LIFESTYLE PREVIEW: ZOLITICS.COM

There’s No Greater Bipartisan Effort For Politicians Than Self-Promotion

September 13, 2009

Christmas has come early this year…or at least for me, as per this announcement: “Countering the widely accepted belief that Democrats and Republicans in Washington could never come together in a common effort, the non-partisan Zolitics.com will be launched this fall as the world’s first network exclusively devoted to providing the entertaining side of politics.” If you don’t think politics is entertaining in a sometimes tragic sort of way, you’ve never been to a health care town hall meeting, or at least not watched The Daily Show recently.

The impending Zolitics.com seems to imply an all Daily all the time type of network, but the programming is varied and promising. Moving Numbers will be a fictional series depicting a candidate’s Senate run and the zaniness therein. Set in Pennsylvania, The Pittsburgh Tribune Review described the show as “Primary Colors on steroids.” Entertainment and political aficionados will realize this doesn’t refer to the monster-sized 64-pack crayon boxes. Rather the prospect of a more biting, in-depth political satire, the likes of Colors is a welcome one.

Scoops kind of made me consider quitting my job, as it’s a reality show giving hungry young reporters the chance to cover the White House beat. Twelve contestants will be given a story to cover weekly and will be tested in the cauldron of DC political reporting. I will not be quitting my job, because apparently I would suck at this and only one reporter will be left standing after 12 weeks.

My America promises the ultimate odd couple road trip, as conservative WASP and former Senator Rick Santorum will take to seeing the good ol’ US of A with Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Donna Brazille, as they will take turns showing one another the areas, events and people of America that best illustrate their political bent.

Finally, Look Who’s Coming To Dinner is a docu-series providing an eavesdrop on DC hotspots where politicians gather, schmooze, debate and sometimes decide — a tradition as old as Benjamin Franklin. While obviously the degree of candidness here could come into question, it’ll be interesting, nonetheless, to see how these politicians respond under the lights.

Zolitics was founded by a cohort of Republican and Democrat political vets and shows there’s no greater bipartisan effort for politicians than self-promotion. But Zolitics hopes the response to that charge will simply be, “Hey, that’s show business”…or at least that it will be as entertaining.

Look out for the Zolitics.com full launch coming in the fall.