If Barack Obama becomes the first ever African-American President of the United States, we may have one man to thank: actor Dennis Haysbert. At least according to Dennis Haysbert. In a media teleconference earlier this week, the actor credited his role as President David Palmer on the hit show 24 as an influential force in preparing the American people for the possibility of a black Commander in Chief. At first, the idea seems ludicrous: an actor priming the country for one of the most historical elections in history? But then I started to think about it…

Back in 2001, as we were reeling in the wake of September 11th, 24 hit the airwaves, and the world was introduced to the fictitious Senator David Palmer. The embattled politician faced a tumultuous path to the White House fraught with assassination attempts, terrorist cells, bomb scares, bomb blasts, more assassination attempts, filial rape charges, and one crazy, crazy wife. And yet he handled every situation with grace and aplomb. He rarely raised his voice and he always measured each situation carefully, often choosing the moral high ground over convenient solutions. There was something so strong, so unwavering, about Palmer that it was hard not to quietly wish he was our President in real life.

As the seasons bore on, Palmer faced bigger (atomic bombs!) and badder (poison gas!) setbacks but always stuck to his guns, did the right thing, and America was all the better for it. Dammit, President Palmer was the best ever. It seemed, at times, he could do no wrong. Sure, he tended to keep mischievous friends, yes, his VP was a bit treacherous, and clearly hiring his brother to be his Chief of Staff was a bit shortsighted but somehow, through all of these dubious transgressions, we just always loved the guy.

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to meet Dennis Haysbert, and as he towered over me, shaking my hand with the sort of authority that only a man who plays a President on TV can impart, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “He should just BE President.” Sure, he has no political background, but his mere presence as a leader would be enough to soothe everyone’s nerves. Give him a few days to get his footing, and he’d be fine.

But as much as I love President Palmer, can I credit him for paving the way for Obama? Probably not, and mostly because President Palmer isn’t real. Besides, is anyone really sitting around thinking, “You know, if a black guy could handle all the junk that happens on 24, why not roll the dice on Obama?” And if people are thinking that, well, then that’s a whole other problem. Ultimately, it’s a bit presumptuous — verging on insulting — to suggest that we wouldn’t have been able to accept a black President until he was portrayed on TV. Give us a little credit here. Are we that close-minded as a country that we need an escapist action show to open our eyes?

Additionally, for all the good things President Palmer stood for, he also came with a ton of baggage, too. Let’s not forget that his wife, Sherry, nearly caused World War III in season two. Now I’m not saying that Michelle Obama has similarly regrettable agendas up her sleeve, but if we’re supposed to be taking cues from TV, then this does not bode well for her. Let’s face it: Michelle already has enough public relation issues and the last thing she needs is to be compared to Sherry Palmer (RIP). Plus, if there’s anything we’ve learned from Palmer’s reign, it’s that his tenure was pockmarked with possibly the worst run of terrorism we’ve ever seen. Not exactly the sort of legacy Obama’s looking to continue.

The point is, as much as the President Palmer character may have eased the American people into the idea of having a black President, he also threw up plenty of red flags, too. It’s kind of a zero-sum game in the inspiration department. I’m sure Haysbert would love to think he made a difference — at least more than his (oddly-lowish-for-a-celebrity) $2300 in campaign contributions can do — but it seems as though he may have overstated his accomplishments. Perhaps the only thing we can glean from all this is that we’re simply drawn to powerful leaders — whether they’re black, white, fictional, or real. And if they have a superhero like Jack Bauer hanging around, that always helps too.

–Ben Mandelker