Science: Elections Are All About First Impressions
Synopsis of a Scientific American article today, "How to Win an Election: Make a Good First Impression (in Less than 250 Milliseconds)":
A study by Princeton University researchers indicates that most voters make their candidate selections based on first impressions of a candidate's appearance of competence, and that they are forming that impression within the first 1/4th of a second of seeing them.
"All of the action goes on in the first 250 milliseconds of exposure, and then there's not much going on," said one of the researchers.
While the study still doesn't explain how George "I look like a confused monkey" Bush won in 2004 (we know how he won in 2000), it really doesn't bode well for democracy in general. I'm thinking the introduction of a new system is in order.
Looks Competent to Me
I'd sooner vote for this guy.
What would be your ideal system of government?
Comments
Although, not so suitable with still growing populations due to the high tax rates...
Personally, I am voting for a "yellow dog" next year for President. While I would love to see a third party win the White House, that won't happen the way our elections are structured. So, even if the Democrats nominate a yellow dog, "good girl" or "good boy" gets my vote.
Agreed. I vote by the issues, which means I'm almost guaranteed to vote Democrat.
Our current system, as you say, almost precludes the rise of a third party. In the parliamentary system, as I understand it, people vote for parties, not candidates, and each party gets a number of seats in parliament proportional to the number of votes they got. This also forces a degree of compromise between the parties, too, because if none of them get a majority of the seats (which is frequently the case), they have to form coalitions and work together to get things passed. It seems to make a lot of sense to me.
1) I will not vote merely by how a candidate "looks". This country has serious issues to not only address, but DEAL with. I'm tired of candidate lies.
2) Two DemoCRAPS bother me: Obama, who has a arab heritage so soon after 9/11, and is an 8th cousin of Cheney (More government jobs for family?) And Hitlery Clinton, who claims to care about healthcare while saying "Nurses make too much money for their job". Let's not forget she is married to a jerkoff former president who said he could wipe out the national deficit by simply taking away our Social Security. -You think she's a good candidate? -NOT!!!
The United States was founded by a group of people who wanted to escape a queen's oppression, and now everyone suddenly wants one. How stupid.
Girl, you are too funny!
;-)
I'm afraid I'd have to agree with that. In spite of all the time I spend looking over the issues and really trying to listen to what the candidates have to say I put an awful lot of weight on my gut instincts. That's because when I don't listen to them I generally get burned.
Hello Pax.... -I'm dyin' to read your response to my comment....
Good conversation has the ability to create enlightenment.
-Here's your chance to enlighten.
Well, I suspect that most people, even those who look at the issues, end up voting either out of habit or based on some sort of gut feeling. And this is America. Image is everything. That said, I've met Richardson and don't think he looks terribly presidential, but I think he's still my first choice for the job.
Honestly, I hate politics and do my best not to follow it any more closely than I absolutely have to. I have a healthy distrust of anybody who would *want* to be PotUS. And when it comes right down to it, I'll vote for anybody who can get the Republicans out of office. I don't much care for our whole 2-party system, but my experience has been that most (most, mind you, not all) Republicans are either severely misguided or just plain evil.
I like what I've heard about Obama, and considering I was engaged to a Muslim Arab at the height of the 1st Gulf War, I don't give a rat's ass about Obama's heritage. I also hardly think he's in cahoots with Dick Cheney.
I'm still not sure what I think about Hilary, but my only serious qualm with her is how many staunch Dems say they'd refuse to vote for her. Like I said, I just want the Republican assholes outta there!
1) I will not vote merely by how a candidate "looks". This country has serious issues to not only address, but DEAL with. I'm tired of candidate lies.
I imagine that the effect is more pronounced when the issues aren't as clear cut as they usually are in a presidential election. They used gubenatorial candidates for the study, and I don't think party plays as much of a role in those. I imagine it's really strong in primary elections, where the ideological differences between the candidates is really slight.
Two DemoCRAPS bother me: Obama, who has a arab heritage so soon after 9/11
Barack Obama was raised in Indonesia and Hawaii, neither of which are Arabic countries. His father was Kenyan, was raised Muslim, but was a confirmed atheist as an adult. He definitely has a "multi-cultural" background, but he's neither Arabic, nor a Muslim, though I can't say that would rule him out for me, even if he was.
and is an 8th cousin of Cheney (More government jobs for family?)
Almost everyone is an eighth cousin of everyone else. That's ridiculously distant. You and I are probably eighth cousins. At any rate, I doubt this connection has anything to do with Obama's political success, considering these two men are polar opposites of each other, ideologically speaking.
And Hitlery Clinton, who claims to care about healthcare while saying "Nurses make too much money for their job".
Can you point me to a referencing detailing when and where she said this? I did a pretty thorough Google search and couldn't find it. I don't trust anything attributed as something a candidate has said until I get proof that they said it. It certainly doesn't sound like something she would say, but then candidates have a tendency to say really stupid things on the campaign trail, from time to time.
Let's not forget she is married to a jerkoff former president who said he could wipe out the national deficit by simply taking away our Social Security.
Yeah, again, doesn't sound like something he'd say. References, please. As it turns out, he did balance the deficit while he was in office while keeping Social Security intact. Now, under the party of "fiscal responsibility," our federal budget is back in the hole to the tune of several hundred billion dollars a year.
-You think she's a good candidate? -NOT!!!
::Shrug:: To each their own. That's why we do vote, screwed up as our system is. She's not my first choice.
The United States was founded by a group of people who wanted to escape a queen's oppression, and now everyone suddenly wants one. How stupid.
Um... no... the American Revolution was a revolt against the tyranny of King George III. Maybe King George was really a woman in royal drag, but if so it's not stated in his Wikipedia article. Besides, I don't think the candidate's gender is a particularly interesting issue.
Good conversation has the ability to create enlightenment.
-Here's your chance to enlighten.
Part of the problem with politics is that it's almost impossible to change anyone's mind about anything. People get very attached to their political ideals, and no argument, regardless of facts, can sway them. It's why real political change takes decades. Everything else seems to be nothing but a tug of war between the two extremes.
Well, you know me, I'm all for fascist socialism. Just make me dictator of the world, and we'll be fine.
I would assassinate you myself.
Yes I can point you to a reference when she said that.
When I worked at University Medical Center, in Las Vegas, Hitlery came to tour our worksite and made the comment during her visit, which left all of us in SHOCK. Bill made his "solution" comment in a Las Vegas newspaper article just before leaving office.
My sister told me of Obama's Arab heritage, and her reference was a Jewish website she frequents. -I'll see if I can get the web address/article for you.
CNN HL news made a comment a couple weeks ago about "how cool it would be to have two Clinton presidents and two Bush presidents, one right after the other". -Bush Sr., Bill Clinton, Bush Jr, Hitlery Clinton. Going by that line of thought, why not vote for Jeb Bush in the next 4 to 8 years, just because it would "look cool"? -Then why not Chelsey Clinton after him? That's just plain superficial to me.
Gender isn't necessesarily an issue. Voting a woman into the presidents office merely because other countries are is just the USA trying to keep up with the Jones's rather than being a world leader.
Personally, I'm not for the Republicans either. -Look at the cruddy job they've done these past 8 years. Actually, it's less the Republicans than it is Congress who really makes all the final decisions. Congress declared war, not Bush. -He doesn't have the power to declare war. If Congress really wanted this war over with, they would override any decision Bush made about it.
OK -You got me with King George. (ha ha ha -You're funny!) You might not be able to sway my candidate views, however you enlightened me on this point.
At any rate, the US hasn't had a queen in well over two hundred years, why would we want one now? Just to be trendy?
To strix: "I would assassinate you myself" ha ha ha -You two are so funny!
Thanks for thouroughly responding to my comment!
PS: I'd also like to mention how Hitlery "claimed" to "love" New York when she moved here years ago. (-Her Buffalo office is just a hop, skip and a jump from here...)
Anyways, she loves New York soooo much that she sits in Washington DC watching western New York deteriorate into a disaster. Taxes are skyrocketing 'tho nothing is getting done or repaired, business are shutting down in record numbers, people are moving away because the jobs have left... Even 'tho she promised to do everything in her power to help us to restimulate our local economy.
She cares about nothing and no one but herself.
When I worked at University Medical Center, in Las Vegas, Hitlery came to tour our worksite and made the comment during her visit, which left all of us in SHOCK. Bill made his "solution" comment in a Las Vegas newspaper article just before leaving office.
If you heard her say it yourself, I can't argue with that. As I said, candidates occasionally say really dumb things on the campaign trail. Bill Clinton's comment still doesn't sound like something he would say; I've been misquoted in the newspaper myself enough times not to trust them too much.
My sister told me of Obama's Arab heritage, and her reference was a Jewish website she frequents. -I'll see if I can get the web address/article for you.
Obama's upbringing is well documented. For some people, just because he spent some of his childhood in a predominantly Muslim country, or that his father used to be a Muslim, is enough to disqualify him. I would rather look at the man's ideas and life as an adult than where he grew up.
CNN HL news made a comment a couple weeks ago about "how cool it would be to have two Clinton presidents and two Bush presidents, one right after the other". -Bush Sr., Bill Clinton, Bush Jr, Hitlery Clinton. Going by that line of thought, why not vote for Jeb Bush in the next 4 to 8 years, just because it would "look cool"? -Then why not Chelsey Clinton after him? That's just plain superficial to me.
I think a historian might find it interesting or "cool." I can't say I think it's a great way to pick candidates, and I doubt most people would openly say they pick candidates that way. Unfortunately, name recognition does help win elections.
Gender isn't necessesarily an issue. Voting a woman into the presidents office merely because other countries are is just the USA trying to keep up with the Jones's rather than being a world leader.
I agree that anyone who votes for a woman just because she's a woman is guilty of sexism. As I said, I'd rather look at the candidate's stance on the issues.
Personally, I'm not for the Republicans either. -Look at the cruddy job they've done these past 8 years. Actually, it's less the Republicans than it is Congress who really makes all the final decisions. Congress declared war, not Bush. -He doesn't have the power to declare war. If Congress really wanted this war over with, they would override any decision Bush made about it.
I don't think war has ever officially been declared in Iraq or Afghanistan, and no, Congress doesn't have the ability to override the President's decisions. The President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces. The only thing Congress has the ability to do is effect funding, but it's difficult politically to cut funding for the war even if they're against it, because then they can be accused of leaving soldiers overseas without proper equipment, supplies, etc. Still, they've tried, and the President has vetoed the funding cuts. Congress could override the veto, but only with a 2/3 majority, and they don't have enough anti-war members to make that happen.
At any rate, the US hasn't had a queen in well over two hundred years, why would we want one now? Just to be trendy?
::Psst:: If she gets voted in, she's a President, not a Queen. The fact that she's a woman isn't a good reason to vote for her, but it's also not a good reason to vote against her.
As far as Hillary's faux affection for New York, it's very oily. She's quite the politician, and that's why she's not my first choice. Still, I don't know that I would hold the local economy of Western New York against her - the only thing a U.S. Senator can do for the local economy of their state is get as many pork projects as they can, which is also frowned upon by the general public and usually a waste of tax dollars from the national perspective. I would look at your state and municipal politicians if you want to know why the local economy's in the crapper.
wow! -Another thorough answer!
(-Sorry for the slow reply... I was out of town for a couple of days)
Hearing Hitlery's comment was good enough for me. -I've disliked her ever since. I must grudgingly agree with you about newspaper misquotes, as they do happen quite often. But, after reading something like that about Bill, and hearing Hitlery talk the way she did, it's not easily dismissed from the back of my head. -I certainly wouldn't put it past him. Whether it's Democrats, Republicans, Independents or aliens from outer space, people have been eyeing our social security and trying to find a way to get their mitts on it. QUESTION YOUR CANDIDATES AND THEIR MOTIVES!!! -People STILL say out Social Security will run out, or be taken away by the time you and I are eligible for it, and I'm going to watch out for ANYONE who even mentions it. -If they dare, that is...
Hmmm still no response from my sister about the web address. -I'll try her again this evening. I read your, and Strix's responses about my Obama comments... Ummm, where did I say ANYTHING about Muslims? My comments about Obama have nothing to do with religion. (-I'm sure not all Arabs are Muslim, just like all Americans aren't christian, etc...) But if he really does have the Arab heritage I hear about, then I would have issues with him being president so soon after 9/11. -May not be such a big deal 8, 12, 16 years from now (barring any more 9/11 type attacks on US soil), but now?
And you're right. -Anyone who votes for, or against, a woman merely because she's a woman is sexism. -That was the word I was reaching for. I'm against her for her "oily politician ways", and her comments in Las Vegas, and in New York. -NOT because she's a woman.
Ummm yes. War was declared on Iraq in early 2002. -We are still at war. My neice just got deployed to the region last month.
no, no, no. For Congress to not have power over the president makes him no more than a dictator. -True, they must have 2/3 vote to override any decision he makes, but to imply that the president cannot be overruled by congress is wrong. The good news is that (slowly, but surely) more members of congress are beginning to want this war over with, but they realize that an instant total troop withdrawl just can't happen, because Iraq will collapse into chaos. -Mad at Iraqies or not, I don't think people really want that to happen to them. -They are human beings ya know...
ummm duhhhh. I use "queen" to describe our first woman president, because that's precisely how I expect she would act if elected by the sexist, the dumb, and the superficial among our American voters, who seem to outnumber those who really think about the issues before voting. There's no respect in the word "Queen" when I use it to describe how I believe the first woman president would act, knowing that she would go down in history as the first woman president.
I don't totally blame Hitlery for the decline here in Western New York (-we have other crappy elected idiots too...) but she gets no awards for her false promises of help either.
You know, I'm really enjoying this conversation with you! It's nice not talking to idiots about these things for a change.
Idiots don't enlighten you. -They make you dumber.
However, you've enlightened me some, and gave me intelligent conversation.
-Thanks!
As most of this is matter of opinion, I won't contradict you. However, we are not "officially" at war in Iraq or Afghanistan. Officially Iraq is still a military operation, not a formal war, as much of a matter of semantics that is. As you say, only Congress can declare war, and they haven't done so since World War II.
Well, ok. I'm glad that not only are you a pretty smart conversationalist, you do understand the differences between fact and opinion. -And, there's lot's of opinion here! -Nothing wrong with that.
My neice was sent to the "unofficial" war zone last month, oops I meant "military operation". (-I'm sure she's got different names for the skirmishes going on over there...) We're just hoping she comes back in one piece, with no problems.
Whoever winds up being elected, I hope they wisely find a way to end these "operations", find a way to re-stimulate our economy, bring gas prices back down to a reasonable level, and find a way for every American to have a few more bucks in their pocket.
Life will never be perfect, but that's one of my dreams.
Whoever winds up being elected, I hope they wisely find a way to end these "operations", find a way to re-stimulate our economy, bring gas prices back down to a reasonable level, and find a way for every American to have a few more bucks in their pocket.
Absolutely!