Palmer for President
First, Republican presidential wannabe Tom Tancredo told America that when the terrorists strike, "I'm looking for Jack Bauer," a reference to the federal agent and torture enthusiast portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland on TV's 24. Now, Dennis Haysbert, the actor who portrayed President David Palmer on several seasons of the hit show, is taking partial credit for the phenomenon known as Barack Obama. From CNN's account:
"If anything, my portrayal of David Palmer, I think, may have helped open the eyes of the American people," said the actor, who has contributed $2,300 to the Illinois Democrat's presidential campaign.
"And I mean the American people from across the board—from the poorest to the richest, every color and creed, every religious base—to prove the possibility there could be an African-American president, a female president, any type of president that puts the people first," he said Tuesday.
Culture matters, no doubt about it. So what about President Tom Beck, expertly portrayed by the great Morgan Freeman in the asteroid epic Deep Impact? (I retain no memory of the president's color or creed in the related Bruce Willis classic Armageddon.) And I suppose this means that Geena Davis's turn on Commander in Chief wasn't enough to save Hillary Clinton's floundering campaign.
As usual, The Onion was there first.
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Agreed. Personally, my vote for expert portrayal of a black President was Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact, but that might just be because I find Dennis Haysbert's voice to be incredibly annoying. Whatever, I guess.
Deep Impact: "epic"
Armageddon: "classic"
I don't think I'd be quite so generous.
I knew David Palmer. I served with David Palmer. David Palmer was a friend of mine. Senator Barack Obama is no Devid Palmer.
To be fair Morgan Freeman has a voice that seems to radiate authority and wisdom. March of the Penguins would have been a flop were it not for Morgan Freeman's voiceover.
Everybody remember President Palmer's wife Sherry? Michelle is gonna make her look like a patriotic sweetheart.
I think I would have appreciated Dennis Haysbert's portrayal of the president if he yelled on the phone, "I say fuck you Jobu! I do it myself."
If 24 taught us anything, it's that Roy Obama will be President in 2016.
24 is so unrealistic. Two of the seasons were about conspiracies to use WMD hoaxes as pretexts for war in places with lots of oil. Yeah, like that would ever happen in the US.
Actually I think that it was Penn Jillette who first stated this publicly. He said it last February on his crackle.com vlog.
I've never watched an episode of 24. Just never seemed all that interesting to me.
I don't watch 24 so forgive my ignorance. But, isn't that the dude from the All-State Commercials?
Wouldn't Haysbert's character on The Unit tend to be more of a McCain supporter?
Come on, Dennis, stay in character.
By the way, in the next season (which was delayed an entire year by the screenwriters' strike), the new President is a woman, which is deliciously ironic.
BTW, it's Geena, not Gina.
Yes.
And that Onion article was genius. Even mentioned "Tiny" Lister in The Fifth Element.
Forget President Palmer... We need to figure out a way to get Kim Bauer involved in the '08 election campaign, even if it means chaining her out in the woods to attract mountain lions.
Even mentioned "Tiny" Lister in The Fifth Element.
Who, I'd say, beats both Freeman and Haysbert for "awesome" Black president portrayal.
Kevin Kline would be a terrible president. He was all extra-stupid lefty in his president movie. Now, if he ran as Otto, well, I'd say the WOT would be over very, very quickly. As would the war with Vietnam.
Actually I think that it was Penn Jillette who first stated this publicly.
Penn Jillette is the image I imagine when I think of the Systems Administrators down in the server ranch.
Love the Jack Bauer ringtones ad in the banner.
Can we get the ahtiesm chick on the right margin back?
What about the Asian chick dating ad?
Bruce Willace movies have a thing for black presidents...
I think someone is forgetting the movie 5th element.
jc,
Sometimes you can be so 27 min. behind 🙂
JLM, based on Root's non-moronic prose, I'd say he was being tongue in cheek with those pithy movie descriptions. Or else, he's channeling Walter Monheit?.
Never saw a second of 24. Never saw Deep Impact.
Did see Idiocracy. That was my tv/movie prep for black-guy-as-POTUS.
Doesn't anyone remember when James Earl Jones was The Man?
Elemenope,
I agree that Devo was possibly the best black president EVER! I went to see it with my brothers and all we kept saying during that awful movie was that if Craig would just jump out of a scene somewhere and beat down Devo again everything would be okay. My younger brother does a fantastic Chris Tucker impression and that's all he would say during the movie.
And there's always the political expertise found in tv shows like The West Wing...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KgY6qc18hPA
MP,
I read the book.
President Camacho: Shit. I know shit's bad right now, with all that starving bullshit, and the dust storms, and we are running out of french fries and burrito coverings.
Did anyone else see the porno "Deeper Impact"? I think it had like five black presidents. The cabinet "meetings" were awesome.
NO, BUT THE URKOBOLD PRODUCED A PORN FILM CALLED ARMAGEDDON SOME PUSSY.
IIRC (keeping in mind that it's been ten years since I saw the thing), Beck was an incompetent boob who -- by not ordering, or at least encouraging, evacuations of both coasts for high ground far inland -- allowed a false sense of security that ultimately killed millions of people.
24, never could watch it for 24 minutes, even. zzzzzzzzz
To be fair Morgan Freeman has a voice that seems to radiate authority and wisdom. March of the Penguins would have been a flop were it not for Morgan Freeman's voiceover.
It also would have been a flop were it not for the penguins, too.
The title was, of course, facetious. Zing!
good nice
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