How accurate is House of Cards? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.
Answer by Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, on Quora:
I will admit that I often spend weekends after each House of Cards season is released binge-watching the show for hours. But I watch it because it is entertaining, not because it reminds me of my day-to-day.
The show is accurate in one way - it portrays the shape of the President's office correctly - but mostly, it is far from what I have experienced in Washington.
The biggest difference is the level of cunning cynicism the show features. I know it may be hard to imagine given how broken and gridlocked our politics truly are, but from the White House to, yes, Congress, the government is filled with hard-working, idealistic public servants working incredibly hard on tough issues, trying to make people's lives better and move the country, and our world, forward.
Some people might have different ideas about what progress looks like, and some are cynical and place their short-term political interests ahead of what is good for our country. But many of them aren't cynical and try hard to do their best. Yes, politics is messy and it can sometimes be dirty; many can do a better job of disagreeing without being disagreeable; and changing our political system in some of the ways the President outlined this February in Illinois would do a lot of good.
But after seven a half years in the White House, I've never felt more confident in our country and the American people. I am hopeful about our future, and sure that despite our challenges, engaging our government remains essential in the journey toward perfecting our union.
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