Unfortunate and unfair fact: looks matter. And they matter particularly in politics. Having written those two sentences, I can already hear the rumble of onrushing feet as my critics rush to contradict me. Rubbish, they say. What about Churchill? No oil-painting (although he was a painter) but a hugely popular war-time leader. In present-day Ireland Willie O’Dea of Fianna Fail: a moustachioed face that some would say only a mother could love, yet returned to the Dail at a time when dozens of his FF colleagues were being ushered into a political abbattoir. And not many would contradict me when I say that the looks of John O’Dowd or Edwin Poots were not what got them elected.
But these are exceptions rather than the rule. For example, you’d need not only million dollars to run for president of the United States; you’d also, if you’re a man, need a decent head of hair ( and more so if you were a woman). When the famous Richard Nixon – John F Kennedy debate was broadcast in the 1960 US presidential election, those who listened to it on the radio were convinced Nixon had won; those who watched it on TV were equally convinced that Kennedy had won.
All of which brings us to last night’s TV BREXIT debate, with David Cameron following Nigel Farage to answer studio-audience questions. Which man won? It depends on who you ask. Some commentators saw Cameron as having done fairly well; others saw Farage as having avoided political mine-fields. Me, I was attending to the appearance of the two men and it seemed to me there was one obvious winner.
Nigel Farage has a fascinating face: dark pools for eyes, a mouth that’s wide and usually smiling, a cheeky-chappie demeanour. But last night his usually cheery face clouded with irritation from time to time . He stepped onto the stage with an odd little jerky movement, like a wound-up toy. And he was wearing a suit that was at least two sizes too big for him, trousers collapsing into folds when they reached his shoes.
Cameron has an interesting face: it’s very regular but there’s something excessively smooth about it. (One Briitish cartoonist habitually presents him as a human condom.) He almost bounded onto the stage, as though eager for the battle; he never looked irritated, even when the questioning got hostile. His suit fitted perfectly and he showed every sign of being energetic and fit.
Politicians’ physical appeal may not convert committed voters from either side. But appearance can and will create an openness towards or a prejudice against the various arguments being offered. You bet it’s unfair, Virginia; But it’s also powerful fact.
It is not clear from your description which looked better.
A car bomb targeting a police bus killed seven officers and four civilians in central Istanbul just yesterday. It was the fourth major attack in Turkey this year.
The most recent figures for migrant deaths in the Mediterranean suggests the death toll now stands at 2,800.
The number and quality of suits owned by Messrs Cameron and Farage will be of no concern to the men, women and children fleeing the ravages of war in the Middle East.
While Ms Clinton engages in rhetoric about justice and equality in the USA, the late Muhammad Ali made a stand against the reality of racism and war and that is a fact some politicians choose to ignore.
“the late Muhammad Ali made a stand against the reality of racism and war and that is a fact some politicians choose to ignore.”
Hmmm, did you know that Muhammad Ali once supported racial segregation? Did you know he even made speeches at KKK rallies? Did you know he called all white people “the Devil”? He even said on a TV show that he wouldn’t want his children “not looking like me”, in reference to interracial couples…..now I know for a fact if I said that as a white guy (I wouldn’t say that btw) I would be hounded by, ironically, other whites. Ali didn’t stand against all wars, he only stood against wars waged by “white people”, he said he supported Jihad, which is “Holy War” as preached by the Koran, the same Jihad waged by ISIS today.
A great boxer Muhammad Ali was (another irony being his original trainers were all White people, it was the same in Mike Tysons case too) but he was poisoned by the racists, yes racists because whites can suffer racism too, in the Nation of Islam in the USA.
Its fascinating how different the facts are from the propaganda…..I recommend people watch “The Truth About…..” series by Irish born Canadian philosopher Stefan Molyneux on youtube for more facts. The facts about Mahatma Ghandi are shocking, not many know he hated Black people. He also advocated and was prepared to go on Hunger Strike in support of Slavery…..what a role model…..
Compensation Once Again
Pity that poor unfortunate Elephant Man
Forget his face -once seen- nobody can
Never a lovable rogue
Even when he was og
Still, got invited to the Film F. of Cannes.
Well ….yes there is much truth in that ,Jude .Many pop musicians need no talent at all just so long as they look handsome or pretty.That’s the nature of human attraction . It doesn’t explain why old Trick Dicky eventually became Supreme Leader in America, mind…..and then there’s Trump to consider too….he’s big in the popularity stakes and seems to have no saving graces whatsoever….come to that there’s also our own Commander in Chief “Marlene”…that strange odd hybrid of a joined up concoction.
” Rubbish, they say. What about Churchill? No oil-painting (although he was a painter) but a hugely popular war-time leader”
So popular he got kicked out of Government in 1945 after Labour won by a landslide in the General Election. You’d think saving Britain’s hairy backside from German domination would win you votes, eh? Or maybe the British public found out about the numerous peace offers Germany made to Britain before the War even started? 8 in total, I believe. Nah, that’s still being largely hushed up. Not many people know that Churchill was a Zionist and was under the direction of a secret group called “The Focus” from the 1920’s onwards.
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Does looks matter in politics? Yes, they matter in every section of daily life. It effects women more than men, I think. Some employers would hire (or not hire) someone purely based on their looks. My aunt owns a large Costcutter shop in Belfast and she admitted to me she prefers hiring good looking people as long as they are qualified, why? because it can only be good for business lol That may sound swallow but its true. You notice this more in places like Hairdressers, most if not all of the girls working there are really attractive, I’ve yet to come across a hairdresser that has Edwin Poots ears or Jim Allisters face.
I don’t follow Canadian politics that much but the new Canadian Prime Minister, it is said, was elected partly due to his good looks. If Brad Pitt had have choose politics as a career and ran for US President I think we all know that he would gain millions of voters simply on his good looks. I know if Eva Longoria ran for election in West Belfast she’d have my vote.
I missed the Farage part of the debate last night but I watched Cameron. I thought Cameron looked very nervous and on edge. He does have a very “smooth” face, almost like a baby’s…..
Frankly both lost, they both made grammatical error’s Farage did come across as the wee angry brit., Cameron did look smoother but, he’d just seen/heard his adversary and was therefore better prepared. From my own perspective if an Taoiseach Tan were to say black is black, I’d disagree with him.
Just on point, albeit the point of the monologues, I watched TV4, this evening and saw a programme on industry in, well, here, this one on what some of us will remember as Rank’s flour mill in Limrick, they used to sponsor programmes on Raido Éireann back in the day.
The point being, it was clear from the statements the reason for closure of the Limrick mill being the accession to the EEC some years previously.
I could write a book on the lack of protection to workers rights by the EU, having myself complained to the commission in respect of the Dept. Justice, to no avail, my next complaint is to the commission, about the commission however, the tale of this, and other business’ throughout Ireland tells the story of why leaving the EU will be better for jobs.