2. President Thomas J. Whitmore - Independence Day
20th Century FoxIn 1996's Independence Day the earth stood still whilst alien spacecraft ominously overlook monuments, waiting for the moment to strike a crippling blow to us. Prior to the final assault on the alien craft Bill Pullman gives what is quite possibly the greatest movie speech of all time: "We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore"..."We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on!" This speech rallying for a united front against a common enemy shows the incredible skill of this President. In the face of almost certain annihilation the President remains calm and formulates a plan of attack. It may not be as recommendable for the President to take part in a military operation in the real world, but it certainly shows dedication to the cause. President Whitmore's oratory skill is almost unparalleled, and in the real world this skill would serve him remarkably well in the campaign for the highest office in the land. In the context of the film he displays perhaps the greatest leadership role in cinematic history; unlike the other entries on this list he was not facing human threats, he was facing extraterrestrials who clearly had Earth outgunned.