1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Best (actor-potrayed) President

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!, Jan 19, 2009.

  1. In honor of the inauguration I submit the following for discussion, consideration:
    Which actor has done the best turn as a President, real (like Paul Giamatti as John Adams or imagined, like Donald Pleasance as the Prez. in Escape from New York.

    My vote, despite my utter disdain for the show goes to Martin Sheen in West Wing.
     
  2. bigpern23

    bigpern23 Well-Known Member

    Michael Douglas did a damn fine job in "The American President."

    "My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I am the President."
     
  3. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    was a great speech...
     
  4. That was a kick-ass speech.
    And a pretty good movie to boot.
     
  5. highlander

    highlander Member

    Here's two obscure votes for real Presidents, though one wasn't the President at the time.
    Ralph Bellamy as FDR in the mini-series "Winds of War" and Tom Berenger as Teddy Roosevelt in the made-for-TV special "The Rough Riders."
     
  6. alleyallen

    alleyallen Guest

    I liked Kevin Kline in Dave as Bill Mitchell. But tops would be Martin Sheen as Jed Bartlett.
     
  7. bigpern23

    bigpern23 Well-Known Member

    President Andrew Shepherd: For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being president of this country was, to a certain extent, about character, and although I have not been willing to engage in his attacks on me, I've been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character.

    For the record: yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU. But the more important question is why aren't you, Bob? Now, this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question: Why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, folks, then you're smarter than I am, because I didn't understand it until a few hours ago.

    America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the "land of the free".

    I've known Bob Rumson for years, and I've been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Bob's problem is that he can't sell it!

    We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character. And wave an old photo of the President's girlfriend and you scream about patriotism and you tell them, she's to blame for their lot in life, and you go on television and you call her a whore.

    Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob. She has done nothing but put herself through school, represent the interests of public school teachers, and lobby for the safety of our natural resources. You want a character debate, Bob? You better stick with me, 'cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.

    I've loved two women in my life. I lost one to cancer, and I lost the other 'cause I was so busy keeping my job I forgot to do my job. Well, that ends right now. Tomorrow morning, the White House is sending a bill to Congress for its consideration. It's White House Resolution 455, an energy bill requiring a 20 percent reduction of the emission of fossil fuels over the next ten years. It is by far the most aggressive stride ever taken in the fight to reverse the effects of global warming.

    The other piece of legislation is the crime bill. As of today, it no longer exists. I'm throwing it out. I'm throwing it out writing a law that makes sense. You cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and handguns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I'm gonna convince Americans that I'm right, and I'm gonna get the guns.

    We've got serious problems, and we need serious people, and if you want to talk about character, Bob, you'd better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I'll show up. This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up. My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I am the President.
     
  8. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    Jack Nicholson in "Mars Attack."

    "I want the people to know that they still have 2 out of 3 branches of the government working for them, and that ain't bad."
     
  9. Gutter

    Gutter Well-Known Member

    Can't disagree with any of this ... Douglas (and Sheen) were outstanding in The American President.

    Kline was also good. Best line in the movie came from Ving: "Dave ... I would have taken a bullet for you."

    Ronny Cox in "Murder at 1600" was feeble, which was the point of the plot I guess. But he did have good lines at the end: "I'm still the President! Seal the corridor!"

    Harrison Ford in "Air Force One" was OK.
     
  10. Mystery_Meat

    Mystery_Meat Guest

    Whoever voiced Richard Nixon's head in a jar in Futurama.

    Do you have what it takes to party with Nixon?
     
  11. Riddick

    Riddick Active Member

    Shepherd easily gets my vote. Great movie and he gave an excellent speech.
    Big Pern, I couldn't agree more with what you highlighted from the speech. Classy!
     
  12. dooley_womack1

    dooley_womack1 Well-Known Member

    Shepherd by a mile. What Kerry needed to be.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page