I am – Hercules!!

Eh, probably not.

The first two episodes of the new “West Wing” focus pretty solidly on Rep. Matthew Santos (Jimmy Smits). And the only regular player playing for Team Vinick is Sen. Arnold Vinick himself, Alan Alda.

So many have been wondering: Is Santos a shoo-in, or is this all just elaborate misdirection?

Looks like it’s not misdirection. According to a new and untested – albeit convincing – Coaxial News source, the next president of the United States will be a Mexican-American Democrat from Houston.

I was really kinda hoping the series would install Vinick, but I’m guessing John Wells & Co. may not want to promote to the American people week after week the idea that a member of the GOP can be heroic. (The show has featured heroic Republicans over the years, to be certain, but the majority of the good guys have always leaned toward blue-state values.)

Sunday night’s installment, I believe, deals with Santos and Vinick going head to head on “Hardball.” Next week Vinick boxes Santos in on the immigration issue while the Americans who are really into Jesus start going after Vinick.

NBC announced this week that the first “West Wing” of sweeps will be broadcast live Nov. 6. It will depict, appropriately enough, a live debate between the two candidates.

8 p.m. Sunday. NBC.

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