This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Due to the recent death of Mary Tyler Moore, I have been re-watching episodes of her television show. Within seconds of Ted Baxter (the buffoon anchor man in the series) making his entrance I realized that he and our current president are unfortunately very much alike. It is chilling to think that such a character could actually exist.
Both men are egomaniacs with a know-it-all persona and bad grammar. Neither one has any social graces, and they both think they are loved by all. The stark difference, of course, is one is a fictional character made up from the wild imagination of a comedy writer. The other is our president living in his own fictional world. And never in our own wild imaginations did we think we would have such a leader.
Ted Baxter is lovable in his caricature and makes us laugh. The other is just laughable. At the end of the infamous "Chuckles" episode, Baxter smugly says that he knows he will never die. Lou Grant, a colleague on the show, retorts "Yes, you will Ted ... and then your body can catch up with your brain!"
Please take the time to indulge in a couple of episodes to see Ted Baxter. You will laugh, you will cry. But the similarities to our president are uncanny.
Nancy Ann Roblez
Salt Lake City