And what I think makes the show pop is the attention to detail in the worlds they are covering. So if you look at election night, the episode has flights of fancy and they take dramatic license. But it is all set against a backdrop that feels very credible. Ok, so like a 7.5. But what about the relationship between a campaign and a news network? Those calls between the Roys and the campaigns seemed overly dramatized. I don’t think so. The relationship between a campaign and a news organization, especially on election night when the stakes are so high, is going to be really lively and active. You’re telling me there are actual promises to block mergers discussed on these election night calls? In real life, there is a firewall between the news coverage and the business side of the outlet. In a place like Fox, that was trampled over. The writers wanted to show what happens when you turn that upside down. But in real life, Fox made the call on Arizona. In the show, they took the other path. Yes, Fox famously called Arizona for JOE BIDEN. But what then happened was their hands were tied because they couldn’t call any of the other states or else they would be the first ones to call him president-elect. Does the show actually overstate the power of the press? Yeah, ATN [the fictional network] called the election for Menken [the fictional GOP candidate]. But so what? It’s one outlet. There is a legal process that will play out and other news outlets out there. Ask anyone who has worked on a campaign or in a newsroom on election night that has gone into extra innings; the conversation in the media is one of the most important elements at stake. Look at 2008, the NORM COLEMAN-AL FRANKEN race, there is a reason Coleman went out and declared victory that night. He wanted to set the tone and agenda. But does that matter in this balkanized media landscape? 100 percent. The perception of the election outcome can be as important as the outcome itself. History shows there are very few races where you can come back. Minnesota in 2008 happened to be one of the few. And that was strictly because you were working for Franken. I think that’s fair, yes. I don’t want to overstate my role but you can. The subtext of this episode was the Democratic candidate's discomfort working the conservative network. Is that the right approach in the real world? I think over the years, it’s become clear that Fox News is a nakedly political platform. But they do have a massive audience. They’re how millions of people get their information. When Democrats go out there and make their case forcefully, we can win. Do you have any space on your bookshelf for the Emmy? I’m already preparing my speech. MESSAGE US — Are you JEREMY STRONG? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
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