21 Best Movie and Television US Presidents We Wish Were On the Ballot
By I. A. Melton
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18. President Merkin Muffley (Dr. Strangelove)
With a name like Merkin Muffley, you know he must have thick skin. If you don’t know what a Merkin is, it’s the name of the artificial covering used in films to cover the pubic area. Muffley is also a slang word for a women’s private area. President Muffley could be thought of as a weak president, but he’s the only voice of reason. He’s surrounded by warmongers would love nothing more than to drop a bomb on the U.S.S.R. At some point, one of his deranged Generals launches an entire fleet of bombers with nukes. Muffley understands what this could mean for the United States and all humankind. He would rather try to defuse the situation by bringing in the Soviet Ambassador into his War Room to try to explain to a very drunk Soviet President how they are the cusp of all-out nuclear war.
In a world where people just want to the world burn, President is the only one to stand up and ask the right questions of why. When his Generals are trying to convince him to let the bombers nuke the USSR he tells them doing that would be akin to “the greatest mass murderer since Adolf Hitler.” President Muffley might not be the sexiest choice for president, but it’s the guy you want if you want someone who thinks rationally during crises.