Hail to the Chief

In honor of President’s Day, Entertainment Weekly published their list of the Top 10 Presidents. Even though Lincoln was ranked as the No. 1 President in a recent survey conducted by C-Span and by a group of historians, he didn’t make it on this list.

Why?

Well, this list is different. It’s a list of the Top 10 fictional Presidents — the most beloved leaders of the free world from TV and Movies. As I glanced through the list, I agreed with most of their choices. If some of these people weren’t fictional, I would vote for them in a heartbeat:

• 24’s DAVID PALMER: Palmer, played by Dennis Haysbert, is one of the most universally beloved TV Presidents. I was really mad when they killed him during the fifth season. He was charismatic, demonstrated a take-charge attitude, bravely faced outlandish terror attacks, and inspired loyalty among virtually everyone who worked for him and among viewers of all political parties.

  

• ANDREW SHEPHERD in The American President: Andrew Shepherd, played by Michael Douglas, was a widower and one of the world’s most eligible bachelors. The movie portrays the difficulties of dating while trying to run the country, and Shepherd does it with style and grace.

• JOSIAH ”JED” BARTLET on The West Wing: I didn’t watch this show, but I’ve heard good things about Martin Sheen’s performance as the President. According to EW.com, “President Bartlet was a liberal’s dream chief executive: resolute, popular, and always the smartest guy in the room. (Really, who’s the last real-life president who could speak Latin?) Also, forthright and honest.”

• JACK STANTON in Primary Colors: John Travolta’s Stanton is clearly inspired by Bill Clinton. While Clinton is definitely not on the list of my favorite Presidents, I understand why people loved him. His personality and charm were appealing to many. In this movie, Travolta “gets all the Clintonesque gestures and voice inflections just right, but he also gets the contradictions in his character. His Stanton is a Southern governor with strong charisma and populist empathy, as well as weaknesses for fried foods and women. He’s a fascinatingly flawed man whose campaign poses the question of whether a leader’s personal character should matter more than his political ideals.”

• JAMES MARSHALL in Air Force One: Harrison Ford as the President — do I really need to say more? He single-handedly saved the country and his family while aboard AF1. Who wouldn’t vote for him?

  

• MERKIN MUFFLEY in Dr. Strangelove: Never saw this movie, so here’s an excerpt from what EW.com said about it, “President Muffley is a meek and dovish fellow, precisely the wrong person to be in charge during a nuclear war.” Hmm…don’t think I’ll be voting for him anytime soon.

• LAURA ROSLIN on Battlestar Galactica: Laura Roslin plays the role of reluctant President beautifully. She was the Secretary of Education when the world was attacked and destroyed by Cylons. With all other successors dead, she takes the reigns and tries to save humanity from extinction. And you thought your job was stressful!

• BILL MITCHELL/DAVE KOVIC in Dave: Testing the theory that anybody can be president, Dave Kovic fills in for the President when he suffers a stroke. I’d vote for Dave, but not Bill.

• JACKSON EVANS in The Contender: Evans, is a “salty, Lyndon Johnson-esque” President who enjoys bowling in the White House basement and making backroom deals to advance his agenda.

• JAMES DALE in Mars Attacks! He may not be the most effective commander-in-chief, but he’s one of the funniest. After the Martians destroy Congress, he announces, ”I want the people to know that they still have two out of three branches of the government working for them, and that ain’t bad.”