Washington, Not Exactly a 'House of Cards'?

Many Americans, including President Obama, have become fans of the Netflix series "House of Cards."

The show, starting Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, is the story of the House majority whip who, through many devious machinations, becomes vice president of the United States. The show presents a devastating portrait of the nation's capital in which the major players care only about advancing their careers....

Without question, the show is riveting. The writing is impressive, and the acting is phenomenal. It is difficult to avoid binge-watching one of the most compelling pieces of television in years.

Yet the portrait of politics that "House of Cards" provides viewers is extremely skewed, a vision so devious and so cynical that it neglects the great things that our democratic process and our leaders have produced over time. "Even in a landscape newly populated with cynical-to-downright-nihilistic political shows," wrote an editor for The New York Times, the show "stands out for its unblinking commitment to a singularly dark vision of politics."...