Actor Ronald Regan did it. Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger did it. And now former “Law & Order” star Fred Thompson is flirting with a possible run for elected office.
The former Tennessee senator-turned-actor-turned-maybe-presidential candidate won’t be the first star (or the last) to make a go at running for office. In fact, we think there may be some high-qualified actors out there who already have the experience needed to lead our country. And they got it in the movies.
Just think, those who have played president already know how to look, speak and act accordingly — how hard can the rest of the job be?
To satisfy our curiosity, we rated several of our favorite movie presidents to see how they would do in the real White House. Which one would you vote for?
RATING SCALE
* A hanging chad
** Just a pretty face
*** Possibly presidential
**** White House material
ACTOR: Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shepherd
MOVIE: **** “The American President”
CATASTROPHE COPING: * Strong, but a little late to respond to critics who slammed him for his lack of family values. We wouldn’t want him to hesitate in more dire circumstances.
BUDGET: *** With help from his wingman/adviser Martin Sheen (a TV president) and nerdy, number-friendly Michael J. Fox, he can balance it in one term.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: *** He made friends with France’s new leader and impressed him with his French-speaking date (Annette Bening).
ACTOR: Kevin Kline as Dave Kovic acting as President Bill Mitchell
MOVIE: ** “Dave”
CATASTROPHE COPING: * The president’s look-alike stepped in and acted as prez when needed, but he lacks the experience to lead others.
BUDGET: **** He consults his accountant friend for a way to keep a homeless shelter in the budget while killing a slew of unnecessary projects. Sounds about right to us.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: ** With the help of the learned first lady (Sigourney Weaver), he could probably avoid major pitfalls, but we don’t expect him to excel.
ACTOR: Harrison Ford as President James Marshall
MOVIE: ** “Air Force One”
CATASTROPHE COPING: *** He put his family in front of U.S. and world needs when his plane was hijacked. He reneged on his zero-tolerance policy with terrorists in the face of danger.
BUDGET: * Well, he managed to let the priceless Air Force One blow up — not good money management if you ask us.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: * He made a speech about terrorists, got hijacked, allowed a foreign jail to free a rebel and later had him shot. The international community wouldn’t like this.
ACTOR: Michael Keaton as President Mackenzie
MOVIE: * “First Daughter”
CATASTROPHE COPING: *** The dude was very decisive when it came to managing his daughter’s (Katie Holmes) love and campus life. He would act swiftly should anything happen.
BUDGET: *** He wouldn’t take a meeting with his daughter when she came to visit him because he was so focused — this guy knows how to get things done.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: – His complete inability to compromise with his daughter and tendency to be dishonest is a scary thought.
ACTOR: Bill Pullman as President Thomas J. Whitmore
MOVIE: *** “Independence Day”
CATASTROPHE COPING: **** He was victorious against aliens and united not only the U.S., but also the world with an emotionally charged speech. We feel patriotic just thinking about it.
BUDGET: *** He showed the ability to master complex science theories, and we think he could do the same with economic ones.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: ** Again, he showed a spectacular ability to bring cultures together — but can he do it in a time of peace?
