Writing music is not so much inspiration as hard work.
One thing I think is least realistic is that there were five people that made decisions in the fictional 'West Wing. ' In real life, there are about five million people that weigh in.
Palin was a political Hail Mary, a long bomb in the closing minutes of a game that John McCain and Co. were certain to lose. They didn't care if she had the policy or political or emotional capacity to serve as vice president, let alone president. They were willing to drive the country off a cliff, if that's what it took to win.
President Clinton intentionally created a structure that was a little loose. And one that kept him a little in the center. He didn't want one person filtering all the information that went to him. He had always operated with a lot of information coming in and a lot of stuff going out.
Washington is still very much a male-oriented culture. Being from Los Angeles, I think it is less so there - there is less attachment to tradition, perhaps, there is more flexibility, more acceptance of change generally. That is partly because of Hollywood.
That someone like Obama could be elected president of the United States - with its unrivaled power and prestige - has begun to restore the country's and the world's faith in America as the land of opportunity.
Women communicate differently and process information differently, which leads them to resolve conflicts differently.
I grew up in Palestine, West Virginia, which is mostly a farming community; there aren't a lot of jobs.
Strength is nothing more than enduring life - to be able to survive the heartaches and agonies we go through with our heads held high. Sometimes just walking through adversity to get to the other side is a sign of strength.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to prove that cutting incomes to the poorest families will have a negative impact on kids. That is less money for the basics like food, health and clothes.
We need to make sure middle-class people are able to pay the bills. We need to make sure that poor people don't starve. Those are values, too.