Michael Douglass, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Jack Lemmon, Bill Pullman; all these men have played fictional United States presidents. The presidential characters they’ve portrayed fit a relatively consistent description. I’ll call this profile “The Movie President”.
“The Movie President” is is a man (or Geena Davis) who is eloquent and educated. He is a father figure, usually a family man, and attractive. I mean, who wants the leader of the free world to be an uggo? And obviously Movie President is wonderful with connecting to the American people, is “honest” and has wonderful leadership skills. “Movie President” is a man of the people.
The West Wing’s President Jed Bartlett, played by Martin Sheen, is another fictional president who fits this profile precisely. In The West Wing pilot episode, we only meet the president in the last few minutes of the show. However, it is apparent that he is a perfect Movie President. He shows no political stand. Instead it seems that he rules with an ethical backbone. It is mentioned earlier in the show that President Jed belongs to the Democratic party, but that this does not stop him “from fulfilling his role as a moral leader.” He is a husband who speaks of his wife kindly, a protective grandpa, and he is unpretentious.
While I agree that these movie characters would make good presidents, this is just not reality. In the 21st century, politicians are “career politicians.” Their decisions are usually not made based on the wellbeing of the common people, but instead on how to steal another term. The promises they keep are usually not those made to the voters during election campaigns, but instead the promises made to endorsers and people with the funds to get them elected. People do not lead according to morals and ethics but according to political affiliation and nonsense parties.
I believe that it is possible for present day presidents to make good on their promises to the people (if their promises are realistic and not propaganda) and to be a humanly, successful president. But it will take individuals who are willing to go against the grain.
