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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: celedhring on November 22, 2020, 03:40:22 AM

Poll
Question: Who has been the worst US President in the world of movies and TV?
Option 1: President Francis J. Underwood (Kevin Spacey -House of Cards) votes: 3
Option 2: President Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman - Absolute Power) votes: 2
Option 3: President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove) votes: 3
Option 4: President James Dale (Jack Nicholson - Mars Attacks) votes: 2
Option 5: President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews - Idiocracy) votes: 0
Option 6: President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart - Olympus Has Fallen) votes: 1
Option 7: President For Life Jack Cahill (Cliff Robertson - Escape from LA) votes: 1
Option 8: Unnamed President (Billy Bob Thornton - Love Actually) votes: 1
Option 9: President William H. Mitchell (real one) (Kevin Kline - Dave) votes: 0
Option 10: President that Kneels Before Zod (E.G. Marshall - Superman II) votes: 0
Option 11: Other (Name him/her) votes: 2
Title: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: celedhring on November 22, 2020, 03:40:22 AM
With the election aftermath drawing on while Trump works strenuosly to strengthen his case for "worst US president" lists, I thought about making a movie poll (I love movie polls!) about the issue. Who's the worst president to ever grace the screen? Only fictional presidents apply, not people playing historic presidents.

If you have another proposal, name him/her. I haven't watched Veep, which I presume could give names for this list...

My vote goes for President Merkin Muffley. There's a lots of reprehensible presidents in the list, but it's hard to argue against a weak president that let himself be led into global armaggedon. His choice of advisors, in particular, was really poor.
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Admiral Yi on November 22, 2020, 04:03:53 AM
The off camera guy in Wag the Dog.

That's a unfair rap on Muffley.  He was a victim of circumstances.
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: The Brain on November 22, 2020, 04:10:15 AM
President Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Simpsons. Because he should have been President Rainier Wolfcastle.
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Eddie Teach on November 22, 2020, 04:15:34 AM
I don't know, but Hugh Grant gets my vote for worst fictional PM.  :P
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: celedhring on November 22, 2020, 05:26:09 AM
Now I'm thinking whether I should have included Charles Lindbergh (as seen in The Plot Against America). He's a historical character, but a fictional president  :hmm:
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Duque de Bragança on November 22, 2020, 01:00:22 PM
No Donald Pleasence because he gets revenge eventually on the Duke of New York?  :hmm:
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: crazy canuck on November 22, 2020, 01:23:32 PM
Quote from: celedhring on November 22, 2020, 05:26:09 AM
Now I'm thinking whether I should have included Charles Lindbergh (as seen in The Plot Against America). He's a historical character, but a fictional president  :hmm:

That actually would have been my vote.  But went for Spacy.  Jack in Mars Attacks is a very close second.
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: celedhring on November 22, 2020, 01:34:30 PM
Quote from: Duque de Bragança on November 22, 2020, 01:00:22 PM
No Donald Pleasence because he gets revenge eventually on the Duke of New York?  :hmm:

I considered him, but he doesn't seem to be a particularly bad guy? He was heading to a peace conference when the movie starts, and that world seems that could use peace conferences.
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Iormlund on November 22, 2020, 02:08:57 PM
Martin Sheen as Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone.

He might even win both threads.
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Sheilbh on November 22, 2020, 03:09:08 PM
Jack in Mars Attacks :wub:
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: grumbler on November 22, 2020, 06:17:48 PM
Quote from: Iormlund on November 22, 2020, 02:08:57 PM
Martin Sheen as Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone.

He might even win both threads.

Stillson was never President.  Things... happened.
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: grumbler on November 22, 2020, 06:19:38 PM
It would have been funny if Kevin Kline's 2 personas from Dave won, but Mitchell wasn't much worse than the average president and Dave wasn't much better than average.
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Duque de Bragança on November 23, 2020, 06:51:25 AM
Quote from: celedhring on November 22, 2020, 01:34:30 PM
Quote from: Duque de Bragança on November 22, 2020, 01:00:22 PM
No Donald Pleasence because he gets revenge eventually on the Duke of New York?  :hmm:

I considered him, but he doesn't seem to be a particularly bad guy? He was heading to a peace conference when the movie starts, and that world seems that could use peace conferences.

I like how he quickly dispatches or rather dismisses the sacrifice of people who saved him.  :P
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: celedhring on November 23, 2020, 11:06:19 AM
Quote from: Duque de Bragança on November 23, 2020, 06:51:25 AM
Quote from: celedhring on November 22, 2020, 01:34:30 PM
Quote from: Duque de Bragança on November 22, 2020, 01:00:22 PM
No Donald Pleasence because he gets revenge eventually on the Duke of New York?  :hmm:

I considered him, but he doesn't seem to be a particularly bad guy? He was heading to a peace conference when the movie starts, and that world seems that could use peace conferences.

I like how he quickly dispatches or rather dismisses the sacrifice of people who saved him.  :P

I felt a bit guilty of chosing the president of Escape from LA to rep the franchise (what an awful film), but that one is a real asshole.

Quote from: grumbler on November 22, 2020, 06:19:38 PM
It would have been funny if Kevin Kline's 2 personas from Dave won, but Mitchell wasn't much worse than the average president and Dave wasn't much better than average.

Well, the real president is a corrupt arsehole while Dave visits poor people and attempts to pass unworkable legislation. So you're probably right.  :P



Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Grey Fox on November 23, 2020, 11:07:50 AM
Thomas Wilson. Let China save the world. Boo!
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Eddie Teach on November 23, 2020, 12:00:00 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on November 23, 2020, 11:07:50 AM
Thomas Wilson. Let China save the world. Boo!

Only fictional Presidents. :unsure:
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Grey Fox on November 23, 2020, 12:01:25 PM
Quote from: Eddie Teach on November 23, 2020, 12:00:00 PM
Quote from: Grey Fox on November 23, 2020, 11:07:50 AM
Thomas Wilson. Let China save the world. Boo!

Only fictional Presidents. :unsure:

Well, he's played by Dany Glover.
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Eddie Teach on November 23, 2020, 12:07:50 PM
Ah, k. Google results were surprisingly dominated by Thomas Woodrow Wilson and not a minor character from a disaster flick.  :lol:
Title: Re: Worst film/TV US President?
Post by: Grey Fox on November 23, 2020, 12:19:02 PM
:lol: