Every four years as Americans ready themselves to take to the polls and vote for president, politics seeps into popular culture. Not surprisingly, political storylines have taken over our TV screens. These politically themed series and performances feature prominently in this year’s Emmy nominations. Take a look at 10 such Emmy contenders and let us know whether you would vote for any of these candidates. VIEW GALLERY
-INSERTS:30-
Beloved sitcom characters ran for office in small town elections on both “Modern Family” and “Parks and Recreation.” While Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) was defeated on the former, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) prevailed on the latter. Both actress reaped Emmy bids for their efforts, with Bowen defending her Comedy Supporting Actress title while Poehler tries again for her first win in Comedy Actress.
Poehler’s chief rival is Julia Louis-Dreyfus who plays the title character in “Veep,” which contends for Comedy Series. She reaped her 13th Emmy nomination for her work as the neurotic Selina Meyer, who is one heartbeat away from being leader of the free world.
Epic battles were waged for political supremacy on three Drama Series nominees. On the fantasy show “Game of Thrones,” the citizens of Westeros are embroiled in a campaign for the Iron Throne that makes the 2012 presidential election look like a tea party.
Freshman political thriller “Homeland” stars nominees Claire Danes and Damian Lewis as a CIA operative and returning POW respectively who are swept up in a plot to kill the Vice President.
And Drama Actor nominee Steve Buscemi‘s character Enoch “Nucky” Thompson continues to hold sway over his “Boardwalk Empire.”
RELATED: Emmy voting 101 – How winners are determined
RELATED: Frontrunners beware, upsets are a part of Emmys history
TV Movie/Mini nominee Game Change” picked up 12 bids in all, including acting nods for leads Julianne Moore as 2008 Republican VP nominee Governor Sarah Palin and Woody Harrelson as campaign strategist Steve Schmidt and supporting players Ed Harris as Senator John McCain and Sarah Paulson as adviser Nicolle Wallace.
All of the Variety Series nominees made merry with the political headlines of the day. More people get their daily diet of political news and current affairs from nine-time champ “Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and its Comedy Central leadout “Colbert Report” than from the 24-hour news networks they are satirizing.
The ensemble cast of “Saturday Night Live” shines brightest in an election year, as political players are deftly impersonated and gently mocked. Both Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader owe their supporting comedy nods in part to their portrayal of politicos.
“Real Time with Bill Maher,” pulls no punches in dealing with the week’s events. Fronted by all-time Emmy loser Bill Maher (0 for 27), this talker is once again at the forefront of political debate in what is one of the most divisive election years in recent memory.
OTHER EMMY NEWS:
‘Mad Men,’ ‘American Horror Story’ lead Emmy Award nominations
Emmy Awards: Complete list of nominations
See how you did predicting Emmy Awards nominations
Surprise! Which Emmy nominees did you fail to predict?
Emmy snubs include ‘Parks and Recreation,’ ‘The Good Wife,’ Kelsey Grammer, Jeff Probst
