Apparently there is room for only one left-wing presidential drama on TV. NBC's long running 'The West Wing' has sunk further in the ratings.

Media Life reports:

The death of “West Wing” star John Spencer did not spark new interest in the long-fading show when it returned last night from a nearly month-long hiatus.

In it first new episode since Spencer’s death in December, “West Wing” tied a season-low with a 1.9 overnight rating among viewers 18-49 last night, 17 percent lower than the 2.3 overnight rating the show had averaged through its first nine episodes of the season.

Six years after a Democratic president was around to make the show meaningful, NBC has kept the show on life support, unwilling to pull the plug.

In order to make the show more relevant and to differentiate it from ABC's 'Commander in Chief,' NBC could make the Republican presidential candidate win the fictional race now ongoing.

The AP reports that the outcome of the campaign is "a secret well protected by the show's producers."

But in order to let the Republican win, the show's writers will have to delete references to the GOP killing puppies and eating children.