Michael Douglas as President Shepherd in The American President.

With the second debate less than two weeks away, we thought we’d revisit the most inspirational, stirring and commanding speeches from fictional presidents:

THE WEST WING

After a terrorist attack on American soil, President Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen) delivered a moving speech about the “heroes” who raced to the scene to help the injured:

“More than any time in recent history, America’s destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedom and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people’s strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive.

“44 people were killed a couple of hours ago at Kennison State University. Three swimmers from the men’s team were killed and two others are in critical condition. When, after having heard the explosion from their practice facility, they ran into the fire to help get people out. Ran in to the fire.

“The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They’re our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we’re reminded that that capacity may well be limitless.

“This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars.

“God bless their memory, God bless you and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.”

INDEPENDENCE DAY

As a group of fighter pilots prepared for a bloody battle against the aliens hellbent on destroying the human race, the President (played by Bill Pullman) grabbed a speakerphone and delivered one heck of a motivational speech:

“In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in this history of mankind.

“Mankind ... that word should have new meaning for all of us today.

“We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests.

“Perhaps it’s fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom, not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution but from annihilation. We’re fighting for our right to live, to exist.

“And should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice: ‘We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight, we’re going to live on. We’re going to survive.’

“Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!”

AIR FORCE ONE

President James Marshall (played by Harrison Ford) was at a fancy dinner in Russia which was thrown in his honour to thank him for helping remove the self-proclaimed leader of Kazakhstan, General Alexander Radek.

In a bold speech, the President shrugged off the praise he was receiving and issued a stern threat to enemies of democracy:

“I came here tonight to be congratulated. But today when I visited the Red Cross camps, overwhelmed by the flood of refugees fleeing from the horror of Kazakhstan, I realised I don’t deserve to be congratulated. None of us do.

“Let’s speak the truth. And the truth is, we acted too late. Only when our own national security was threatened did we act.

“Radek’s regime murdered over 200,000 men, women and children and we watched it on TV. We let it happen. People were being slaughtered for over a year and we issued economical sanctions and hid behind a rhetoric of diplomacy. How dare we?

“The dead remember. Real peace is not just the absence of conflict, it’s the presence of justice.

“And tonight, I come to you with a pledge to change America’s policy. Never again will I allow our political self-interests to deter us from doing what we know to be morally right. Atrocity and terror are not political weapons and to those who would use them: Your day is over.

“We will never negotiate. We will no longer tolerate and we will no longer be afraid. It’s your turn to be afraid.”

THE WEST WING

Technically Matt Santos (played by Jimmy Smits) wasn’t the President when he delivered this speech, but it’s too good not to include.

The presidential hopeful was speaking at the Democratic National Convention and most expected he was going to announce that he was withdrawing from the race to be the Democratic nominee.

But that didn’t happen:

“You know I’d been hoping to stand here tonight under very different circumstances, and I have been asked by people that I respect to take this opportunity to support one of the other fine candidates who have made this race with me, to help decide who our nominee will be.

“But I can’t do that. I can’t do that because it’s not my place to decide who our nominee should be. That decision is yours and yours alone.

“Now there has been a great deal made about Governor Baker’s decision not to disclose his wife’s minor medical condition. Many people believe that he should have. But I don’t believe Governor Baker failed to disclose it because he was ashamed or embarrassed. I think he didn’t disclose it because we’re the hypocrites, not the Bakers; because we’re all broken, every single one of us, and yet we pretend that we’re not.

“We all live lives of imperfection and yet we cling to this fantasy that there’s this perfect life and that our leaders should embody it. But if we expect our leaders to live on some higher moral plain than the rest of us, well we’re just asking to be deceived.

“Now it’s been suggested to me this week that I should try to buy your support with jobs, and the promise of access. It’s been suggested to me that party unity is more important than your democratic rights as delegates. That’s right it’s not. And you have a decision to make.

“Don’t vote for us because you think we’re perfect. Don’t vote for us because of what we might be able to do for you only. Vote for the person who shares your ideals, your hopes, your dreams. Vote for the person who most embodies what you believe we need to keep our nation strong and free. And when you have done that, you can go back to Seattle, and Boston, to Miami, to Omaha, to Tulsa and Chicago, and Atlanta with your head held high, and say, ‘I am a member of the Democratic Party’.”

THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT

In a fiery speech, President Andrew Shepherd (played by Michael Douglas) addressed the attacks on his character from the Republican presidential hopeful, Senator Bob Rumson (played Richard Dreyfuss).

President Shepherd not only slammed his opponent in the speech, but also defended his girlfriend, Sydney Ellen Wade (played Annette Bening), who had been victimised by the press.

“For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being President of this country was, to a certain extent, about character. And although I’ve not been willing to engage in his attacks on me, I have been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character.

“For the record, yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU, but the more important question is ‘Why aren’t you, Bob?’

“Now this is an organisation whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question, why would a senator, his party’s most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the constitution? Now if you can answer that question, folks, then you’re smarter than I am, because I didn’t understand it until a few hours ago.

“America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You’ve gotta want it bad, ‘cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say, ’You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing centre stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.’

“You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.

“I’ve known Bob Rumson for years. And I’ve been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn’t get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob’s problem isn’t that he doesn’t get it. Bob’s problem is that he can’t sell it!

“We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it.

“He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who’s to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle age, middle class, middle income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family, and American values and character, and you wave an old photo of the President’s girlfriend and you scream about patriotism. You tell them she’s to blame for their lot in life. And you go on television and you call her a whore.

“Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob. She has done nothing but put herself through school, represent the interests of public school teachers, and lobby for the safety of our natural resources. You want a character debate, Bob? You better stick with me, ‘cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.

“I’ve loved two women in my life. I lost one to cancer. And I lost the other ‘cause I was so busy keeping my job, I forgot to do my job. Well, that ends right now.

“Tomorrow morning the White House is sending a bill to Congress for it’s consideration. It’s White House Resolution 455, an energy bill requiring a twenty per cent reduction of the emission of fossil fuels over the next ten years. It is by far the most aggressive stride ever taken in the fight to reverse the effects of global warming.

“The other piece of legislation is the crime bill. As of today, it no longer exists. I’m throwing it out. I’m throwing it out and writing a law that makes sense. You cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and hand guns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I’m gonna convince Americans that I’m right, and I’m gonna get the guns.

“We’ve got serious problems, and we need serious people. And if you want to talk about character, Bob, you’d better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I’ll show up. This a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up.

“My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I AM the President.”