Do U.S. presidential elections simply come down to who's most likeable?

[sean miguel]

Not that that would be some great revelation but does it all boil down to charisma and who you'd rather have a beer with? With human beings being shallow for the most part, it wouldn't surprise me.

I'm going to go back as far as my memory but it seems the case.

Bill Clinton vs. Bush Sr. - Clinton
Bill Clinton vs. Bob Dole - Not even close, Clinton

The Robot Al Gore vs. Dubya - W for the win
Herman Munster reporting for duty vs. Bush - the affable texan

Obama vs. the old, crotchety McCain - young, hip, historic wins the day
Obama vs. Romney - Romney was likeable IMO but not enough

The presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton vs. Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, et. al - the more the public sees of Hillary, the less likeable she becomes. Apparently, her poll numbers are dropping in several swing states. I just don't see millennials being enthusiastic over a 67-year-old ill-tempered grandma (because we're shallow like that). Not that they'll break for the GOP candidate but they'll sit this one out. I don't see the independents going for Hillary either.

 

[Jack Davenport]

It's who you would rather have a beer with. Think about how bad Gore and Kerry must have been that GWB had given up drinking.

 

[pool_hustler]

The presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton vs. Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, et. al - the more the public sees of Hillary, the less likeable she becomes.

I agree, although actually I've never found her particularly likable, even though I voted for her husband twice (and came to disrespect him after the fact).

I just don't see millennials being enthusiastic over a 67-year-old ill-tempered grandma

I'm not feeling all that much love for her among my baby boomer Democrat compatriots either. Nothing like the kind of enthusiasm we felt for her husband, and Obama.

I don't see the independents going for Hillary either.

Just depends on how far right the republican nominee is. If the GOP is wise and chooses a moderate Republican I agree Hillary could get stomped among independents.

 

[Rattrap]

Not that that would be some great revelation but does it all boil down to charisma and who you'd rather have a beer with? With human beings being shallow for the most part, it wouldn't surprise me.

Does it all boil down to charisma? I don't think so - but I'd say you're right that it plays a bigger part than it should. But that's been clear since the first televised presidential debate, when people listening on the radio largely thought Nixon had won, but those watching it on TV largely thought Kennedy had won.

The Robot Al Gore vs. Dubya - W for the win
Herman Munster reporting for duty vs. Bush - the affable texan

Obama vs. the old, crotchety McCain - young, hip, historic wins the day

The presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton vs. Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, et. al - the more the public sees of Hillary, the less likeable she becomes. Apparently, her poll numbers are dropping in several swing states. I just don't see millennials being enthusiastic over a 67-year-old ill-tempered grandma (because we're shallow like that). Not that they'll break for the GOP candidate but they'll sit this one out. I don't see the independents going for Hillary either.

Hillary's the epitome of the worst of the Democratic machine. Problem is, the Republican would-be/candidates are likewise to the Republican machine. Electing any of them will be to our detriment.

 

[GodsEmbryo]

Charisma plays a big part. In Belgian politics charisma and likeability certainly had a big influence during several elections. You can sell anything if it's wrapped in a nice package. Usually the victory of election day is followed by the people's disappointment and surprise once the government returns to it's regular business and the victorious politicians start to push their agenda.

 

[Jagger69]

In a word, yes. Ever since the JFK-Nixon debates, it's all been about a massive marketing machine packaging a candidate and selling him/her to the electorate like he/she was a box of cereal (or, as on the classic cover of Joe McGinnis' 1968 book, a pack of cigarettes). At the end of the day, we want to vote for people we like (although in this year's field I can't say there is anyone I really like....yet). Still plenty of time for the ad machine to sell me that pack of smokes but so far, I'm still glad I quit years ago. Go ahead....light up a Nixon!

 

[georges]

Some people judge presidents by likability, sympathy and approachability, others judge them by their acts, by their unwillingness to thrive to better things, by their efficiency as well as their unfaltering principle of sticking to their constitution and their will to protect their citizens and their allies.

 

[MMMariah]

In the case of W vs Gore Gore won the popular vote but W won by the ol' "it's who you know" deal. If his brother had not been governor of Florida he wouldn't have won. So BC you should recant that statement. I agree Gore is a bore but we wouldn't have had the Iraq war and to me that in and of itself is enough to wish for. But then there's also the bankruptcy reform law W signed that was written by the people it serves most, the banks. The corporate welfare he handed out like halloween candy and we cannot forget the removal of funds for the Dept of Justice to prosecute corporate crimes by 75%. Oh yeah, the removal of funding for the oversight of the offshore drilling which lead to the BP oil spill.

Gore won in 2000 and you should be asking "how bad could W have been if more people voted for Al G than him?"

 

[Jack Davenport]

In the case of W vs Gore Gore won the popular vote but W won by the ol' "it's who you know" deal. If his brother had not been governor of Florida he wouldn't have won. So BC you should recant that statement. I agree Gore is a bore but we wouldn't have had the Iraq war and to me that in and of itself is enough to wish for. But then there's also the bankruptcy reform law W signed that was written by the people it serves most, the banks. The corporate welfare he handed out like halloween candy and we cannot forget the removal of funds for the Dept of Justice to prosecute corporate crimes by 75%. Oh yeah, the removal of funding for the oversight of the offshore drilling which lead to the BP oil spill.

Gore won in 2000 and you should be asking "how bad could W have been if more people voted for Al G than him?"

Bush won Florida. Even the Miami Herald acknowledged that. If Jeb Bush rigged the results for his brother there are a whole lot of repubs that don't like him that would love to see the evidence so they can attack him. As for the other things you posted , you have been running off about that for the past two years.

We heard you the first time .

 

[MMMariah]

Bullshit. Miami Herald Statewide Count of "Undervotes" and "Overvotes" Proves Gore Won by 662

Without counting a single hanging or dimpled chad, Gore won by 662, according to the Miami Herald. The votes below were crystal clear votes as determined by the Herald's accounting firm, BDO Seidman. Under Florida law, all of these ballots should have been counted by election officials on Election Day. Their failure to do so is Official Misconduct, not "Voter Error"!

On November 27, Republican Secretary of State Katherine Harris officially certified George W. Bush as the "winner" in Florida by 537 votes.

Since that date, independent investigations by the media have revealed that many illegal votes were counted - while many legal votes were not.

If the votes in Florida had been counted by non-partisan election officials in compliance with the law, Gore would have won Florida.
George W. Bush, his brother Governor Jeb Bush, Secretary of State Katherine Harris, a partisan Republican majority on the U.S. Supreme Court did everything in their power to prevent a fair and legal count of the votes.

Categories favoring Gore

Absentee ballots cast statewide by Republican voters following the illegal solicitation of absentee ballots by the Florida Republican Party: 50,000?
Absentee ballots that could not be read by voting machines, but were illegally "duplicated" by county election officials: 10,000 (60% Bush?)
Legal voters who were disenfranchised by Katherine Harris through the criminally inaccurate purge of "felons": 1,100 (90% Gore)
Absentee ballots cast in Seminole and Martin counties by Republican voters following the criminal alteration of defective ballot applications by Republican operatives: 5,000 (99% Bush)
Votes meant for Gore but cast for Buchanan because of the "butterfly ballot" in Palm Beach: 3,000 (100% Gore)
Voters who went to the polls but were unable to cast a vote because of language problems (and no translators) or physical disability: (70% Gore)
Registrations submitted from black colleges but not processed: (90% Gore)
Overseas military ballots that were not legal, but were counted because of massive pressure from the Bush campaign: 680 (71% Bush)
Police checkpoints near black precincts: 0

Categories favoring Bush

Illegal votes by felons: 5,600 (90% Gore?)
Premature network projections for Gore 10 minutes before polls closed in the Panhandle: 10 (60% Bush?)

 

[Supafly]

Just know who stands and votes for which people. The american people or the 2% people

 

[MMMariah]

1 in 10 kids in the US can only count on being fed at school yet an entire party could care less. They want jobs that pay shit so that their supporters (corporations) can make more profits. Their goal is to destroy unions and to get rid of wage requirements and insurance. All of this then they claim to be the party of the people? LMAO

 

[Supafly]

1 in 10 kids in the US can only count on being fed at school yet an entire party could care less. They want jobs that pay shit so that their supporters (corporations) can make more profits. Their goal is to destroy unions and to get rid of wage requirements and insurance. All of this then they claim to be the party of the people? LMAO

The Gas People
The Wall Street People
The Army Contractor People
...

And let's not forget:

 

[BCT]

Whoever teh rich want is who will get in, period.

 

[bobjustbob]

Why didn't you post the link to Democrats.com where you cherry picked your supposed facts. Here we can read all about the supposed racial discrimination allegations. I guess those road blocks to the polls worked better in Gore's home state.

 

[Supafly]

Why didn't you post the link to Democrats.com where you cherry picked your supposed facts. Here we can read all about the supposed racial discrimination allegations. I guess those road blocks to the polls worked better in Gore's home state.

Unless the USA starts growing up, there is just this one alternative, is it?

 

[Rey C.]

The presumptive Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton vs. Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, et. al - the more the public sees of Hillary, the less likeable she becomes.

I agree, although actually I've never found her particularly likable, even though I voted for her husband twice (and came to disrespect him after the fact).

I just don't see millennials being enthusiastic over a 67-year-old ill-tempered grandma

I'm not feeling all that much love for her among my baby boomer Democrat compatriots either. Nothing like the kind of enthusiasm we felt for her husband, and Obama.

I don't see the independents going for Hillary either.

Just depends on how far right the republican nominee is. If the GOP is wise and chooses a moderate Republican I agree Hillary could get stomped among independents.

I think you're right. As much as I can't stand Hillary and can't imagine EVER voting for her, the GOP still needs to nominate someone that people outside of Tea Party circles can stomach. It doesn't have to be enthusiastic support. But a vote is a vote.

I just realized that we're talking like Hillary has it wrapped up. But I think, short of some sort of melt down (that the pop media can't help her cover up or explain away), the Dem nomination is hers to lose.

As far as the question in the OP, yes, I think it does have a LOT to do with likeability. It pains me to say it, but H. L. Mencken pegged it well in 1880 or so: Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

 

[xfire]

I was hoping that Hillary wouldn't run but so far she's more likable than Cruz, Rubio, or Rand Paul. We'll see, I'm not totally opposed to considering a republican candidate, but it won't take much to put any of them in the permanent "fuck you" category.

 

[D-rock]

It might be more accurate to say it comes down to whom people find least dislikeable. Except for some nut cases or people on the extreme end of the spectrum I rarely find people that actually like any candidate with a realistic chance to win.

 

[MMMariah]

I think that a LOT of republicans vote against the democrats more than they vote for their candidate.