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Courtesy of Christopher Olivola
Which one is the Republican? (Clockwise, from top left: Rick Santorum, Ron Klink, Rick Perry, Tony Sanchez)
Appearance has always mattered in politics. But a new study might have Republican candidates working extra hard to look more, well, Republican, whatever that might mean.
That’s because new research finds that political facial stereotypes may help Republican candidates get more votes.
Before we get too far, no, social scientists haven't identified a particular Republican look. They haven't sussed out the exact haircut, facial expression or tilt of jaw that might signal someone is a winner for the GOP.
What they have done is to determine that looking more stereotypically Republican seems to help candidates get more votes from people who lean politically toward the right, according to a study in the latest issue of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
The study found that left-leaning people don't rely on political facial stereotypes as much. Democratic voters, for instance, tend to be much less influenced by how liberal- or conservative-looking a candidate seems, the research suggests.
Although other studies have shown that both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. seem to be influenced by facial features that make a candidate look more competent, the new study wanted to see if people use visible facial characteristics to judge party affiliation, and whether this can benefit a candidate during an election.
In one experiment, they asked 51 American college students to look at black and white photos of US candidates from the 1995 to 2006 gubernatorial elections and the 2000 to 2008 senatorial races. The students viewed 256 pairs of Republican and Democratic rivals.
With no other information given about the two challengers, students were randomly asked to guess "Which person is the Republican (or the Democratic) candidate?" Volunteers were also asked whether they recognized the politician in the photos, and if they did, those responses were eliminated.
The researchers looked at how well people could guess political party from a candidate's appearance. Then they compared these facial stereotypes to the actual election results and the state's voting tendencies during presidential races.
Study participants were more likely to guess that women and ethnic minority candidates were Democrats. When it came to races involving two white men, researchers found that candidates who looked more stereotypically Republican than their rivals -- even if they were truly Democrats -- benefitted more among voters in right-leaning states.
What did they mean by "stereotypically Republican?" Again, the researchers aren't sure.
"We don't yet know what physical cues people may have been using to guess which candidate was the Republican or Democrat," says study author Christopher Olivola. He is doing a fellowship in behavioral science at the Warwick Business School in Coventry, England.
A second study done with more than 200 people aged 18 to 67 found similar results: Republican voters seemed to be more influenced by facial stereotypes than Democrats were.
"The finding that political facial stereotypes might influence voting was a bit of a surprise," says Olivola. "We also did not expect to find a difference between liberal and conservative voters."
So, we asked Olivola whether his research would also apply to a one-party primary, such as the GOP contest now heating up in South Carolina.
"Our findings would suggest that in Republican primaries, the more conservative-looking candidate would have an advantage over his or her rivals, all else being equal," he says.
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Leave a Comment:
Look for the tight-fitting shirt collar to keep the GOP candidate's foreskin from sliding up over his neck.
LOL
I was thinking more along the lines of super-imposing horns and a beard, but that works too.
It's interesting, though, that (sans the stupid little mustache) Hitler would probably fit right in with pictures of the GOP presidential portraits. They seem to lean toward actors and jocks. This goes back to about the '20s, when the GOP was throwing off it's original progressive values.
I'm not exactly saying that the GOP would have blindly elected Hitler, with his dark hair, and intense eyes (like Nixon), although his populist rhetoric is what got his foot in the door, along with a bunch of thugs he eventually had to assassinate for his own safety.
What I am saying is that it's dangerous and foolish to elect a leader on looks. History bears that out quite well. The Greeks and Romans had great looking leaders.
LMAO!
Rick Perry has an uncanny resemblence to Geo.W.Bush - but then they are both creations of Karl Rove. He even stumble-speaks like Bush.
In that case ... it doesn't pay to be black!!!! Not unless you have a 999 program and a few ladies!!!
But a new study might have Republican candidates working extra hard to look more, well, Republican, whatever that might mean.
That's because new research finds that political facial stereotypes may help Republican candidates get more votes.
It only means that they would look white, "good-looking" clean-shaved and with a nice suit. Never mind that inside they are a rotten pice of garbage ready to take you to the cleaners.
However, looks have always won. Look at Sarah Palin: Dumbest person ever to run into politics and people "love her" That is just how we humans are. We need to start thinking with our brains, instead of thinking with other body parts.
I think this study and the results are startling and very troubling. What this says about people on the right of the political spectrum confirms something I've been thinking for some time.
The "look" of the candidate, the shallow, beauty contest aspect of he or she "looks right", looks Republican appears to be a determining factor. You pair this with what seems to be a need for daily reaffirmation of their positions and beliefs through propaganda vehicles like FOX News and Rush Limbaugh and you have a very disturbing picture of a segment of society with a complete lack of critical thinking ability.
It's like "Natural Selection". If you depend on someone else to tell you what to think and you need daily doses of this input and you rely on the physical appearance of someone to meet your expectation then you are tailor-made to be a Republican.
That's all an oversimplification, but you get the idea.
Very interesting and more than a little frightening.
Obama/Biden 2012
I don't really believe in this study. George W. Bush looked more like Alfred E Newman.
It's simple. To be Republican, they have to look smug, self-righteous, and most important of all, Rich. A touch of sanctimonious "holier than thou" helps, too.
Fortunately for Republican leaders, deception and conniving don't show on the face.
And the left is swayed by smooth talking liars like Bill Clinton and Obama. So the left has more feminine traits and therefore responds to someone who can woo them with their "sweet nothings" while the right is more masculine and responds to visual cues. So what?
To Skip: if you look at the history of the "progressive" movement you can see how it is based on rhetoric and manipulation of public opinion. Where do you determine your values? Well from consensus of course. A basic tool of the socialist. So are you really more intelligent and a better critical thinker as you claim or just awash in the tide of progressive thinking?
You guys need a class in propaganda. The study was no doubt given at a liberal college, administered by liberal staff, likely to liberal students, and only 51 at that.
So what's the propaganda? Republicans are superficial and don't use their brains of course! Notice how it fits so nicely into the liberal view of republicans.
And you bought right into it. There's a reason "liberal lemmings" is used so often.
BTW, Obama looks far more like Alfred E. Newman that Bush ever could.
Uncollapse the opening comment. It was not collapsed by "the community." It was collapsed by a twit with a tiny bit, but too much, power.
Huh? If the researchers don't know what's stereotypically Republican, so how do they know voters choose candidates that look stereotypically Republican? This sounds like junk science to me.
Whats so hard to understand. White guy. Corporate haircut. Skin with that super scrubbed look.
I would imagine this kind of study would appeal to any true Republican as its based on unsubstantiated anecdotal evidence.
It says right here:
In other words, if most people guessed that Candidate A is Republican, he was considered to be more Republican-looking. It didn't matter what caused people to guess the way they did.
No surprises, here!
No, no surprises. We are also not surprised that, amongst republicans, no matter how many times they reject you, if you just run again, they will eventually get over the reasons they rejected you the first time, and second time, ad nauseum, they will elect you.
Cavalier, Don't forget how many times Abraham Lincoln attempted unsuccessfully to win a political office. Perseverence can be a good thing.
Hilarious comments one and all. Here’s a recommendation for future study: Match evidence of a non-functioning cerebellum to the appropriate Democrat.
It's easy. The plastic looking, fake smiling, with the intellect of an inbred are the Repukelicans.
My thoughts exactly eric, they are very plastic looking and acting, there is nothing genuine or even human looking about them. I have been trying to tell people this since I was ten years old, there's something just not right about these 'people". I mean take a look at Calista Gingrich (sounds like a venereal disease), that "woman" doesnt even slightly look human. And if you havnt noticed the GOP worships all that is toxic, polluting, destructive and violent, if it's bad for the environment or bad for human health they act as though it was a gift from "God". Evil plastic pod people have taken over the Conservative movement. Humans are nothing more than cattle to them, we are used as slaves for their corporate machine then fattened us up for the kill.
GMO's, plastic food for plastic people
Hey DougCoe: you left out that we conservatives hate children and old people too...and we really hate clean water...how could you have forgotten these very "proven" facts? Gosh, I'm really disappointed in you.
Voting records are all the facts I need to know the truth about who votes to allow corporations to dump more mercury in our water, or drill in National forests, or frac next to an aquifer, if they can profit off of it they dont care how detrimental to the planet or its inhabitants it is. You are a real peice of work juanita, have you been hiding in a cave for the last thirty years? "drill baby drill", "tabacco isnt addictive" "nuclear energy is safe" "wars are good for the economy" and I could go on and on with the list of republican talking points. And yes you want to destroy our water, you beloved saint bushy relaxed the restrictions on mercury in our water along with a number of other toxic chemicals because it was costing his CONSERVATIVE butt buddies to much profit to clean up their own mess.
All you need do is look at the female talking heads on FOX to see the stereotypical Republican woman look. Sarah Palin has that look. Michelle Bachmann has it too. It's the glassy-eyed "Stepford Wives" look. Photogenic, symmetrical features, the same hairstyle.
As for the men...they are all a certain height, weight, dark-haired, and wear dark suits with white shirts and plain ties. They look like clones standing there on the debate stage. They mostly act like clones too.
Conservatives are typically more fearful of change, more resistant to new ideas, less open to logical consideration. They want things to be spelled out for them in black and white so they won't have to spend time thinking and making up their own minds. It's too worrisome for them to live with doubt.
It makes perfect sense, then, that they would choose a candidate based on such superficial things as looks or religious affiliation.
The study found that left-leaning people don't rely on political facial stereotypes as much. Democratic voters, for instance, tend to be much less influenced by how liberal- or conservative-looking a candidate seems, the research suggests.
In other words, Republicans are more likely to judge a book by its cover?
NO! Say it ain't so, George!
And in other "other" words, Republicans are more likely to discriminate. Definitely no surprises here. I think stereotyping Repubs is so easy, the article didn't need to mention it. Simply put, he's gonna be a rich white guy, spewing one hypocritical statement after another. The token black guy, Herman Cain, was a diversion to attract blacks to vote for the other white candidates. Ditto for the ditzo, Bachmann, who was only there to attract women voters.
I wanna see Red running in the streets after November. I hear Canada's becoming quite conservative of late. Perhaps we can have all the nitwit Republicans flee north. After all, they'll be closer to Alaska. I'd say we're about done with them, too.
Thanks for putting it bluntly, Smokey's Mom. But let not this discovery have Dems now pre-judging anyone who happens to be a Repub. (For the record, I'm registered as a Repub and there are many core ideals of that party I still agree with. But in reality, I'm more of an independent and very unhappy with the Repubs right now. I'd sooner vote for Obama than any of the clowns running now, though I'd prefer a 3rd option.)
Best way to identify a Republican is someone who has no compassion for his fellow man - the old "I got mine, now you go get yours".
Write in Stephen Colbert, hehe. He's the 21st Century Pat Paulsen, for those old enough to remember his campaigns.
Pat Paulsen was hilarious and his campaign speeches on the Smothers Brothers Show had my whole family in stitches!
Jrae - just a little tweak to your comment to make it accurate ...
I earned mine, now go earn yours.
@Believenothinguread - just a few tweaks to make yours more accurate, too
The Skull & Bones version: I lucked into mine, now you go luck into yours
The 2nd or 3rd generation version: I inherited mine, now you go inherit yours
The former politician's version: I good ole boys' club-ed mine, now you go good ole boys' club yours
I'm not saying all of these are associated solely with republicans, but if you're going to include "earn" to make things more "accurate," then you really need to include these versions, too.
There you go! Liberals read the book, the GOP takes a quick look at the cover. Some of that might be because liberals know how to read, being generally better educated people. Why do you think the GOP wants so desperately to scuttle education, except for religious brainwashing? They want the Christian version of the madrasah. Got to keep the people ignorant, and the women barefoot and pregnant. They've come out in the open about birth control, next it will be the vote.
Smokey'sMom - Why the hell would they go to Canada ... they have national health care. That's socialist.
The stereotypical Republican look: A old white male with slicked back hair who looks like he's trying to smile while getting an egg shoved up his ars!!
How liberal of all of you who buy into this bogus, piece of crap article. Just yesterday i read that more people much prefer Ashton Kutcher with a clean shaven face. I suppose they were all Republicans. If you put stock in this you need to learn to think for yourselves.
Apples and oranges. Perhaps, just perhaps, it has somethign to do with this: it's already been determined that a majority of women prefer a clean cut man with less or no facial hair, and no long hair. The scrub / hippie look is definately out. Also, people got used to seeing Aston on "That 70's Show", where he WAS clean cut, for the mostpart. Seeing an actor or actress return to a look that fans are more familliar with is welcomed more often than not.
Also, you're confusing sex appeal with trustworthiness. At least, as judged solely by appearance.
NO, it's not apples and oranges and I'm not confusing anything. You obviously missed my point. In reading some of the other posts most of you take this as a childish opportunity to bash what you hate.
Ashton Klitcher is too skinny to be a Republican anyway.
It does explain why so many republican governors, etc. turn out to be empty shirts when running for national office. They were elected at the local level for their looks....and when forced to articulate ideas they fall on their faces.
Personally...I thing the republican "look" is a mixture of smugness and entitlement. They put their spoiled little prince charmings out in front of the cameras (which is why they don't require brains for that job) while the rest of them do their back room deals with big business, away from the spotlight. It's all smoke and mirrors...they just need a pretty face to distract the public and take the fall.
Grifff999 (named for Cain's tax plan?). Lighten up! Man, you guys say liberals are humorless but no one beats a conservative for lack of humor!!!
Griff999, not to be contrarian, but I got your (attempted) point just fine, but it's clear you missed my counterpoint that it IS "apples and oranges". Especially when you consider the votes of approval from readers under your comment versus mine. The simple fact is, there IS a recognizable look to the typical Republican in this country. To deny that in any way is to deny what is obvious to a scientifically testable sample of the population. (Since common sense won't suffice for you and those like you).
The Republican look is personified by Willard Romney, aka Gordon Gekko.
Mark, not all Republicans look evil.
...They just ARE evil. haha, couldn't resist.
True, John, they don't all look evil. Some, like Sarah Palin and Herman Cain, just look dumb.
So the study basically proves that which everyone already knew....
show people random photo's & see if they can spot the Butt-Wipe ?
WHOA! nows that IS newz... I have to ask, did you rent this article from FOX?
Stereotypically Republican would be that "deer in the headlights look"
It's very easy to spot a republican; they all have that door-to-door salesman look. A veneer of phony sincerity designed to make you buy something. The product they're selling is the idea that they care about anything other than the richest of the rich. Something to always remember: they don't. So don't be fooled when they pull a "Paper Moon" routine on you and start talking about the bible and their faith. All they want is to rob you blind. Shut the door.
It's very easy to spot a democrat; they all have that door-to-door salesman look. A veneer of phony sincerity designed to make you buy something. The product they're selling is the idea that they care about anything other than the richest of the rich. Something to always remember: they don't. So don't be fooled when they pull a "Paper Moon" routine on you and start talking about caring for the poor, social welfare, social programs, and equality. All they want is to rob you blind. Shut the door.
Wow. How original of you.
"I know you are but what am I? <ppplllpht>"
Wow. How utterly lacking in cleverness in a riposte of you.
Simple: Sexually repressed, looks slightly constipated, suit collar too tight, white guy with some variant of the "Ron Regan" haircut, looks like a used car salesman about to rip you off with that plastic smile forever in place...and don't forget the official red tie... Republican.
Someone NOT fitting that description, kind eyes, seems to actually give a s__t about you, looks like you might even enjoy having them over for dinner...Democrat.
99octane - Would add the following details to what you painted in spotting a Democrat: Kind eyes (non-functioning brain stem), give a s__t about you (just unloaded in his pants) and looks like you might even enjoy having them over for dinner (pedophile). Glad I could be of service.
Gee, seems no one but you agrees with you so far... judging from the votes under the comments.
(Now that I've said that, there will certainly be a stream of Obama- and Liberal- haters to vote for your comment. But remember, to THIS point, before egging them on, NO ONE agrees with you).
Look for the guy with "Zachery Disease" that's the Republican.
If you don't already know the joke, I can't tell it here.
David great joke, just misapplied. Better applied to the female gender from the party that brought you Hilary Clinton, Diane Feinstein, Barbara Mikulski et all.
This is actually a very interesting study. I fear though is that all it tells us is that Republican voters based on a person's looks rather than their record or ideas. That we already knew.
Which one looks like he wants to take my money and keep it for himself?
Which one looks like he wants to take my money and give it to someone who doesn't work?
Ha, pete MT, good one. The followup question is who is likely to spend "your money" in today's economy? The hoarding rich or the non-working person (disabled/senior/dependent child) on the dole? We HAVE seen that the rich are not letting much "trickle down" these days.
"Researchers found" and "participants were more likely" don't constitute a scientific study. Plus, if the researcher can't determine what is a Republican feature, how can you test the impact of a Republican feature? What exactly were they testing?Sounds like more high quality journalism from MSNBC.
Staunchy, old white men who look surprisingly lively for their age (representing the healing affects of wealth) have always been trademarks of the right.
Didn't need a study to tell me that.
Which one would look better holding up a number plate under their chin for the picture, THAT's your trpublicam.
It is the fake smile, they smile only with their mouths but the rest of their face does not move. In a real smile your forehead and eyebrows should move too.
It's easy to tell who are Rebubs - they don't smile! Did you ever seen the Senate minority leader smile? I haven't.
Hey numnutts! That picture of Rick Perry was taken when he was a DEMOCRAT. Get a clue!
Perry looks like he forgot he already had his toupee on, and put another one on top of it! Yeah, nobody notices, Rick! You look fine! LOLOL!
So which one is it? The cutline under the photo asks "Which one is the Republican?" but then they don't tell us which one it is.
Grecian Formula look..
That's it! That's what I have been trying to figure out for years. Thank you!
It's made more difficult when the flames of hell are photoshopped out of the background of the photos of GOP candidates....but not impossible.
Dang. No wonder Arlen Specter looks so bad, what with all that party switching in his life -- must have been hell on his face. But seriously folks, if you really want to see REAL 'pubs, check out Hayley Barbour and Mitch McConnell. Aren't they just adorable? No doubt, they are the real article!
They all look like an insurance salesman.
Good observation. My brother and I have discussed this several times. We came to the conclusion that it was the insurance salesman or preacher look.