If one day you’re feeling down, here’s a possible solution. Gaze over the nose and into the squinted set eyes scowling out of a profile picture of President Zachary Taylor (ladies, substitute his wife). Both of their faces are stuck in a permanent fit of anger.
We’ve had some ugly presidents in the U.S., and technology has created the unfortunate ability to look back at them. John Tyler’s face is boney; Martin Van Buren is a baldheaded Maltese; Andrew Jackson could double for Christopher Walken in “Sleepy Hollow”; and James Buchanan’s attempted faux hawk hopefully represents an artist’s mistake with the brush rather than a fashion choice.
Broadcast television changed all that. Our country’s politicians have become increasingly more attractive over the years, after television appearances became popular. A recent study in the psychology department of Princeton University suggests it’s no coincidence that one of our most charming Commanders in Chief (and not a bad-looking first lady, we might add) sits in office at a time when 1080i seems to be household vernacular.
The study, led by psychologist Alexander Todorov, revealed that subjects only needed 100 milliseconds (one tenth of a second) to form an opinion about the competence of an unfamiliar candidate for a governor’s position in 2006. And, if that isn’t scary enough, nearly 70 percent of the time, that opinion was a correct prediction of the winner for that election.
Now, it’s your turn. Which politician seems more competent? Take a look at each candidate campaigning for a gubernatorial position during the same year and compare your answers to the election results.
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1
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A
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B
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2
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A
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B
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3
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A
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B
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4
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A
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B
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5
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A
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B
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6
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A
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B
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7
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A
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B
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8
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A
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B
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9
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A
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B
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10
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A
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B
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Answers:
1) A, Bill Ritter, beats B, Bob Beauprez, for Colorado.
2) A, Charlie Crist, beats B, Jim Davis, for Florida.
3) A, Jerry Brady, loses to B, C.L. Butch Otter, for Idaho.
4) A, Jim Nussle, loses to B, Chet Culver, for Iowa.
5) A, Jim Bryson, loses to B, Phil Bredesen, for Tennessee.
6) A, Brad Henry, beats B, Ernest Istook, for Oklahoma.
7) A, Robert Ehrlich, loses to B, Martin O’Malley, for Maryland.
8) A, Dave Heineman, beats B, David Hahn, for Nebraska.
9) A, Mike Beebe, beats B, Asa Hutchinson, for Arkansas.
10) A, Ken Blackwell B, Ted Strickland, for Ohio.
While you’re considering your answers, consider the fact that 17 of the 44 U.S. presidents were governors before they took office. How much does appearance really play into determining who runs our country anyways?
