Beauty and Politics by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/16/2006 at 11:53 AM

In the article "Democratic Faces That Could Launch Thousands of Votes," the Washington Post reports:

By a combination of luck and design, Democrats seem to be fielding an uncommonly high number of uncommonly good-looking candidates.

The beauty gap between the parties, some on Capitol Hill muse, could even be a factor in who controls Congress after Election Day.

Democratic operatives do not publicly say that they went out of their way this year to recruit candidates with a high hotness quotient. Privately, however, they acknowledge that, as they focused on finding the most dynamic politicians to challenge vulnerable Republicans, it did not escape their notice that some of the most attractive prospects were indeed often quite attractive.

The presence of an image consultant at the writers conference I just attended is evidence of the fact that people continue to base their opinions of others on outward appearance. I remember reading an article about the change in politics that occurred following the advent of television. Instead of voting for candidates based on their credentials and experience as they once had, voters now elected candidates who spoke well, were photogenic and had a congenial manner on screen. It was speculated that homely candidates, such as Abraham Lincoln, would never have been elected in a modern society.

Even Saul, the first king of Israel, was "an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites — a head taller than any of the others." And we know how he worked out as a leader.... David, on the other hand, was a puny kid when he was anointed king. But the Lord gave Samuel this advice: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Though perhaps unrealistic, it would be nice if more voters adopted this same criteria.

HT: Opinion Journal

Beauty and Politics by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin on 10/16/2006 at 11:53 AM

In the article "Democratic Faces That Could Launch Thousands of Votes," the Washington Post reports:

By a combination of luck and design, Democrats seem to be fielding an uncommonly high number of uncommonly good-looking candidates.

The beauty gap between the parties, some on Capitol Hill muse, could even be a factor in who controls Congress after Election Day.

Democratic operatives do not publicly say that they went out of their way this year to recruit candidates with a high hotness quotient. Privately, however, they acknowledge that, as they focused on finding the most dynamic politicians to challenge vulnerable Republicans, it did not escape their notice that some of the most attractive prospects were indeed often quite attractive.

The presence of an image consultant at the writers conference I just attended is evidence of the fact that people continue to base their opinions of others on outward appearance. I remember reading an article about the change in politics that occurred following the advent of television. Instead of voting for candidates based on their credentials and experience as they once had, voters now elected candidates who spoke well, were photogenic and had a congenial manner on screen. It was speculated that homely candidates, such as Abraham Lincoln, would never have been elected in a modern society.

Even Saul, the first king of Israel, was "an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites — a head taller than any of the others." And we know how he worked out as a leader.... David, on the other hand, was a puny kid when he was anointed king. But the Lord gave Samuel this advice: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Though perhaps unrealistic, it would be nice if more voters adopted this same criteria.

HT: Opinion Journal