Obama, McCain Discuss TV, Movie Picks

John McCain's favorite television commander in chief plays the first black U.S. president.

Just the role Democrat Barack Obama is looking to fill.

"You know, I hope that I and all Americans can be colorblind about any president," the Republican contender said when asked about the similarities between Obama and President Palmer of Fox's "24."

The Arizona senator said he likes Palmer because he "makes tough decisions, he takes charge, he's ready to sacrifice his interest on behalf of the interest of the country."

In separate interviews with Entertainment Weekly, McCain, 71, and Obama, 47, discussed their pop culture picks, films that choked them up as kids and who handles the remote control at their homes. The interviews appear in the issue that hits newsstands Friday.

Obama says he has "some clout" with the remote when he's at home with his wife, Michelle, and their two young daughters.

"I'm not home a lot, so Michelle is usually willing to give it up," the Democratic senator from Illinois said. "The only time I grab for the remote is when a game is on."

He said his television is usually tuned to HGTV, the home and garden cable network, "and I suffer that silently."

McCain said he and his wife, Cindy, compete for command of the tube.

"Sometimes I win the arm wrestling contest, but foolishly she continues to try to assert her control over the remote," McCain said. "This is a battle that will continue for a long time."

They do agree on some shows, McCain said. Their favorites include "Seinfeld" reruns, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The Wire."

Obama said he grew up watching "MASH," while his daughters are fans of the "Hannah Montana" series. "But they can still hang with SpongeBob SquarePants. And I have to say, SpongeBob is pretty funny."

Both candidates' spouses watch "American Idol."

When it comes to the first movies they watched as kids, both candidates got verklempt by the story lines. McCain said Disney's "Bambi" brought him to tears, while the wildlife film "Born Free" caused Obama to choke up.

Obama said he thought the last movie he saw was "Shrek the Third," which came out in May 2007. "Not as good as the original," he said.

McCain said he recently saw the summer blockbuster "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

"I enjoyed that so much," he said. "The old guy wins."