Fit to Serve

David P. Farrar

David P. Farrar joins us with his long running kiwiblog.

You have to say that Governor Palin looks very good for a mother of five. Attractiveness is a factor in politics - Obama’s good looks certainly assisted him, and Palin’s assist her.

Former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin speaks during a Republican National Committee (RNC) get-out-the vote rally in Anaheim, California on October 16, 2010. Palin and RNC Chairman Michael Steele held the rally to raise money for the RNC. Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman and Senate candidate.Carly Fiorina were not among Palin's so-called Mama Grizzlies on hand for the rally. UPI/Jim Ruymen Photo via Newscom

There was a study in Germany a while back about attractiveness being a significant factor in electability. Can’t find it now, but this study in Finland found:

    Evaluations of beauty explain success in real elections better than evaluations of competence, intelligence, likability, or trustworthiness. The beauty premium is larger for female candidates, in contrast to findings in previous labor-market studies.

They also found that men tend to vote for male and female candidates equally, but women tend to favour female candidates over male candidates. In other words being a woman was an electoral advantage.

 
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