B&B's Alley Mills @ The Republican Debate?

[stenbeck212]

I don't think my eyes deceived me. Mike Huckabee was running his mouth, and all of a sudden there's Pam Douglas in the audience, with her lips pursed like she was about to slap Donna into next week.

[juppiter]

But Mrs. Arnold voted for McGovern!

[DaytimeFan]

Oh Pammie...

[Southofnowhere]

There's a few Republican folk in Hollyweird!

[Cat]

Not too surprising. Schwarzenegger is Republican governor for California so somebody over there must have voted for him.

Plus I would imagine that William J. Bell might have voted Republican in his day.

[sheilaforever]

LOL - that's putting it mildly.

When people are talking about "religious right" I always picture the Bell family. I never heard any of the Bells oust politicial views but some of their stories tell enough: abortion, gays, religious references and so on.

As for Alley Mills: She's that great an actress I'd even forgive her if she were the main cookie baker and lemon juice squeezer of the Republican party.

[Cat]

I know, its different strokes for different folks. I mean, my dad is a republican (one of those "fiscally conservative" ones). He's not religious and doesn't really care about abortion and all that stuff. Not all republicans are tub-thumping bible bashers who don't believe in teaching their kids science! (LOL a gross exageration, I know).

As for the Bells, something about WJB and his shows screamed Republican. I do think his writing did try and push the envelope, especially in the 1970s. But maybe the 1970s was just a more progressive era in the US. I don't think he (or Brad Bell) were/are particularly anti-gay but they did like trotting out an Episcopalian minister from time to time. And the Forresters and Abbotts seem like they might have been Reagan Republicans, pretty much. Jack Abbott and Stephanie Forrester especially!

[Southofnowhere]

As far has i know gay people have never been mention let alone see on any of the Bell soaps.

Forrester Creations is the only Fashion company in the world without a single gay employee. Of in there version of LA there's very few Blacks ,Asians or Latino's. So it's just not the gays.

[DaytimeFan]

The Bells ARE Republics...big ones in fact. They've donated a lot of money to the party over the years (http://newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?city=Beverly+Hills&st=CA&last=Bell&first=William) But in their defense I would say that they are Reagan/California style Republicans. I can just picture Lee and Nancy having lunch at the hotel Bel Air. It's probably happened.

Yeah, the shows have always been Republican but I still think they're the absolute best. The shows are conservative in some ways but not in others. Really, we should keep politics out of soaps...it'll just get messy.

[Southofnowhere]

I like things messy! Plus as long as both sides are shown polictics in soaps could make for good stories.

[Kwing42]

Like it is a bad thing to be active in politics.

I wish people would get over the whole stigma with politics and let people vote and support who they want without branding them in a way that is disrespectful and sick.

No matter who you support, at least you care enough to take a stand and vote..that is what it is all about!

[Sylph]

Care to elaborate?

Maria Arena Bell is Republican.

[stenbeck212]

I think Y&R's recent senate race would have been enhanced by assigning parties to Jack and Nikki's campaigns. We know extensive information about their sordid sex lives, but nothing of their political affiliations.

[sheilaforever]

Let's see: Under Bill Bell's pen Ashley Abbott had an abortion and went nutso deluxe. When people on B&B like Brooke or Bridget talked about having an abortion - which of course was NEVER named as such: terminate a pregnancy is such a handy term... - which they eventually didn't have because Brad Bell has proven several times that he would not authorize this. I understand this view and would probably condemn it if an abortion became another plot vehicle like rapes on soaps but there always has been quite a preacher manner.

Same goes for Christian religious references which were quite outspoken till the mid 90s. Not that I care - I'm a Catholic - but I always wondered how this went along with B&B being #1 US show in Arab countries or India.

I do not want to critize the Bell family for their political views, especially since Bill Bell pushed as one of the first for race diversity on TV and regardless of how white-washed B&B often is Brad Bell would do the same IMO if B&B had larger scale of characters. I do not share their political views to some extent but Cat put it wonderfully in her post above. It's a democracy and there is free speech.

Yet this why I always pictured the Bells as the perfect Republican family. Unlike the McCallisters on Brothers & Sisters.

[Sylph]

I love your posts, sheilafan! Thank you!