Who is The President from Fail Safe and what is their importance?

The President is never named, but he is described as tall, slender, and in his late-forties. He has a famous father, and his wealthy family comes from New England. He is married to a stylish, beautiful woman. This reads very much like a thumbnail sketch of John F. Kennedy, who was President when the book was being written. Kennedy was assassinated the year after the publication of Fail-Safe. In the novel, the President is remarkably cool under pressure. He drifts into moments of abstraction, such as staring at his pencil, while he apparently thinks through problems. He has an excellent memory, can make quick decisions, and speaks with authority. At times, the President seems so relaxed to Buck that he looks almost sleepy, even when tensions are high. He has a straightforward manner of assessing people and of offering his ideas to Buck, which often surprises the younger man. The President values long and close friendships, such as with his personal secretary, Johnnie, and with his old school friend, General Black. In negotiations with Khrushchev, the President is candid but knows when to withhold and when to divulge information. During the course of the novel, he must make several extremely difficult decisions. In each case, he first gathers all the information and advice available in the allotted time, and then makes a decision from which he will not be swayed. He sends fighter planes in pursuit of his own bombers with orders to shoot them down. He cooperates with the Russians in trying to destroy the bombers. He explains to the American Ambassador and the Soviet delegate to the U.N. that they both will die in bomb attacks, and he orders his good friend, General Black, to drop nuclear bombs on New York City, even though the families of both Black and the President are in New York. This President is as staunch as they come.