97 buick cenetry will not crank

The key to the Buick of that year contains a resistor as part of the security system, but it would not be affected by magnetism.

Having said that, the resistor or key reading device COULD be defective. This happens relatively often, especially in aging cars. If the passkey circuit is not reading the key properly, you will get a no crank situation. Not even a click.

I thought if the resistor in the key failed the power stayed on, you just just got a 'security' light on the dash and it didn't crank?

Since it looses all power, I'd suspect the main power feed from the battery or the ground strap.

Agreed, it does not lose all power. I read that in the OP, but was not sure how to interpret what he was saying. On mine, when the security system is armed, and I try to start the car, the dash lights, etc, go off, but the starter will not click.

If he jumped it directly to the starter, the starter should crank the engine over, if the security system were armed, but it should not start. The security system pulses the fuel injectors simultaneously with cranking (not armed), but if you jumped the starter directly (system armed) , this does not happen, so it should not start.