Is it important for a candidate to be likable? I'm starting to think likability may be the single most important factor in people's mind when they choose who they will vote for for President. I don't think most people do it consciously. It's just that it colors how they feel about the candidates views.
Is this a shallow reason to vote for a candidate? Well, yes, if that's your only reason. But most people have other reasons as well. It has occurred to me that likability does, in fact, influence a president's effectiveness. A likable president will communicate better with the American people, will get along better with Congress, and might be more successful diplomatically, thus influencing foreign policy.
4 comments:
While I'm not sure you can divorce likability from a person, I think that the current president scores high on the "likability" scale, and has been a terrible president (in my opinion) so I sure hope that it isn't the number one thing.
Sigh.
Mimi, not the number one thing that makes a good president, but certainly a key factor that influences a person's decision to vote for a candidate. "Charisma" might be a better word for what I'm talking about. Charisma is certainly a quality of leadership, but is also not the only quality a good leader must have. It might not even be a necessary quality. But I'd say it definitely helps. Do you agree?
In thinking about it, I guess charisma and likability are not exactly synonymous either. I would say while Pres. Bush is very likable, I would not say he has a lot of charisma. Hmmm...
Rosemary,
I know exactly what you're talking about. I learned about this in my political science many years back but a few years ago, when I volunteered to serve on a community voting committee for a local newspaper, nearly everyone there thought Barack Obama was the ideal candidate because he was so "nice". He was good looking (Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder)and so charismatic in that canned speech he gave on TV, that they just loved him.
The funny thing was no one seemed to know much about him. I asked one girl who was a poli-sci major (a senior), "Do you know where he stands on the issues?"
She replied, "I don't care. He's just sooo cute."
This sickens me, because the man is 100% pro-death.
There are many people like this out there.
I think the candidate needs to have a pleasant ambiance and a good rapport with people -- that's important for the job.
I have never met Bill Clinton (and don't care to), but have heard that it was his charisma that got him into office. And, look where that got us.
Jean, I completely agree.
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