I don't know about you, but I get a little thrill out of seeing a woman in power. Put a woman in command in a movie or TV show, and suddenly, I'm interested — the only reason I watched all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager when I really don't like Star Trek is because of Captain Janeway. (Okay, Seven of Nine helped there, too).

In light of the patriotic holiday that is upon us here in the U.S., the recent news that Fox's 24 is considering having a female president on next season, and of course, the '08 election, I thought I'd highlight some of the most powerful fictional women (or fictional takes on historical women). So here's my list, in no particular order, of women in film and TV (and a book) who have served in the highest (or second-highest) office in the land.

Joan Allen as the Vice Presidential Nominee in The Contender (2000)
Allen is excellent in this movie that brilliantly illustrates the double-standards applied to women in power. As a Senator nominated for the vice presidency, she steadfastly refuses to comment on a photo circulated by enemies in the Republican party that purports to show her engaged in group sex while she was in college, insisting "I just can't respond to these accusations because it's not okay for them to be made."

Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin in the Sci Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica (2004 - today)
With the world as they know it is destroyed, President Roslin and the head of the military (Edward James Olmos) must work together to fight off the evil Cylons, maintain morale, and find a new home. As a former teacher who took over the presidency after everyone else in the line of succession was killed, she rose to the occasion and demonstrated a steely reserve behind the calm and gentle demeanor. Plus, she's kinda hot.

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