Fictional Presidents, Ranked

by The Awl December 4, 2015

by Allie Tollaksen

31. Fitzgerald “Fitz” Thomas Grant III (Tony Goldwyn, “Scandal”)

30. James Dale (Jack Nicholson, “Mars Attacks”)

29. William Haney (Dan Aykroyd, “My Fellow Americans”)

28. Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine, “Madame Secretary”)

27. Real Bill Mitchell — (Kevin Klein, “Dave”)

26. President Staton (Dennis Quaid, “American Dreamz”)

25. James Foster (Mark Harmon, “Chasing Liberty”)

24. Kang (Harry Shearer, “The Simpsons”)

23. President (Donald Pleasance, “Escape from New York”)

22. Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover, “2012”)

21. Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock, “Head of State”)

20. Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”)

19. President Mackenzie (Michael Keaton, “First Daughter”)

18. Standrich Dale Gilchrist (Bill Pullman, “1600 Penn”)

17. President Lindberg (Tom Lister, Jr., “The Fifth Element”)

16. President Devlin (George Clooney, “Spy Kids”)

15. David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert, “24”)

14. Russell Kramer (Jack Lemmon, “My Fellow Americans”)

13. Matt Douglas (James Garner, “My Fellow Americans”)

12. The President (Henry Fonda, “Failsafe”)

11. Leslie McCloud (Polly Bergen, “Kisses for My President”)

10. Josiah Edward “Jed” Bartlet (Martin Sheen, “The West Wing”)

9. Tom Beck (Morgan Freeman, “Deep Impact”)

8. President Guy “Whitey” Corngood (Jay Johnston, “Mr. Show”)

7. Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas, “The American President”)

6. Selena Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”)

5. James Marshall (Harrison Ford, “Air Force 1”)

4. President Camacho (Terry Crews, “Idiocracy”)

3. Fake Bill Mitchell/Dave Kovac (Kevin Kline, “Dave”)

2. Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers, “Dr. Strangelove”)

1. Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman, “Independence Day”)