Jed Bartlet, Martin Sheen's president character on presidents of all-time. He was an undeniably strong and inspiring president once he found his way.
The revolving door of characters on president anyway.
Great: Sam Seaborn
The great Sam Seaborn, brought to life by Rob Lowe, would be an excellent president in the world of The West Wing. He has big political ambitions that end in a way that shoots him away from the politics machine.
By the end of the series, though, Sam is back in the fold. He's not without his fair share of controversies, but he is quite honest, forthright, and exceedingly knowledgeable about his work. That's the kind of leader worth rallying around.
Terrible: Toby Ziegler
Like Sam, Toby Ziegler is a good man with ideas that any istration would find worthwhile. (At least, istrations in a West Wing sort of world.) However, he is completely lacking in charisma.
To be president, one needs a certain amount of connection with people on the issues. It seems superficial, but it really does matter. Toby is just slightly too dull. (It might be something with television characters named Toby.) Not to mention that he's a Yankees fan.
Great: C.J. Cregg
C.J. Cregg does not especially seem to be a character with big political ambitions. As the press secretary-turned-chief of staff, C.J. is not necessarily engaged with executive experience. However, she still proves interested in ri the ranks after some time.
Besides, C.J.'s interest in the presidency has nothing to do with her leadership qualities. She is savvy and honest, but not afraid to stand up for what she believes is right. Even if she has no desire to lead the nation, she'd still be a phenomenal candidate.
Terrible: Will Bailey
Will Bailey's trajectory, on the other hand, seems to imply that executive aspirations are in his future. Unlike C.J., though, Will was a lot harder to root for on The West Wing.
He wouldn't be the worst candidate, but there's also something about him that disrupted a great deal of the show's political momentum. Will Bailey is the kind of character who takes the wind out of one's sails (as opposed to, say, Mrs. Landingham). That kind of guy wouldn't be a great president.
Great: Charlie Young
For all the charisma that people like Will and Toby lack, Charlie makes up for it in abundance. A hard worker, Charlie is also not afraid to allow himself to feel. Too often, presidents come across as unfeeling. That's something Charlie never lacked.
While his career path takes him away from the White House and to law school instead, plenty of presidents started out as lawyers, like Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Richard Nixon. Who's to say that Charlie wouldn't one day follow in their footsteps?
Terrible: Zoey Bartlet
Plenty of Bartlet family could follow in Jed's footsteps and probably do a pretty good job. Abbey is beloved and Liz is whip-smart. Both of them would be excellent candidates. Zoey would not be.
Zoey is a great character; there's no denying that. It's just that she ultimately seemed to be the one least interested in that White House lifestyle. Zoey seems disinterested in notions of herself as president, which might be for the best in preventing presidential lineages.
Great: Josh Lyman
Bradley Whitford's Josh Lyman character is cut from the same cloth as Leo, who would've been a great president if he'd ever set out on that path early enough. Josh, however, is exactly young enough to consider the airs of presidency during the show.
He's undeniably flawed, but he'd also make for a pretty great candidate. Aside from being one of the show's smartest characters, Josh also cared so much. Someone who cares about the work over the title will always make for an excellent president.
Terrible: Arnold Vinick
Arnold Vinick, played by Alan Alda, is the character who comes the closest to winning the presidency of anyone on this list. He lost to Matt Santos by just a handful of electoral college votes!
Vinick would have been an abysmal choice, though. His stances on gun control, gay marriage, and nature protection would be enough to prove that. As bad as Vinick would have been, though, Alda might be a great choice for real life.
Great: Donna Moss
Donna Moss is a supremely underrated character on The West Wing. She's shown to be deft as deft at managing campaigns as she is at helping politicians do their jobs while in office. Who's to say she couldn't do that for herself?
Even though Donna a really smart person, she's not afraid to do things the unconventional way. This shows a tenacity that could help her weather any situation! It's an excellent quality for a president to have.
Terrible: Cliff Calley
Cliff, portrayed on The West Wing by Mark Feuerstein, occupied many different roles on the show, however, fans best him for his seemingly endless lobbyist tactics.
Lobbyists would never make for great presidents. He is a low-impact character, but for the most part, Calley's positions come across a bit superficially. There would always be a stronger candidate to run than him.