Actors, understudies, producers and directors, they're just about the same in both worlds. And it's only natural that people like Fred Thompson can move nonchalantly from one stage to the other. After all, he's been performing on the political stage for years now.

We accept it all. We are the audience. We pay for these performances and the price of admission can be very high. The greatest show on earth, the one that takes place in Washington, the District of Corruption, costs us a fortune. And it's the only place where "you get what you pay for" works in reverse unless you're a lobbyist.

Interesting word isn't it? Are lobbyists stage door Johnnies that stand around in "the lobby" waiting to trap the actors, get their autographs, and influence their performance? It also carries the double entendre that if you pay them enough they'll improve or direct their performance specifically towards you, sing for their supper.

West Wing stays on the air because of its ratings. Every Wednesday night, a significant portion of the television audience watches the show. If we didn't watch it, it wouldn't be there.

Washington maintains its position because it's the only show in town and we pay for admission well in advance then stand in line to vote for it every two years.

The actors have all paid their dues, worked in the trade long enough to be on the program, sworn their allegiance, proven to the rest of the cast that they fit right in, and compete to get our attention. If we lose one of them, another steps right in to take his or her place and before long we don't even notice the change. The show goes on same-o, same-o.

The audience also believes that the Washington performers are going to do something besides entertain us. That they're actually going to work "for" us instead of against us. We might as well believe that Martin Sheen or John Spencer will protect us from terrorists or that Richard Schiff will "save" Social Security any episode now.

And they're all so busy. They haven't time to even catch their breath. They simply drone on in a sort of rapid fire machine gun monotone as they flit from room to room solving crises and tossing issues around like butterflies jumping from flower to flower.

And the President, he's the wisest of them all, the main actor, top dog, central billing, the focus of attention. If there's a problem to be solved, he'll solve it. And there are plenty of problems to be solved week-to-week, even assassinations to be carried out in secret. How more real, dramatic, and current can they get?

We've got military geniuses, business leaders, economists, psychologists and psychiatrists, sociologists, assistants, secretaries, loyal campaign managers all, and a constant flow of other advisors coming through the doors from all walks of life, mostly political. Unlike real life, however, the Prez doesn't talk to us every day selling us on his ideas and programs—big brother in the flesh jumping in and out of the Marine One helicopter to greet his dog and stride confidently to the oval office after another broadcast.

No, the television performance comes to us but once a week and then only for an hour. It's hardly enough time to cover the little nuances and personal quirks of the characters involved, the romances, complications, secret illnesses, addictions and worries of the inner workings of humanity. Yet, the television show gives us much more of this than the real life performance.

In real life, the producers, directors, promoters, and support staff are enormous compared to the television staff. A player like Allison Janney not only has her counterpart in Ari Fleisher but also in Paula Zahn, Wolf Blitzer, Dan Rather and a myriad of other script readers performing daily in our homes. The ministry of propaganda and disinformation is spread throughout the media.

And while weapons of mass distraction are unleashed on the public to keep us involved and frightened of terrorism, snipers, child abductions, and war, the real show is directed towards world domination and stealing our money.

If you are dissatisfied with the Washington program, you can write or call your representatives in Congress, but all you will get in response is a form letter and an invitation to breakfast the next time you're inside the Beltway.

If you truly want to make a statement, the best thing you can do, in fact it may be the only thing you can do, is to turn off the television. Turn off the elections and don't participate. If they don't get their ratings, maybe, just maybe, the producers will get the point. The players will assume office anyway, the show must go on, but you don't have to endorse their behavior, especially when it doesn't make any difference who is on stage.