J. Robert Fowler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

J. Robert (Bob) Fowler was President of the United States in the Tom Clancy novel The Sum of All Fears.

[edit] Book bio

After his predecessor threw the election, Fowler won the presidency with campaign manager Arnie Van Damm. He was later confronted with the nuclear attack on Denver (Baltimore in the film). Believing it was done by Russia, he attempted a retaliation. It was then when Jack Ryan averted the attack by talking on the hot line with the Russian President Nemerov. He received a lot of bad information from NSA Liz Elliot who he was having a relationship with.

A curious twist is that the terrorists behind the attack devise a backup plan in the event of failure. When this indeed happens and they are captured, they put it in the works by implicating the Iranian Ayatollah as responsible for the attack. Fowler is enraged and orders the city of Qom destroyed through a nuclear attack.

After Ryan averts the attack by enforcing the two-man rule, the terrorists accidentally reveal the ruse and that they devised it in order to discredit and shame the U.S. in the eyes of the world. The upshot of this would be that the delicate peace process is destroyed and that the campaign against Israel thereby could continue.

Nearly two days after the incident Fowler broke down, realizing what he almost did. He then resigned, allowing his vice-president to carry out his term.

[edit] Film bio

Fowler again won the presidency with Arnold Van Damm and he was Governor of Ohio. He was a Democrat.

In the film Liz Elliot was wiped out from the film plotline and replaced by NSA Gene Revell. Fowler was more considerate and cautious than in the book. Whilst Fowler was making a speech at the White House Correspondents dinner a bomb was dropped on Chechnya. Fowler was taken to the underground bunker and he was advised to give a heavy response.

Afterwards Fowler was due to visit a football game in Baltimore, he either supported the Ohio team or the Maryland team. A bomb was in the stadium but thanks to Jack Ryan who informed Bill Cabot and they were able to evacuate President Fowler from the stadium before it blew up.

Fowler's motorcade was blown off the road he survived and was airlifted to Air Force One. Whilst on there he went to DEFCON 2, communicated with President Nemerov and planned a counter attack. However just as Fowler was about to launch nuclear weapons, Ryan convinced him not to. He signed a peace treaty with Nemerov. It is not known whether he resigned, he may have served the rest of his term.