Picard was far and away the closest captain to a real navy captain. But Kirk was my favorite, and I think the best for the mission. If I were sending out a ship to explore the galaxy and a misstep might mean the end of the human race, I would want a Captain Kirk. I will amplify that while William Shatner is usually who comes to mind, and this question applies only to the TV series, I think the latest incarnation with Chris Pine is perfect. Military enough, regulation enough to be a squared-away naval officer, tempered by failure with humility, with the intuition, panache, and wacked out crazy creativity you need when an alien you never suspected is about to wipe out humanity. So for me, it's Kirk all the way, both TV and in the latest movie series.
