Our Presidents Are Different: Difference between revisions
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** An 'Armageddon 2001' issue of DC Comics had an alternate-future ''[[Superman]]'' as President of the United States.
*** This would, of course, require a Constitutional amendment, due to Article II. Not because he's an [[Human Aliens|alien]], but because Article II prohibits anyone not born in the United States from holding the presidency. There actually [[Aint No Rule|ain't no rule]] that says the president must be a ''human being'', just a natural-born citizen.
*** Actually, the comic addresses exactly that, and very elegantly so. The Supreme Court rules that the opening of his life-support pod in Kansas counts as "birth" for eligibility effect. Likely they were willing to make that ruling because they just wanted him to be President - after all, [[Rule of Cool|who wouldn't?]] Amusingly, although the writer was apparently unaware of it, by real-world immigration law Superman would have legally counted as a natural-born citizen anyway. A child under five years old of unknown parents, discovered within US jurisdiction, is automatically presumed to have been born within US jurisdiction unless it can be conclusively demonstrated before they reach age 21 that they were born elsewhere.
** Another alternate version of Superman, President Calvin Ennis, is also [[Race Lift| America's first African-American President]]. First appearing in ''[[Final Crisis]]'', he is obviously inspired by former President [[Barack Obama]].
** The ''ultimate'' President Action has to be [[Ronald Reagan]] in the comic series ''[http://www.toonopedia.com/reagan.htm Reagan's Raiders]''. Best described by Don Markstein:
{{quote|The basic idea was to go the 1960s TV cartoon ''Super President'' one better, putting presidential incumbent Ronald Reagan himself, along with several top members of his administration, in red, white and blue costumes like [[Captain America (comics)|Captain America's]] or The Shield's, and sending them out to do superhero work among the rice paddies and sand dunes of America's most hated enemies. This was accomplished by means of a technological marvel invented by a Professor Cashchaser, that gave the Raiders the bodies of young men (and instantly instilled commando training too, apparently).}}
▲** ''Tales from the Bully Pulpit'' has a couple of panels of [[Abraham Lincoln]] telling [[Adolf Hitler]]: "Come on, boy. I'm gonna emancipate your teeth."
* Prez Rickard in DC Comics is that rare kind—a President Teenager.
** Also extremely Personable, and possibly a Messiah figure in the context of the story. Something of a Sue, to be honest.
** While President [[Lex Luthor]] was... well, it's Lex flippin' ''Luthor''. What do you ''think'' he was?
* In some [[Elseworld|versions]] of the [[Marvel Universe]], Steve Rogers (a.k.a [[Captain America (comics)|Captain America]]) has served as President—often as something of a President Action himself. Well, what else did you expect?
** In the core Marvel Universe, Cap was approached to run as a third-party candidate for the presidency in 1980. After considering it, he declined. In a [[What If]] story, however, Cap accepts the nomination and defeats Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter to win the presidency. Rogers is the ultimate President Personable and President Action, as epitomized by both his inspirational inaugural speech ''and'' the fact that he takes off in the middle of it to disarm and capture his would-be assassin! After which:
{{quote|'''Secret Service Agent #1:''' And we're supposed to be guarding ''him''?
'''Secret Service Agent #2:''' Yeah! But just seeing him makes me feel... ''safer'' somehow. }}
* Mad Jim Jaspers of the [[Marvel Universe]] is one of the few non-American President Action-characters (in this, as an Evil Prime Minister Action of the United Kingdom). His [[Reality Warper|Reality Warping]] powers make him one of the most powerful characters in the entire [[The Multiverse|multiverse]], although his Lunacy (as suggested by his name) reduce his effectiveness somewhat.
* In ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'', "[[Only Known by Their Nickname|The Beast]]" is a full-blown President Corrupt (who does resemble Nixon quite a bit). He is mild compared to his replacement Gary Callahan, known as "The Smiler", who is a [[President Evil]] and then some (and who, sans [[Slasher Smile]], looks surprisingly like [[Tony Blair]]). The differences can best be summed up by their usage of the quote "If the president of the United States does it, it can't be a crime." (a reworking of "If the President does it it isn't illegal"; an actual Nixon quote) during their final interviews with Spider—The Beast uses it in black humor, while Callahan says it with utter conviction.
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* Kitty Pryde - of ''[[The X Men]]'' - becomes mayor of Chicago and later President in the alternate continuity of ''[[X-Men: The End]]''.
* In [[Marvel Comics|Marvel's]] [[The New Universe]], the [[Villain with Good Publicity]] Philip Voigt becomes POTUS with the help of his mind-control powers. He probably fits the Action, Scheming and Evil subtypes, at least.
* At other times in The Marvel Universe, the President just happens to be whoever's in office at the time, with varying degrees of any of the above-mentioned stereotypes. In Uncanny X-Men alone, we see [[Jimmy Carter]] (during the Dark Phoenix Saga), [[Ronald Reagan]] (in follow-on stories to [[Days of Future Past]]),
* The ''[[Squadron Supreme]]'' limited series started with Kyle Richmond, a [[Captain Ersatz]] of [[Batman]], as the President of the United States. After being mind-controlled by an alien being to conquer the Earth, he steps down from power... then [[It Got Worse|things get worse.]]
* In ''[[Superman]]/[[Batman]] Generations'', Hal Jordan becomes President in the 1980s. While in this version of reality Hal never became [[Green Lantern]], he's still a President Action. {{spoiler|After his term ends, he does end up becoming GL in order to fight Sinestro, who is out to kill anyone who wore or was capable of wearing the ring.}}
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* Let's not forget "Tug" Benson, the President Action of ''[[Hot Shots]] Part Deux'' who does things even James Marshall couldn't do, despite being an extreme President Buffoon at the same time.
* The ''[[Star Trek]]'' films have featured a total of two Federation Presidents:
** ''[[Star Trek IV: The
** ''[[Star Trek VI: The
* The President in ''The Sentinel'' is a President Target. The whole film revolves around the hunt for a mole within the secret service who's out to kidnap and possibly kill him.
* In the film ''[[The American President]]'', President Andrew Shepherd (isn't that such a presidential-sounding name?) is President Personable, with a 63% approval rating. The film is about how the widowed president finds love again, so he's a President Romantic and also President Mary Sue. The film was the spiritual predecessor to ''[[The West Wing]]'', which was created by the screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.
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** He's also a President Iron and President [[Jesus]], which isn't surprising since he is a [[Marty Stu]]. To be fair, he's a [[Wish Fulfillment]] character, and Clancy did subvert many of his ideals by the next book (not everything he attempted came to pass). Ryan himself lampshades in a rather [[Genre Savvy]] fashion how odd it is that he is so loved (which actually creeps him out a little), and why most of the time his idealism and reality don't mix. This is probably Ryan being Clancy's [[Meta Guy]] realizing what [[Marty Stu]] Ryan looks like and reminding the audience that his [[Author Avatar]] isn't perfect, either.
** Ed Kealty, in ''Debt of Honor'', is Vice President Playboy and Vice President Strawman. In ''The Teeth of the Tiger'', he's President Invisible, losing the "Vice" and "Playboy" parts, but not "Strawman".
* Tom Kratman's ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150906093041/http://www.webscription.net/chapters/0743471709/0743471709.htm?blurb A State of Disobedience]'' features Wilhelmina Rottemeyer, a [[No Celebrities Were Harmed|thinly veiled pastiche]] that goes past [[President Evil]] / Strawman territory. Read the Teaser for yourself, but don't say you weren't warned.
** To be fair, the author himself has admitted it's not that good a work, even for being his first one.
* Greg Stillson in ''[[The Dead Zone]]'', in the future that the main character witnesses, becomes a religious fundamentalist President Lunatic who ends up starting [[World War III]] ("The missiles are flying! Hallelujah, Hallelujah!")
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** {{spoiler|Voldemort's puppet Pius Thicknesse}} was a Definite Minister Focus Group, since, {{spoiler|being Imperiused, he wasn't even in control of himself}}.
** {{spoiler|Kingsley Shacklebolt, former Auror and member of the Order of the Phoenix}}, became the first true Minister Action after the war, and is also a [[Bald Black Leader Guy|Minister Minority]].
** The Muggle Prime Minister seen at the beginning of the sixth book was Minister Focus Group. His [[Inner Monologue]] was pretty much devoted to "What will the voters think?"
* In the [[Posleen War Series]], there's a couple of them. The president at the start of the series is somewhat of a minor President Strawman, but becomes President Action towards the end of ''When the Devil Dances''. In his [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|CMoA]], he engages (along with his Secret Service and Marine guardians) [[Horde of Alien Locusts|Posleen]] emerging from a lander that came down near a human refugee camp he was visiting. His successor falls into the President Minority (woman) category, with more than a touch of President Strawman, with a strong aversion to using nuclear weapons (not entirely unjustified, given that nukes used by the Chinese didn't do more than delay the PRC's ultimate destruction, while poisoning the land for hundreds of years).
* [[Dave Barry]] promised in ''[[Dave Barry]] Turns 40'' that he would be a President Buffoon if elected:
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* ''[[Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter]]''. One guess as to what kind of president this is.
* The unnamed President in the ''[[Illuminatus]]''-trilogy believes himself to be the President Iron, but in actuality he's straddling the line between President Buffoon and President Lunatic in his incessant drug addiction and willingness to start a nuclear war over a tiny Pacific island possibly going Communist.
** The unnamed General Secretary of the Soviet Union in the ''
** The unnamed Chairman in the ''
* Given that the political side in ''[[Honor Harrington
** Manticore during the series run have had one Queen and three Prime Ministers:
*** Elizabeth III is Queen Iron, due to being [[The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask]] since her teens,
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** And this list may go [[Loads and Loads of Characters|on, and on, and on]]...
* Johnny Gentle, the President of the United States in [[David Foster Wallace]]'s ''[[Infinite Jest]]'', is a former lounge singer and rabid germophobe who campaigns on making for a "neater, tighter America," and founds the [[Fun with Acronyms|Clean US Party]] to get elected. His solution to the supposed dirtiness of America is to blast all the country's waste off the planet; when that proves to be too expensive, he sections off much of New England and Upstate New York as a gigantic toxic waste dump (with gigantic Lucite walls), hands it all over Canada, and forms the [[Fun with Acronyms|Organization of North American Nations]] to make the whole thing work. Definitely a combination of President Buffoon and President Lunatic.
* In the ''[[Carrera's
* In a variant not listed above, the president from ''[[Snow Crash]]'', while technically a President Corrupt, probably ought to rate as a President ''Loser'': he holds office at a time when federal authority has diminished so catastrophically that nearly all of the current United States has been sold off to extraterritorial corporations. Upon meeting him, Y.T. doesn't even have a clue who he is, or care once he tells her.
* Zaphod Beeblebrox was chosen as President of the [[Douglas Adams|Hitchhiker's Guide]] galaxy, specifically ''because'' he's a natural for President Buffoon (with a side order of Playboy, Scheming and Personable), so would distract attention away from anyone holding genuine authority.
* Although a senator rather than a president, Evangel McDowell of the web-novel ''[[Domina]]'' is a President Action. He helps fight off a horde of zombies and organize the survivors.
* ''[[1632]]'' and its sequels have Michael Stearns, who starts out as President of the New
==
* The [[Too Good to Last|woefully short]] show ''[[Commander in Chief]]'' starred Geena Davis as a Minority President (with a side order of President Iron and President Personable), and a very competent one at that. Noteworthy that while her status as the first female President got plenty of mention, in practice her status as the first independent President (i.e. no party affiliation) since George Washington proved more important.
* President Jed Bartlet in ''[[The West Wing]]'' is a President Personable. He's also been accused from some quarters (particularly right-wing) of being a liberal President Strawman, and his staff occasionally view him as a President Sue, but he presents arguably enough well-rounded [[Character Development]], deep-seated character flaws and contrary opinions to avoid falling into this trap.
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* Dunkelzahn of ''Shadowrun'' fame is this trope crossed with [[Our Dragons Are Different]]. Let that sink in a bit. As a great dragon, he was powerful enough to change reality through force of will, but he was keenly interested in humanity, running charities, humanitarian organizations and even a talk show. He eventually ran for ''president'' and got in before dying ten hours later, breaking numerous records including largest president, oldest president, only president born before the Christian era, and shortest presidential term.
==
* John P. Wintergreen, main character of the musical ''[[Of Thee I Sing]]'', presents himself to his party bosses as "nominated by the people, absolutely my own master, and ready to do any dirty work the committee suggests." He becomes something of a President Buffoon once he's elected (with the backing of corrupt political operatives and a campaign based on [[The Power of Love]]). His Vice-President, Throttlebottom, is a non-entity acknowledged by nobody until he reminds them who he is (which he has to do quite often).
* Franklin D. Roosevelt in ''I'd Rather Be Right'' was predominantly a President Personable, trying to think up a way to balance the budget that the Supreme Court wouldn't disallow. He could also dance, unlike the [[Real Life]] FDR but like George M. Cohan (who played him).
* In ''[[Evita]]'' Juan Perón shows certain elements of President Buffoon. In the musical number [[Crowd Song|"A New Argentina"]], he expresses a desire to retire from politics and live the easy life in Paraguay. He is quickly shut down by his scheming wife, Eva, who convinces him to run for president.
==
* In what is '''definitely''' the most utterly insane version on this list, President Michael Wilson in ''[[Metal Wolf Chaos]]'' is a ''completely'' [[Refuge in Audacity|over-the-top]] President Action who spends the game in a heavily-armed [[Humongous Mecha]] yelling [[So Bad It's Good]] one liners and blowing up about half of the United States (and killing ''lots'' of people in the process) in an attempt to rescue the remaining half from his [[Evil Chancellor|Evil Vice President]] (who, of course, is ''also'' in a [[Humongous Mecha]]). Seriously, mere words [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Genl242_ZU8 cannot do this justice].▼
▲* In what is '''definitely''' the most utterly insane version on this list, President Michael Wilson in ''[[Metal Wolf Chaos]]'' is a ''completely'' [[Refuge in Audacity|over-the-top]] President Action who spends the game in a heavily-armed [[Humongous Mecha]] yelling [[So Bad It's Good]] one liners and blowing up about half of the United States (killing ''lots'' of people in the process) in an attempt to rescue the remaining half from his [[Evil Chancellor|Evil Vice President]] (who, of course, is ''also'' in a [[Humongous Mecha]]). Seriously, mere words [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Genl242_ZU8 cannot do this justice].
** '''[[Say My Name|MICHAELLLLL!!!]]'''
*** '''[[Say My Name|RICHAAAAAARD!!!]]'''
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* ''[[Call of Duty: Black Ops|Call of Duty Black Ops]]'''s zombie level that takes place in the Pentagon ("Five") makes [[John F. Kennedy|President Kennedy]] a President Action via the player. As the level can be 4-player co-op, it also allows for a Cuban President Action (Fidel Castro), a Secretary of Defense Action (Robert McNamara), and a Presidential Candidate/Future President Action ([[Richard Nixon]]).
* President Baelheit in [[Baten Kaitos Origins]] is a blatant President Evil despite being a President Personable as well. Despite being the villain for the entirety of the game, {{spoiler|you still can't stop him from being fairly elected because the people of his home continent love him so much.}}
* [[Abraham Lincoln]] in ''[[Code Name S.T.E.A.M.]]'', is the leader of a group of other heroes<ref>[[The Red Badge of Courage|Henry Fleming]], [[Paul Bunyan]], [[Queen Victoria]], [[Peter Pan|Princess Tiger Lily]], [[Tom Sawyer]], [[H.P. Lovecraft|Randolf Carter]], [[Moby Dick|Queequeg]], and the main cast of ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]''</ref> fighting alien invaders with [[Steampunk]] technology. Yeah, it's [[Widget Series|that kind of game]], but not as bad as it sounds.
* Qwark from ''[[Ratchet & Clank]]'' becomes President of the Polaris Galaxy in ''[[Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One]]'', making him technically a President Action type. Unfortunately, he is woefully incompetent as both a hero ''and'' a politician, causing far more trouble for the two eponymous heroes than he prevents; not that this isn't the case when he ''isn't'' President.
== Web Comics ==
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* ''[[Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]]'' has a standard figure for the president of the United States (sometimes in practice representing all humanity). He's an older black guy with glasses, but his personality isn't really set between comics, since they all tell a variety of different stories/jokes, so he can fit various other types aside from President Minority.
▲== Web Original ==
* At one point in ''[[The Spoony Experiment]]'', Dr. Insano is elected president. Three guess as to which one he is. He even lampshades this in his inaugural address:
{{quote|"I even used my real name! You voted for guy named ''Dr. Insano''!!! What the hell is wrong with you people?"}}
* [[Transformers|"Optimus Prime]] for President" returns 145,000 hits on [[Google]]. Like the aforementioned [[Superman]], he's disqualified, having been born on Cybertron, not in the US. Would be counted as President Action (with the [[BFG]] to back it up).
▲== Western Animation ==
* Curiously, ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'' casts [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] in the role of a US President Buffoon—curiously, because they already ''have'' an Arnie parody (Rainer Wolfcastle) who could just as easily have been put in the role to make the same joke and point (and possibly make it in a less-obvious fashion as well).
** It was also odd because while it fits the parody, it doesn't exactly fit the governor we all know and love. A [[Take That]], perhaps? Matt Groening is supposedly a friend of Phil Angelides (who ran against Arnie in 2006).
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* We never see a presidential figure in the [[Danger Mouse]] episode "The Statue Of Liberty Caper" because he is surrounded by Secret Service agents at his Oval Office desk. We can only hear him mumbling which his Service charges translate in government-ese.
{{quote|'''D.M.:''' Thank you, Mr. President...uh, nice to have almost met you!}}
*
* In the continuity of ''[[Miraculous Ladybug]]'', the President of the United States is Camilla Hornbee (an anagram of former First Lady Michelle Obama, whom she vaguely resembles) a President Action who is also the heroine Victory and leader of the United Heroz. Unlike most heroes in this series, her identity is publicly known, as she revealed it as a pledge of honesty during her campaign. Her costume and use of a shield suggests she was intended as a [[Distaff Counterpart]] [[Homage]] to [[Captain America]].
{{reflist}}
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