Our Presidents Are Different: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''If the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.''|President [[Richard Nixon]], [[Real Life]].}}

 

 

==President Scheming==

{{quote|''I am proud to be America's first straight female President.''|President Lisa Simpson, ''[[The Simpsons]]''}}

 

 

==President Playboy==

== Anime and Manga ==

* ''[[The Legend of Koizumi]]'' takes this trope and runs with it, oozing with enough [[Patriotic Fervor]] to give ''[[Metal Wolf Chaos]]'' a run for its money! Pretty much every world leader is a sort of President Action that [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|delegates over games of mahjong.]]

** Unfortunately, his successor George Sairas, meanwhile, is closer to a President Buffoon, but certainly not a funny one: {{spoiler|rather, he's a weak-kneed appeaser of Kira who, predictably, just opens the door for Kira to directly threaten him into working for him}}.

** Before he learns about Joker's real plan he's President Gullible, afterwards he's a President Iron Wannabe who just can't keep up, as his only solution is basically "get bigger guns" {{spoiler|which are not helpful against Martian tripods and pterodactyls, for whatever reason}}.

** In the OVA, his specific orders were to nuke the I-Jin superfortress (before wetting his pants)

** Hell, he once fought a ''tank'' [[Memetic Mutation|with a sword]].

* Averted in ''[[Golgo 13]]'': whenever the US government hires the eponymous assassin, the president is... whichever president was in office at the time the story was written. (The Clinton administration hired him ''twice''.) They're also drawn surprisingly accurately, and portrayed in a fair light. Hell of a change from the [[Eagle Land|usual anime presentation.]]

* [[Meaningful Name|George]] [[Satire|Reitmann]], President of [[One-Letter Name|"A" Country]] from ''[[Mai Chans Daily Life|Mai-Chan's Daily]]''... [[Gorn|WAIT]][[Complete Monster|NO]]--

* [[Gurren Lagann]]'s second half {{spoiler|makes Simon the leader of Kamina City, who rules as Commander-in-Chief Action, of course.}}

** {{spoiler|Rossiu would be President Strawman, not even aware that he's taking his former village leader's tactics down a destructive path, though it's made clear to the audience. Though not a strawman for any real life politics, his defining characteristic is that he's acting out of an ideology completely at odds with the series' themes.}}

* Trun Union President Mission Routh in ''[[The Five Star Stories]]'' has a Grand Slam -- he's a President Personable, President Action, and President Playboy<ref>Apparently, Megara tolerated his relentless skirt-chasing only due to being a [[Artificial Human|Fatima]] and thus a subject to mind control.</ref> to the point of being a President Buffoon sometimes. Fortunately, he has much more responsible friends and allies to bail him out when his escapades turn South.

* The ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' sequel novel ''Frozen Teardrop'', set 22 years after the end of the anime, has Dorothy Catalonia as the Earth Sphere President, with the nickname "The Neo-Titanium Lady", presumably making her a President Iron. However, the Martian President {{spoiler|a brainwashed Relena Peacecraft}} is decidedly a [[President Evil]], considering they apparently ordered the assassination of the previous President {{spoiler|Milliardo Peacecraft, her own brother}}. ''Endless Waltz'' has an unnamed President who doesn't really factor into the plot, but looks kinda like Andy Griffith.

* A portly and [[The Ditz|dimwitted]] Chairman Yajnik in [[Gunnm]]:Last Order, who couldn't even stand straight without [[The Man Behind the Man|his trusty second-in-command]], is a textbook example of a President Buffoon.

 

 

** Then there was that other ''[[What If]]'' in which Cap was really the Red Skull in a [[Body Surf|cloned body]]. And was elected more times than Nixon in ''[[Watchmen]]''. [[President Evil|Given that he's a frickin' Nazi war criminal, do you really have to ask?]]

* 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.

* [[Black Panther]], King of Wakanda in the [[Marvel Universe]], was already King Action by benefit of being a superhero in his original appearances. Over the last several years, he's ascended to King [[Canon Sue]], so thoroughly [[Badass]] that by using simple wrestling moves he can have Heralds of Galactus wincing in pain (though to be fair, he used similar technology Doom used on surfer in the past, but some fans tend to forget that), and defeating Mephisto by willingly ''giving'' him his soul (his soul belongs to the Panther God and he wouldn't let Mephisto take it) .

* ''Zenith'''s Peter St. John is a Government Minister and the secret ruler of the UK, and sits somewhere between President Personable, President Scheming and [[Magnificent Bastard]]. He freely uses [[Mind Control]], [[Telepathy]] and deception to get and stay in power, because he feels only his genius can do a good job of running things. Trouble is, from all appearances, he's ''right''. He's arguably the real "hero" of the story, not [[Super Dickery|Super Dick]] Zenith; He drags Zenith into the [[Superhero]] business and makes him stay despite his whining, he saves the world from Master Man's inner monster, he tricks the Lloigor into {{spoiler|getting trapped in a [[Lotus Eater Machine]] for all eternity}}, etc.

* 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]]), and George H W Bush (in X-Men #1). In a discussion board thread, [[Chris Claremont]], talking about how his new X-Men Forever simultaneously follows on from X-Men #1 yet is set in 2009, essentially said "[[MST3K Mantra|Assume that the gent sitting in the White House was always BarackObama, or perhaps GeorgeWBush, depending on when exactly the story takes place]]." One assumes that this also includes the [[The Great Politics Mess-Up|fact that there was still a Soviet Union in X-Men #1...]]

* 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.}}

* In the current [[DC Universe]], the President is Martin Suarez. A Democrat President Minority who was elected in the 2008 election (as seen in ''DCU Decisions''), but not the same minority as the RW winner.

 

 

* ''[[National Treasure]]: Book of Secrets'' featured a President Personable.

* Merkin Muffley in ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]; or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb'' is either an ineffectual President Personable or a President Buffoon or a President Unscathed (being a thinly disguised satire of [[Real Life]] Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson). Or perhaps all three.

* Billy Bob Thornton's unnamed President in ''[[Love Actually]]'' is a very mild President Corrupt: we never actually see him do anything illegal, but he's certainly a bit of a bullying sleaze who isn't shy about coming on to the Downing Street staffer whom the British Prime Minister has a crush on (making him President Playboy as well).

** On the other hand, David, the film's Prime Minister played by Hugh Grant is a Prime Minister Personable. He later becomes a Prime Minister Iron to an extent, publicly standing up to the President's arrogance -- not because of ideological disagreements (although those certainly didn't help), but because the President made the moves on his girl.

{{quote| '''President Marshall''': Get. Off. My. Plane.}}

* President Thomas Whitmore of ''[[Independence Day]]'' is a President Action who used to be a fighter pilot. He flies an F/A-18 and leads a squadron into the final battle.

{{quote| '''General Grey:''' ''(as the President straps into a flight suit)'' Mr. President, I'd sure like to know what you're doing.<br />

'''President Whitmore:''' I'm a combat pilot, Will. I belong in the air. }}

* President Bill Mitchell from ''Dave'' is President Corrupt. Dave starts off as President Buffoon before working his way up to President Personable.

* The French President in ''[[Banlieue 13|District 13]]'' is a President Corrupt who {{spoiler|thinks nothing of atom-bombing an entire slum just to get rid of the criminals living there.}}

* President Joseph Staton of ''American Dreamz'' is both a President Buffoon and a President Focus Group, but with a twist -- the plot involves him deciding to actually learn about world politics so that he can make some decisions for himself, much to the dismay of his staff.

* President Judson Hammond from the infamous ''Gabriel Over The White House'' embodies almost all the tropes. He starts off as a Strawman Buffoonesque Scheming Corrupt Playboy Personable President until he suffers a car accident and is possessed by Archangel Gabriel and becomes the Iron Action president and thanks to [[Your Mileage May Vary]], also Evil.

** President Obama becomes President Invisible in ''Revenge of The Fallen'' where he never appears but is mentioned as being taken to a bunker for protection.

*** The way that scene is set makes it pretty clear that when they filmed it they intentionally set it up so the voiceover newscast could refer to whomever the President would be when the film was released. Oddly, Michael Bay said he put his name in there as a sort of tribute...except it ends up being that Obama's administration is asking the Autobots to ''leave''.

* The President in ''[[Canadian Bacon]]'' is a total President Focus Group who's trying hard to be a President Personable but gets maneuvered into being a President Scheming by his cabinet. He's a gutless moderate loser (probably a parody of Bill Clinton) whose sleazy aide and [[General Ripper|warmongering general]] persuade him to declare war on Canada.

** Although he's presented as being a lot more likable and sympathetic than his Vice President, who is presented as a Vice President Jerkass (the President even stated he didn't really like him). Also a Vice President Action, given that his preferred method for handling arguments during a National Security Council meeting is to ''hold a full-contact sparring session in the middle of the conference table''. Although he ''does'' by all accounts get his ass kicked.

* 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 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.

* The unnamed President in ''Advise And Consent'' is a President Scheming, although he's one of the nicer versions: he genuinely is interested in doing what he thinks is right for the country. It's just that sometimes that involves breaking the odd metaphorical kneecap.

* In ''[[Salt]]'', both the American President Lewis and the Russian President Matveyev are President Targets.

* ''[[Under Siege]]'' begins with President George HW Bush giving the ship its sendoff, though he does not participate in the main action of the film.

* President Barbara Adams in ''Whoops Apocalypse'' is a President Minority and President Focus Group. British PM Sir Mortimer Chris is a Prime Minister Lunatic (his policies include creating new jobs by pushing employed people off cliffs).

* [[Americathon]]'s Chet Roosevelt is President Personable to an annoying degree. In his speech, he finished saying to the people, "This is the President and I love you." and when he got sworn in, he hugged the Justice of the Peace.

* In a rare instance where President Target is blended with President Iron, ''[[Dreamscape]]'''s president defies his own advisers to pursue nuclear disarmament treaties, spurred on by nightmares about [[World War III]]. Unable to shake his resolve, the [[Big Bad]] resorts to an attempted assassination using the film's dream-penetration technology.

** {{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]].

* 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:

{{quote| I can hear you saying, "Oh yeah, Mr. Smartass? Well, what kind of leader would ''you'' be?" The answer is, I'd be a terrible leader. I'd be such an inadequate leader that within a matter of days the United States would rank significantly below Belize as a world power. But at least I'd try to be an ''interesting'' leader.}}

* In ''Why Not Me?'', Al Franken portrayed himself as a Corrupt President Playboy and [[Adam Westing|much more of a jerk than he really 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 ''[[Illuminatus]]''-trilogy believes himself to be the Premier Iron, but in actuality he's straddling the line between Premier Buffoon and Premier Lunatic in his incessant drug addiction and willingness to start a nuclear war over a tiny Pacific island possibly going Communist.

** The unnamed Chairman in the ''[[Illuminatus]]''-trilogy believes himself to be the Chairman Iron, but in actuality he's straddling the line between Chairman Buffoon and Chairman Lunatic in his incessant drug addiction and willingness to start a nuclear war over a tiny Pacific island possibly going Communist.

** 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,

*** After their next revolution, current President Pritchart is clearly a President Iron, bent on returning Haven back on the right path.

** And this list may go [[Loads and Loads of Characters|on, and on, and on]]...

* 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.

 

== Live Action TV ==

** {{spoiler|Lord President Rassilon}} in "The End of Time" is most definitely President Evil. Saxon pales in comparison.

*** Particularly as {{spoiler|The Master is revealed to have gone mad because of Rassilon's machinations to escape the Time Locked Time War}}.

* President Paul Hollister, played by Beau Bridges in ''~10.5~'', is a President Personable.

* Jim Hacker of ''[[Yes Minister|Yes, Prime Minister]]'' tends to be a Personable Prime Minister Focus Group, easily swayed by his Cabinet Secretary [[The Humphrey|Humphrey Appleby]], although he can develop a very strong Iron streak when he feels his moral integrity is threatened.

** Palmer was also the first black President Minority, at least on a well-known scale. It's mentioned a bit in Season One, but becomes utterly irrelevant (as it should be) after then.

** Palmer had a tendency to stray into President Mary Sue territory occasionally.

** And now President Hassan of [[Hollywood Atlas|Kamistan]] has gotten in on the action, mostly as President Target but now edging into {{spoiler|President Action territory after ''saving Jack Bauer.''}}

* Francis Urquhart in the ''[[House of Cards]]'' trilogy of books and TV serials is a Prime Minister Corrupt.

** Hayes is also a President Iron. This shows most when he confronts {{spoiler|a holographic projection of Anubis}}.

* Randall Winston from ''[[Spin City]]'' is definitely a Buffoon Mayor. The only reason New York City runs is because of [[Hypercompetent Sidekick]] Mike Flaherty.

* ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' segment of ''Shakespeare Retold'' had Katherine as a [[Margaret Thatcher]]-esque Conservative politician who at the end of the show becomes Prime Minister. Presumably, she would be a Prime Minister Iron, although oddly, she also seemed to be slightly Prime Minister Personal.

* In the spinoff of ''[[That's So Raven]]'', ''[[Cory in The House]]'', the eponymous Cory is living in the White House because his father got a job as head chef. The president is President Buffoon and President Minority, as he is Latino.

** In the dystopian future of "Five Years Gone," Nathan Petrelli {{spoiler|in reality, Sylar}} was President Evil, not to mention President Action when he felt like it.

*** In the Volume Four finale, he's President Target, as Sylar, who has gained the power of [[Voluntary Shapeshifting]], plans to kill him and take his place.

* ''[[The Thick of It]]'' has two [[Invisible President|invisible PMs]], at least one of whom is also Unmodified (Tom Davis is pretty obviously [[Gordon Brown]]). The other one went almost totally unmentioned, but given the circumstances, is also more or less Unmodified (for [[Tony Blair]]).

* In an episode of ''[[Time Trax]]'', the time-traveling hero saves the life of an African-American senator whom he knows will one day become a President Minority.

* President Johnny Cyclops in ''Whoops Apocalypse'' is a President Buffoon; a former film star who has actually been lobotomised. The British PM, Kevin Pork, is a Prime Minister Lunatic who believes he's [[Superman]] (probably a dig at [[Harold Macmillan]]'s "Supermac" nickname).

* President John Henry Eden from ''[[Fallout 3]]'' is an uncommon combination of both [[President Evil]] and [[Affably Evil|President Personable]], having an impeccably polite manner and delivering morally uplifting "talks" on his radio station to the people of the Capital Wasteland in the vein of FDR's fireside chats, promising to bring back America's glory days and deliver its inhabitants from despair. Of course, he neglects to mention his ultimate plan for doing this would result in {{spoiler|nearly everyone in the Capital Wasteland dying}}. He also has something of a [[Evil Chancellor|treacherous Second-in-Command]] in the form of Colonel Augustus Autumn who, while not ultimately as sinister, is also much less [[Affably Evil|affable]].

** Colonel Autumn is really more of a Well-Intentioned Extremist. For instance, the reason he is rebelling against President Eden is because he DOESN'T want everyone in the wasteland to die.

* In ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', you have President Shinra, a President Evil before becoming a President Target, and his son Rufus, who is simultaneously a President Evil and a President Action, before becoming an [[The Atoner|atoner]] President [[Magnificent Bastard]].

** ''Technically'' they're only presidents of an electric company. Said electric company basically runs the world, but still.

* ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'' has two characters as examples. The first is a [[President Evil]], Galbadian President Vinzer Deling. The second is Estharian president {{spoiler|Laguna Loire}}, who fits several of the subtropes. He's a subversion of President Buffoon. Prior to his being revealed as the President, the game portrays him as awkward, dimwitted, and reckless. However, he seems to be doing quite well as president. He's also President Action {{spoiler|(You get to control him for several portions in the game, and he wields a machine gun, his theme is even called "The Man With The Machine Gun")}}, he's also a pretty nice guy once you finally meet him, making him President Personable as well. He's also {{spoiler|the main character's father}}.

* President "Screw 'Em All!" Ackerman of ''[[Command and Conquer|Red Alert 3]]'' pretty much epitomizes the concept of President Iron along with President Lunatic/President Evil. His solution to illegal immigration? ''Attack dogs!'' His position on serving special interests? None; he's too busy serving the Commies a steaming platter of ''shame'', with a side order of ''suck it!'' Vote for Ackerman, ''if you want to live.'' His hatred for the Soviets leads him to try and use superweapons (not nukes; they haven't been invented thanks to the eradication of Albert Einstein from the timeline) to obliterate the USSR from a secret base in Mount Rushmore after the rest of the Allies are readying a cease-fire with them, {{spoiler|though he turns out to be right not to trust them.}}. Then again, his militant attitude is due to the fact that {{spoiler|he's a Japanese Cyborg Spy sent to make the Allies more aggressive towards the Soviets.}}

** This game also includes the rare non-American President Action, as the Japanese Emperor personally takes to the field in his [[Humongous Mecha]].

* The unnamed President in ''[[Perfect Dark]]'' is both President Minority (being black) and President Target, with the ''intense'' mission where you sneak aboard Air Force One to save him before the plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, at which point you must rescue him ''again'' and kill the clone the villains made to be more agreeable to their plans. He could also be described as President Suicidal, what with his bizarre habit of running right in front of you when you're firing a submachine gun.

* Two examples in ''[[Guilty Gear]]'': President Gabriel of the [[Floating Continent|floating]] military nation of Zepp, who took power in the successful staging of a coup-d-&Atilde;©tat; and the President of a nation {{spoiler|implied to be a heavily-weakened United States of America}}, who is a young girl and a puppet of [[The Syndicate|The Assassin's Guild]].

* 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.}}

 

 

== Web Original ==

{{quote| "I even used my real name! You voted for guy named ''Dr. Insano''!!! What the hell is wrong with you people?"}}

** His platform includes: building a giant sawblade to cut Canada off at the top and then attach it to Australia, forcing the zombified corpses of political dissidents to fight to the death for his amusement, replacing the entire US population with robots, and turning [[wikipedia:SuicideGirls|the Suicide Girls]] into his own personal harem. Also, Fu Manchu was his running mate. He won by a landslide.

* President Man from ''[[Invader Zim]]'' is [[Cloudcuckoolander|a mix of President Buffoon and President Lunatic]].

** Considering the [[Crapsack World|setting]] of the series, this is probably the best they could hope for.

* The president, for some strange reason in the 1988 [[Mighty Mouse]] episode "Mundane Voyage," is Abraham Lincoln.

* 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.