Great Presidents of Political Fiction: What’s the Formula?

The presidency has been a favorite subject of political fiction writers since the 19th Century when Washington Irving wrote a satirical portrayal of a larger-than-life President George Washington in “A History of New York.”

I hope I didn’t trigger traumatic flashbacks of high school; I did not mention the author of “The Legend of Sleep Hollow” to conjure images in your head of your much-hated 9th-grade English teacher (especially if it was me). Mr. Irving is, in fact, part of the foundations of America’s mystical obsession with finding the perfect commander-in-chief.

Also, an equally popular contemporary to Irving – James Fenimore Cooper – seemed to write the first prequel about the American Presidency with his 1821 novel The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground, in which the fictional Harvey Birch interacts with General George Washington in the story a decades before he swore an oath to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Cooper’s novel was published two decades after Washington’s death.

Incidentally, Washington Irving is also the source of the contention that George Washington added the phrase “so help me God” to the end of the Presidential oath even though it does not appear in the Constitution. Apochraphal or factual, it’s a tradition that has continued to this day.

Now, for some of you, you watch, not read, your political fiction. Stick with me here. The payoff is coming.

With the 2024 Presidential Election (for now) appearing to be a settled question of the two major party nominees, Americans are expressing quite loudly across party lines that they are dissatisfied with the rematch of Biden vs. Trump. My theory is that Americans are hungry for a once-in-a-generation, larger-than-life President. Neither Biden nor Trump embody the essential qualities of such a hero or heroine. However, the high stakes of a world creeping towards crisis means sooner or later a true world leader will emerge to become President or America may yield its exceptional superpower status.

What makes a mighty President like the ones in our political fiction? Let’s explore, shall we?

Elements of the Perfect Presidency in Fiction

Making the RIght Call, Nearly Every Time

Dramatic political fiction like The West Wing, The Diplomat, Tom Clancy, Allen Drury, and Madam Secretary put the President of the United States often in the hot seat to make the right call during a crisis. Among the best examples of model Presidents – Jed Bartlet, Elizabeth McCord, Conrad Dalton, James Marshall, or Jack Ryan – nearly every time he or she makes the right call. This means the gold standard of political leadership is brilliant discernment under pressure.

Strength, Unwavering Moral Compass, and Plenty of Courage

Perhaps what has been lacking for decades among our Presidential candidates and victors is the right combination of physical strength, moral fortitude, and courage in spades. Perhaps we have had candidates and Presidents with plenty of one but weak in the other two. Ronald Reagan might be the last two-term President to have all three. A case could easily be made that Clinton lacked a moral compass. Barack Obama had courage and a strong moral compass, but he split hairs and backed down in tough fights like Syria and with the Tea Party movement. It’s obvious where Trump is lacking, and the same goes for Biden. The best examples from political fiction of a President with the holy trinity of physical strength, a moral compass with fortitude, and plenty of courage are James Marshall of Air Force, One, Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy, Andrew Shepherd of The American President, Dave Kovic in Dave, and Elizabeth McCord of Madam Secretary. These Presidents are the gold standard for having this political trinity.

Right Decision Over Political Calculus

I can tell you that in politics, you are faced daily with choices that test your ability to remain in the favor of your constituents. Unfortunately, the right choice is not always evident or right is in the eye of the beholder. In political fiction, our most loved Presidents usually damn the political calculus eventually, but rarely from the start. It is normally the climax of the story that the ideal President arrives at the right choice regardless of the political consequences. Some of the perfect examples of this are Andrew Shepherd in The American President, Tom Beck in Deep Impact, Jackson Evans in The Contender, Conrad Dalton in Madam Secretary, William Rayburn in The Diplomat, and Jed Bartlet in The West Wing.

Incredible Leadership

Everyone knows incredible leadership when they see it. The Presidency in real life requires an inhuman standard of exceptionalism. In political fiction, the bar is even higher. In political fiction, the President rarely has to navigate all the hats that the real-world President does – head of state, head of government, head of their party, world leader, endless compassion, evident faith, and powerful communication abilities. Frank Underwood was masterful at faking these for most of seasons 1 and 2 of House of Cards before his cards fell in on him. Jed Bartlet certainly mastered most of these across seven seasons. Elizabeth McCord demonstrated these qualities as Secretary of State to land her in the White House. The same qualities could be said for Mackenzie Allen in Commander in Chief. Perhaps some of the worst examples are Merkin Muffley of Dr. Strangelove, Selina Meyer of Veep, and Janie Orlean in Don’t Look Up to name a few.

Tough as Nails

It’s something particular to American politics that our beloved fictional Presidents are tough as nails. In reality, just a handful were war heroes and remained tough as nails throughout their political careers. It is certainly true that George H.W. Bush was the last war veteran President, though he was not tough as nails as President. Theodore Roosevelt might have been the last tough as nails President while he was President. He was shot in the f*cking chest campaigning for a third term in 1912 afterall and gave the speech for 20 minutes before going to the hospital!

Fictional Presidents who clearly fit the tough as nails cateogry are James Marshall of Air Force One, James Sawyer in White House Down, Allen Trumbull in Angel Has Fallen, Thomas Whitmore in Independence Day, Benjamin Asher in Angel Has Fallen, and Elizabeth McCord in Madam Secretary.

Presidents as Villians or Buffoons

There are a fair number of fictional Presidents who are downright villainous or utter buffoons, which is the antithesis of a mythical President. Rarely in novels but certainly in video games, comic books, graphic novels, and television, writers love to show us the buffoon President. Novels love to use the villain, President, however. If you care to jump into the water of villains or buffoon Presidents from fiction, check out Selina Meyer in Veep, Mellie Grant in Scandal, all the Presidents in My Fellow Americans, Eagle Cole in Welcome to Mooseport, Merkin Muffley in Dr. Strangelove, Alan Richmond in Absolute Power, Edward Bennett in Clear and Present Danger, and my own Russell Warner in What It Takes to Kill a Bull Moose.

Top Competitors for Mightiest President 2024

At the date of publication of this post, we are just three weeks from revealing the full bracket for the Mightiest President in Fiction 2024. Based on the qualities above, here are the Top 16:

1. Jed Bartlet, The West Wing
2. James Marshall, Air Force One
3. Elizabeth McCord, Madam Secretary
4. Dave Kovic, Dave
5. William Rayburn, The Diplomat
6. Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy Novels
7. Frank Underwood, House of Cards
8. Andrew Shepherd, The American President
9. Tom Kirkland, Designated Survivor
10. Matthew Santos, The West Wing
11. Dewey Haik, It Can’t Happen Here
12. Selina Meyer, Veep
13. Benjamin Asher, London Has Fallen
14. Allen Trumbull, Angel Has Fallen
15. Charlotte Field, The Long Shot
16. Merkin Muffley, Dr. Strangelove