So I have to wonder if the strong portrayal of President David Palmer by Dennis Haysbert in the hit series 24 helped Presidential Hopeful Obama in the American mindscape. President Palmer was the ideal man for the job for most Americans. Lets look at his qualifications:

• Tall
• Attractive (don’t kid yourself – these matter)
• “Presidential Presence”
• Compassionate enough to wrestle with weighty decisions of life and death
• Yet still has the balls to take the fight to our enemies and authorize whatever-is-necessary Bauer to kick ass

I believe this mix of strength and compassion is what most people crave in a leader. After 3 Seasons, Dennis Haysbert secured the idea of a Black American as a great President and got himself his own show (the Unit).

Ironically this coincidental boost for Obama in America’s eyes, was pro-actively attempted and failed by the friends of Hillary Clinton for President with the show -uh, oh yeah- Commander In Chief. I can’t tell you what impact Geena Davis had on the political landscape as not only did I never see it – I had to use google to even remember the name of the show. IMDB then showed me that what I thought I remembered of the show (from commercials) was actually the female VP from Air Force One. Glenn Close might be Genna Davis’ senior by 9 years but she exuded that same mix of strength and compassion, while Genna’s unconvincing performance led to a flopped series.