The Kirstie Alley Trump endorsement reminds me that her character Rebecca Howe was very corporate 1980s Republican compared to Shelley Long’s Diane Chambers, who was a limousine liberal Democrat.

Diane was overly intellectual and clueless at times but she had a good heart. That’s kind of why I stick with the Democrats even when they infuriate me.

The brilliant “Boys in the Bar” episode has Diane standing up against the regulars’ homophobia. My favorite moment is when Sam refuses to throw out customers who are believed to be gay even if it means losing most of his other customers.

“This won’t be the kind of bar I throw people out of.”

Followed by Diane’s “That’s the noblest preposition you’ve ever dangled.”

Despite their flaws, I knew that Sam and Diane were good people.

Rebecca Howe wasn’t a good person. She could be funnier at times that Diane, and Alley’s comedic timing was gold. But the writers, perhaps deliberately, never had her caring about anyone but herself ... very 1980s.

Norm, in an early episode, sacrificed his career to defend Diane from his boss, who tried to assault her.

It is hard to imagine Rebecca making similar moral choices as Norm and Sam.

And perhaps that was an anti-feminist depiction of Rebecca. Though Lilith was a career woman and depicted more sympathetically.

During the 8th season, Rebecca dated corporate tycoon Robin Colcord. He’s far more sinister a romantic antagonist than Frasier was with Diane and Sam. He’s also clearly modeled on Donald Trump.

Like, Frasier was intended as the “right” partner for Diane, but she loved Sam, deep down. However, Frasier was a good man. Colcord wasn’t.

Roger Rees is impossible not to like. So he made Colcord a more dynamic, compelling character than a more literal Trump character. The accent also helped.