Conservative Characters on TV
Over at Big Hollywood, Ben Shapiro has a list of conservative characters on Lost. I never found any of the characters there overtly conservative (or liberal for that matter — yay not inserting politics into escapism!), but there are some sympathetic conservative characters in TV today that I can think of.
Hank Hill from King of the Hill: A stubborn, overt conservative who is shown to be right in about 90% of the episodes.
Seeley Booth from Bones: War veteran and religious, he’s often the foil to the hyper-rational Bones.
John Casey from Chuck: Very overtly right-wing (even has a picture of Reagan on his desk). Also, it’s well known the actor Adam Baldwin (no relation to Alec) is conservative (I once saw him link IMAO in a forum to rebut someone, and my sister worked with him on a movie and saw him arguing against global warming to some hippie).
Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock: Yes, he’s a joke character played by a well known liberal Alec Baldwin (no relation to Adam), but you have to give huge points if you’re grading on a curve since he’s not the butt of jokes anymore than any other character — his conservatism is as often a joke as Liz Lemon’s reflexive New York liberalism. Actually, 30 Rock is an example that you can bring up politics for humor without bashing people over the heads with a certain political belief (also see early seasons of the Simpsons).
Mac Taylor from CSI: NY: Not as overtly conservative as the others, but he’s a former Marine and played by a known conservative, Gary Sinise.
Jack Bauer from 24: I feel like I have to include from how 24 sometimes gets controversy as being a right-wing show (it actually has Muslim terrorists which seem to exist solely in real life but never in fiction), but the main character has always seemed apolitical to me (which is just fine).
Also, I’d like to give bonus points to Dr. House from House. Not conservative, but he likes uncomfortable truths which makes him say conservative things at time (the same happens a bit with Bones from Bones). House is good example of it being possible to bring up controversial subject without bashing people over the head with a certain belief.
So, any other characters I missed? I’m not able to watch all the shows out there (stupid 4th dimension).
(19 votes, average: 4.63 out of 5)
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January 9th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Chuck Norris as Walker Texas Ranger
Andy Griffith as Andy Griffith in the Andy Griffith show
January 9th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I’m too lazy to think of any else, but I will say this: the writers of King of the Hill are hilarious. After more than 5 years of Hank Hill being, well, Hank Hill, in 2004 they informed us that he wasn’t sure if he would vote for Bush or John freakin’ Kerry. I love TV writers.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
There you go, blaming the 4th dimension again instead of fighting the future monkey menace….
Hail Our Glorious Leader, Scary Evil Monkey!
Sorry…force of habit.
January 9th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
I’d have to go with Dexter Morgan of Showtime’s “Dexter”. He’s a serial killer who only kills other serial killers (and the random pedophile), which to me displays a strong, conservative tough-on- crime mindset. And as this season has shown, with Dexter becoming closer to his girlfriend and her kids, he displays strong family values. Which must be tough, since he’s obviously a five-alarm flamer…
January 9th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Mighty Mouse was cool! I also thought Mr Ed was Smarter than other Hollywood types…but I did chemicals in college!
January 9th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Of course you did.
January 9th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
The great thing about this list is that I can’t, off-hand, think of anyone to add or to take off, at least for currently-running shows. So kudos!
I may add Mal Reynalds from Firefly, who was totally libertarian. And Darrin Tyler on Wonderfalls (William Sadler) was always talking about “W” and wearing elephant pins and reading biographies on GWB, without any jokes being made at his expense. And Ned on Pushing Daisies doesn’t want anything to change, ever, so he’s conservative in a totally non-political way.
One tweak: I would not classify Bones as “hyper-rational;” the woman is almost sociopathic in her inability to understand very basic emotional and social constructs, often to the sacrifice of anything rational. (Her views on sex are just whack, and anyone who things that humans really are nothing but animals, with no alternate emotional and, yes, spiritual impulses and no self-control or morality is not rational.) I simply cannot buy that someone incapable of understanding jokes, slang, or body language is “rational.” Or could be a competent fiction writer, for that matter.
Seely’s cool, though.
I love House on the list, and the only exception I can think of is when he bullied that rape victim into getting an abortion, against her conscience. That seemed a bit agenda driven and, frankly, out of character.
As for Hank Hill, I didn’t think he was going to vote for Kerry; I thought he had (momentarily) lost the will to vote at all because GWB had a soft handshake and that disappointed Hank. He voted for GWB at the end. Guess I’ll just have to watch the episode again!
January 9th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Horatio Caine from CSI: Miami: Total speculation here, but does anyone think a liberal could pull this off? Neither…(removes sunglasses)…do I.
January 9th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Uhh, Denny Crane. Hello? :o)
January 9th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Red Forman from That ’70’s Show. Korean War vet, who never fails to remind his liberal, sissy ass neighbor Bob Pinciotti of the fact. He is my ideal. Some quotes from Red:
Without rules, we all might as well be up in a tree flinging our crap at each other.
This has nothing to do with you being a foreigner. This is about you taking advantage of my daughter like a sneaky foreigner!
What are you going to put put on your resume - dumbass?
If you ever do anything like that again, I will kick your ass so hard, your nose will bleed.
Kitty Forman: Eric, your father and I have noticed that you’ve been acting very strange lately.
Red Forman: Like a hippie.
Kitty Forman: Is there something you want to tell us?
Red Forman: Are you on dope? Are you?
Kitty Forman: Because we can help get you clean. There’s counseling, hospitalization…
Red Forman: …my foot kickin’ your ass.
January 9th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Pretty much all of the captains from the Star Trek universe except for Picard. He was kind of a pansy. Of course he was French…
Anyway, they all seemed to follow the saying, “Talk softly, but carry a big stick”; kicking ass and taking names when need be. I guess even Picard did that, but he would take diplomacy to ridiculous extremes before opening up a can. :o)
January 9th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
OH MY GOD, how did I miss this one:
If the US government decides to stick a tracking device up your ass, you say, “Thank You. And God Bless America.”
January 9th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Most of the characters in the Stargate Universe, notably Jack O’Neill.
January 9th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
D’oh! I don’t know how I didn’t think of Jack O’Neill.
January 9th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
People who watch more TV are more depressed. Cut out the TV and you will feel better.
January 9th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
American Dad, Barney Rubble, George Jetson, The hot chick on Scooby-do, Major Nelson (I Dream of Jeanie), Jed Clampet, Gomer Pyle, Mary-ann Summers, and the Howells (Gilligans Island)
January 9th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Gibbs from NCIS.
January 9th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Rowdy Yates
Ben Cartright
Palliden
Cheyenne
James West
Roy Rogers
Audie Murphy
January 9th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Alec Baldwin, and Adam Baldwin are brothers…. along with a third brother, Alan who is also conservative.
January 9th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
How bout Numbers….the former special ops guy….don’t know his or his character’s name. And, I loved Sally on Third Rock From the Sun….heck, I loved all the characters. The writers had to have been stoned to come up with those scripts! I was going to add Janine Turner from Northern Exposure but her character was the opposite of her real life politics….Maurice, the show’s conservative was made the butt of the jokes…
January 9th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Elmer Fud
Bugs Bunny
Daffy Duck
Porky Pig
Popeye
Baby Huey
January 9th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Eric Cartman for an extremely bad example. :o) Also, can I have some of whatever Edward is smoking?
January 9th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Mac Taylor from CSI: NY (Gary Sinise) also has a portrait of Reagan on his desk.
Apparently my neighbor and close family friend went to high school with him and all the good things people say about him are absolutely true.
January 9th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Anyone who thinks American Dad belongs on this list is obviously a little lost Kos kid. Go home.
Anyone who sees it and thinks, “American Dad, whats that?” Don’t do it. You’ll ruin your carpet.
January 9th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
About House bullying the rape victim into an abortion: I don’t know if that was agenda driven, since that sort of belief totally matched him as a character. I mean, I can’t ever see Gregory House advising someone not to get an abortion: the guy hates everyone (and hated the rapist most of all and was surprised the mother didn’t believe in the same way). What was important is that’s the episode where he had to admit to himself that he was sorta wrong to think so. The end of the episode had him extremely pissed off at himself … and with everyone in the immediate vicinity.
January 9th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Bree on Desperate Housewives…she has guns, too.
Archie Bunker….or was he a Union Guy (it’s been a while)
And who could forget Alex Keaton?
January 9th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Adam is NOT one of the “Baldwin Brothers”. I thought so too, until I researched it after reading this post. Anyway:
Mike Traceur - Knight Rider
Sarah Connor & Derek Reese- Terminator the Sarah Connor Chronicles
Adm Adama - Battlestar Galactica
January 9th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Ned Flanders, although he is regularly mocked for it.
If I remember correctly, several of the residents in Springfield are in the NRA (Moe, Kearney, Lou, Eddie, Sideshow Mel, etc), so there is a high probability they are conservatives.
I cannot believe no one has mentioned Burt Gomer- “Broke into the wrong gall-darn rec room, didn’t ya!” (before somone complains that Tremors was a movie, there was also a TV show).
Oh, Admiral Adama for sure.
January 9th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Alex P. Keaton, naturally.
On Stargate, Dr. Jackson started out Lefty, definitely, but he may have matured a bit at least to be a Liberal who is not disagreeable. In other words, can admit he’s not always right. Jack O’Neil, yes, big time Conservative.
Sisko was more Lefty than Picard.
Janeway I’m unsure about. The fact that I am unsure is actually a good thing because it means she’s not a Lefty. Chakotay , Neelix, and the Doctor compete on who count out-Left the other. Seven of Nine, now there’s a Conservative. So too Tom Paris. Tuvok was Independent but leaned Right. Belanna Torres was conflicted while Harry Kim was a wimp. Kes was an environmentalist.
Doctor Who is Left, sometimes too Left when the writers are purposely being preachy, but usually tolerable. Interestingly, Captain Jack Harkness is Conservative. Gay, yes, but he does play on the Right team.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Dang Hadsil, that’s pretty in depth. I didn’t watch enough DS9 to form an opinion about Sisko. Janeway seemed to be a fairly solid moderate leaning right. Captain Archer and T’pol I’d say were definitely Conservative although Vulcans in general all pretty much lean right due to their relying purely on logic. A little too Right in many cases actually.
Okay, I’m gonna stop now before my terminal geekery overwhelms me and I never talk to a real, live girl again.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Snake Doctor or any of his partners from “The Unit” and Dwight from “The Office”.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Fresh… I got it from Cartman….
January 9th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Oh another, since I’m watching it right now, Monk. He hates hippies on a level approaching Fred Thompson.
January 9th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
I wouldn’t necessarily call House a Conservative, but probably Republican, I vaguely remember a particularly cruel joke at the expense of democracts.
As for lost, Saied would probably be a conservative if he was an American. Funny thing about that list though, when explaining why John Locke is a conservative the author failed to mention because he is named after JOHN LOCKE!
January 9th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Oh and Mr. Krabs from Spongebob of course!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
@Gnome-I think Dwight would be more of a Ron Paul supporting Libertarian actually what with all of his strange beliefs and conspiracy theories, not to mention his beet fetish. Angela would probably be a Conservative, although she would be one of the ones that give the rest of us a bad name.
January 9th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Batman!
January 9th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
A Denny Crane follow up… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KVq0qS1Rt8
January 9th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Heh, Dr. House is… well, he’s his own category.
January 10th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Oh sheesh…how can this list be started off with a reference to Hank Hill, and yet no one mentions the gun-totin’, gov’t mistrustin’, chapter head of the NRA, Dale Gribble!?
But I can see how he’s actually more of a libertarian conspiracy nut…
January 10th, 2009 at 12:08 am
The Jack O’Neill character in the MOVIE Stargate is conservative. The one in the tv show isn’t.
Steven Baldwin is the conservative Baldwin brother.
January 10th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Ward Cleaver - Eisenhower Republican, WWII vet, (Combat Engineer), Hottest wife on early 60’s TV, smoked a pipe, possibly the last sitcom father until Hank Hill to Not be a dim-wit.
Eddie Haskel - Future Democratic party mid-level staffer, possible future presidential speech writer or tele-prompter operator.
January 10th, 2009 at 1:19 am
Eddie Haskel, future lover and life partner of Barney Frank, famous member of congress…
January 10th, 2009 at 1:22 am
KeaponLaffin says: Gibbs from NCIS.
He must be- Abby, the flat-out furthest left character on the show worships him like a god.
My all time favorite recurring conservative role was when the blond from (Cally?) Miami CSI was on The West Wing. The rest of the show was liberal writers fantasy of the perfect liberal president, but she played an eloquent, intelligent conservative, who constantly pointed out to the rest of the libtards on the show how poorly thought out typical liberal positions are. She was the only reason to watch that show.
January 10th, 2009 at 2:39 am
Eddie Haskel - Always the over-achiever!
January 10th, 2009 at 8:58 am
#25 - El Santo,
Why would anyone want a doctor who prescribed death for his patient?
I know he’s just a fictional character, but it’s a shame his scriptwriters never heard of, or never dared mention viable alternatives to abortion;
Care Net
1 (800) 518-7909
info@care-net.org
or visit
http://www.care-net.org/aboutus/
‘To promote a culture of life through the delivery
of valuable, life-affirming, evangelistic ministry to
people facing unplanned pregnancies and related
sexual issues.’
I just got their newsletter.
Their cover story is about a little girl named Dalana who wouldn’t be here if her mother had taken House’s advice.
It’s quite moving.
I’ve never been able to watch more than 5 minutes of House.
If he’s such a brilliant doctor, why doesn’t he get somebody to fix his gimpy leg?
January 10th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Daffy Duck
Road Runner
Coyotte sp?
Fractured Fairy Tales Characters
The Rooster
The Dog
Sylvester
Tweety Bird
Bugs Bunny
Elmer Fud (He had a gun)
January 10th, 2009 at 10:06 am
TV has become the vast wasteland it was destined to be. I try to limit my exposure to idiocy if at all possible.
DVD of movies and series are da’ bomb.
January 10th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Jimmy is right. The quintessential American hero, dedicated to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…is Buggs Bunny. He is tolerant and willing to work with anyone who is sincere, but will skewer idiots with cheeky saracsm and then ruin (obliterate) their schemes for domination, oppression, and unjust carrot taxation with elegance, ablomb, and laughter.
Buggs is the man.
January 10th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Thank you, thank you, cactusod. Your eloquent comment demonstrates the finer aesthetic points of animated, conservative commentary, namely, Merrie Melodies, the greatest story telling ever produced for both silver screen and boob tube, alike.
Plus, I’m severely TV challenged and Obama-deranged, which fortunately, you did not mention. I’m particularly pissed-off at the History Channel these days for their emphasis on monsters, ghosts, UFO’s and Nostradamus-like myth chasing. Besides an occasional movie, the only other show I watch is House, for which there never could be enough episodes, in my deranged opinion.
Oh, and also, there is no “art of politics” or “politics of art.” When the two are mixed, they cease to exist.
January 10th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Do not forget Sarah Cornholer of Sarah Cornole Cornicles. She takes names and keeks booty. All the while being spokesperson for the midwestern game cornhole. Now THAT’s capitalism!
January 10th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
John Wayne…Dirty Harry…
January 10th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
TV Stargate Jack O’Neill is definitely Conservative.
January 10th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Ironically, Ken Osmond, the actor who played Eddie Haskell, is a pretty hard core conservative. He has called into Rush Limbaugh’s show numerous times. He also was a cop for almost 20 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Osmond
January 10th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I take back my harsh words concerning Eddy Haskell out of respect for Mr. Osmond’s service.
January 10th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Hey Vern!
Don’t forget Earnest P. Warroll (Jim Varney)!
Patriot, Capitalist, Entrepreneur, Humanitarian, and every northeast socialist’s/liberal elitest’s/overpaid college (radical) professor’s/anti-American foreigner’s/evolutionary eugenisist’s worst nightmare!
His films didn’t win awards, but they always made money.
And while often corny, he could also be inspirational.
Able to produce more honest laughter in the course of one 30 second TV comercial that Alfrankenlib has been able to claim credit for in his entire career.
Know what I mean?
January 11th, 2009 at 2:09 am
Mr. Mackey - South Park - Part of a group of Republicans who fled to “The Ark” in the hopes of avoiding the aftermath of Obamas victory.
January 11th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Robin Scherbatsky from How I Met Your Mother. I’m not sure about her politics in general, but she owns and shoots guns - and fears that her Manhattan-lib friends might find that out.
January 11th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. While it’s true she had problems with guns, she was completely duty-struck and I don’t believe it ever actually occurred to her to consider that maybe, just maybe vampires and demons had a right to their own opinions and maybe eating people was just a valid alternative lifestyle. The character was definitely a conservative, and I have read that Sarah Michelle Geller is a republican.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:42 am
If you’re willing to overlook a little polygamy (and who isn’t, btw?), then many of the characters on Big Love: Bill Henrickson, Roman Grant, Don Embry, etc.
January 12th, 2009 at 2:47 am
Kinda breaking out of the TV realm, but I think he deserves a mention: John McClane from Diehard. The man could kill more terrorists in 6 hours than Bauer could in 24 hours.
January 12th, 2009 at 11:05 am
What about William Shatners character on Boston Legal. The show was unabashedly liberal and his character was meant to be a lampooning of conservatism. I watched the show just for his gun toting character.
January 12th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
[...] IMAO ON Conservative Characters on TV; Conservatives in Hollywood …. [...]
January 12th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
regarding comment = TV Stargate Jack O’Neill is definitely Conservative.
….remember the same guy played McGuiver and this mullet headed idiot was anti gun!
January 12th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
All the characters on JAG.
The Rifleman
Gun Smoke - any episode, any character.
Big Valley NOT!!!!! Too touchy feely.
January 12th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Elliot Reed from Scrubs
January 12th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
With one or two preachy-writer exceptions, Captain Sisko was pretty strongly conservative in many ways - understood that war could be necessary, and needed to be won even if it meant getting your hands dirty; strong family man; upholds democratic institutions and the chain of command; practical and amenable to less-than-ideal solutions if they’re workable. C’mon, dude rendered a planet uninhabitable because he was pissed off at Eddington - any liberal gonna do that?
January 13th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Larry the Cable Guy
January 13th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
On Firefly:
Mal- libertarian
Zoe- libertarian
Jayne- Super conservative
Inara- I’m gonna go with centrist. Yes, she’s a prostitute, but she’s also a lot like Mal
Wash- Far left
Simon- Northeast snoody lefty
Kaylee- Left of center, nearly apolitical
Book- Left of center
River- Apolitical