Dennis Haysbert Believes His Role On "24" Helped Obama

Long before Barack Obama became a presidential hopeful, the first African-American U.S. president was already in office on the award-winning TV show "24."

Now Dennis Haysbert, who played that president on "24," likes to believe his portrayal helped pave the way for Obama.

"If anything, my portrayal of David Palmer, I think, may have helped open the eyes of the American people," said the actor, according to the Associated Press.

He added, "And I mean the American people from across the board - from the poorest to the richest, every color and creed, every religious base - to prove the possibility there could be an African-American president, a female president, any type of president that puts the people first."

Palmer always did put the people first on "24." In fact, Palmer made such a good president that people approach Haysbert "every day, almost every hour" and ask him to run for president.

Haysbert recently stopped to eat in a town he called "very wealthy, very white and very Republican" and was again approached.

"I go into this little restaurant with that demographic and a lady comes up to me and says, 'You know, I want to vote for you.'"