How accurate is the issues in House of Cards to real life with Congress?
In other words, with how Frank gets people to vote for his cause, how Remy buys people, and how Jacky is a backstabber is related to how 'Washington' is?
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5Considering your question is a rewording of "how susceptible to the Machiavellian enterprise of a charismatic individual is Congress", I have a strong feeling your question is going to need re-specifying or be shot down pretty quickly. This is either going to yield an incredibly well researched histo-political answer, or a bunch of very vague opinions!– John Smith OptionalCommented Mar 26, 2014 at 22:41
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While not an answer, to me the show seems to be an amalgamation of what the political scene is in DC. Although, I live in this area and don't hear about people suddenly falling in front of a Metro train or congressmen committing suicide, so take it for what you will.– Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2Commented Mar 26, 2014 at 23:07
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1 Answer
In this appearance on The Daily Show (written up here) Kevin Spacey describes how in preparation for his role of Frank Underwood in the Netflix series, Spacey said he followed both House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who even invited the Hollywood star to a whip meeting...
“It feels like you’re watching performance art, a lot of the time,” Spacey said. “I don’t believe them. I don’t believe what they say. I don’t think they’re being absolutely sincere. I think it’s performance art. And most of them are bad actors.”
Regarding the politicians, host Jon Stewart asked, “Do you think it was a performance for your benefit or are they lying to themselves and each other?”
“I think often the delusion is very deep. It runs very deep,” Spacey said. “Except for the ones that know they’re full of s—-.”
Stewart asks if certain plot lines of the show, such as murder, go further than reality -- and Spacey pointed out that some DC players have indeed been accused of murder, if not convicted of it.
My opinion, as a long-time observer of politics and occasional political volunteer, is House of Cards is more truth than it is fiction. Of course, I might be jaded... I live in town with a former congressman who was brazen enough to write his bribe prices on his Congressional stationery.
