Althouse: "If Romney wins, perhaps this will be another piece of evidence for..."

September 6, 2012

"If Romney wins, perhaps this will be another piece of evidence for..."

"... Lee Sigelman’s classic work, 'Toward a Stupidity-Ugliness Theory of Democratic Electoral Debacles.'"

61 comments:

The Crack Emcee said...: "If Romney wins, perhaps this will be another piece of evidence for Lee Sigelman’s classic work, 'Toward a Stupidity-Ugliness Theory of Democratic Electoral Debacles.'"

Yes - exactly - but it'll be the same if Obama wins, too, so like whatever,...; 9/6/12, 11:24 AM
Scott said...: ...and (as is typical for this blog) the cited Siegelman study can't be accessed through the Internet.; 9/6/12, 11:33 AM
edutcher said...: Which is why women should not have the vote.

Abraham Lincoln, "the ugliest man I ever saw above ground", could not be elected President today.; 9/6/12, 11:36 AM
Christopher in MA said...: To be fair, edutcher, a lot of men shouldn't have the vote, either.

Frankly, I think about half the people in this country ought to be prohibited from voting.; 9/6/12, 11:39 AM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: Frankly, I think about half the people in this country ought to be prohibited from voting.

The half on the public teat should be.; 9/6/12, 11:43 AM
Sorun said...: But the cited article says this: "Very few voters are willing to cast their ballot for a candidate based on looks..."

What am I missing here?; 9/6/12, 11:50 AM
TWM said...: "Frankly, I think about half the people in this country ought to be prohibited from voting."

I say you take a simple test before you vote. Ten or twenty T/F questions about the hottest issues at stake. And the candidates.

If you can't get 70% you can't vote.; 9/6/12, 11:50 AM
coketown said...: Ooooo he's sooo dreamy. Even his face is a 1-percenter! *swoon* It's enough to make me want to wear a t-shirt with his face printed on it, as if I'm some brainwashed victim of a totalitarian regime.

Oh wait, that's Democrats. *guffaw*; 9/6/12, 11:51 AM
Darcy said...: I could rate Obama's face as not handsome. Much of my rating system would depend on a warmth factor. I like interesting faces I think express warmth. Romney fails on this too. But Obama is not even superficially handsome to me. I don't like his face at all. And as I type this comment my face is most likely not expressing warmth....

Huh. :); 9/6/12, 11:55 AM
edutcher said...: Sorun said...

But the cited article says this: "Very few voters are willing to cast their ballot for a candidate based on looks..."

What am I missing here?

The fact that, after the elections of '60 and '92, Democrat-voting women were asked why they voted that way and a sizable number said it was because they wanted to bed the top of the ticket.; 9/6/12, 11:55 AM
shiloh said...: If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year! ~ Dandy Don Meredith, MNF; 9/6/12, 11:57 AM
Known Unknown said...: If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year! ~ Dandy Don Meredith, MNF

You said butts. And nuts. Heheheheh.; 9/6/12, 12:02 PM
wildswan said...: Stupidity

Why did you leave out God? DWS: "It was a technical oversight."

What about Jerusalem? DWS: "Our policy platform was a very long document (sort of like Obamacare)and nobody knew what was in it because nobody wanted to read it.

Why the booing? DWS: We only know booing any more so when we opened our mouths at the DNC out came cheers of course but by accident they sounded like boos.

Ugliness
DWS. Her hair is spinning out of control day by day as her mind tries to explain away the Democrats; 9/6/12, 12:04 PM
Paco Wové said...: "I say you take a simple test before you vote. Ten or twenty T/F questions about the hottest issues at stake. And the candidates."

Imagine yourself taking the test. Imagine it being written, administered, and graded by partisan Democrats.

Though making every voter jump through the hoops of the Naturalization Test could be interesting.; 9/6/12, 12:08 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: Siegelman's thesis is that Democrats tend to be stupider and uglier than Republicans. Who can argue with that? Exhibit A is an objective review of conservative women vs. liberal women. Conservative women are flat better-looking. Sure, you will try to throw Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman at me (please) but the Hollywood crowd don't exactly form a brain trust-- not ugly, but definitely stupid.; 9/6/12, 12:08 PM
SPImmortal said...: I thought politics was supposed to be show business for ugly people.; 9/6/12, 12:10 PM
rehajm said...: But the cited article says this: "Very few voters are willing to cast their ballot for a candidate based on looks..."

I'd offer the Nixon/Kennedy debate- radio vs. television as further proof this statement is wrong..; 9/6/12, 12:12 PM
Matt Sablan said...: People vote for all sorts of crazy reasons.; 9/6/12, 12:16 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: When I picked out a dog, and chose Belgian sheepdog, one of the biggest reasons that I could say is their beauty. I would be looking at them a lot so they must be beautiful. Shallow, I know, but it was still a big factor. Their lines, their mien, their movement. All appeal to me. Other dogs do not.

Other dogs, all that snorting and snot slobber, frenetic demanding licking, I could smash their little faces in but they're already smashed.

Kidding. I'm talking about picking a dog based on beauty. Their snappy obedience was the other factor. So, pretty much like politicians. There is an insect politics tag but not a k-9 politics tag and that's okay, I never quite got the tag thing, on one of my food blogs, and the photos for it, the tags are the same as the title.; 9/6/12, 12:17 PM
Toad Trend said...: Can it then be said that the democrat party provides political access to less than good-looking people?

This might help explain their preoccupation with skin color and the diversity meme.

Discrimination has many faces.; 9/6/12, 12:18 PM
Paul said...: Yea the voters WERE saps to vote for Obama in 2008... now will they do it again?; 9/6/12, 12:21 PM
shiloh said...: Conservative women are flat better-looking.

Indeed!

btw, Brewer would make an excellent Cruella Deville!; 9/6/12, 12:21 PM
Anonymous said...: ...not to put too fine a point on it but I find Mitten completely unattractive - as in put a bag over his head unattractive.

the President is just toooooo skinny. Joe B. and Ron Paul too old. Paul Ryan gives me the creeps.

What am I to do?; 9/6/12, 12:27 PM
Toad Trend said...: "What am I to do?"

I think someone else may have alluded to this, but looks are not the only metric when considering overall attractiveness.

I know plenty of 'attractive' people that are so butt-ugly on the inside that it detracts from their outward appearance.

That is reason enough for many actors and actresses to keep their traps shut - it can close doors.; 9/6/12, 12:34 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: the cited Siegelman study can't be accessed through the Internet

Yeah, that's a pain. I read through all that thinking I could read the study at the end, but no. What is the point of The Monkey Cage linking to something one cannot read?; 9/6/12, 12:39 PM
Nonapod said...: Not sure how this sort of thing is even remotely a surprise to anyone anymore. It's been discusses and studied to death. More attractive people tend to be more appealing as political candidates. More attractive people tend to be more successful in most walks of life. This information is so widely known and accepted that it's pointless to even discuss.; 9/6/12, 12:47 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: shiloh said...

Conservative women are flat better-looking.

Indeed!

You wanna play tit-for-tat?; 9/6/12, 1:01 PM
gerry said...: The fact that, after the elections of '60 and '92, Democrat-voting women were asked why they voted that way and a sizable number said it was because they wanted to bed the top of the ticket.

On the top or the bottom?; 9/6/12, 1:02 PM
Anonymous said...: shiloh said...
"btw, Brewer would make an excellent Cruella Deville"!

I won't be able to sleep.; 9/6/12, 1:17 PM
SteveOrr said...: Russ Feingold reminds me of Fred Flintstone. Chicks go for that?

I’m not hating. Dude’s not ugly. But he never struck me as especially attractive. Though as a heterosexual guy, I admit paying little attention to masculine beauty. I know the obvious stuff. Having hair is good. Being physically fit is good. Being tall is good. Healthy teeth are good. Strong chin is good.

Russ passes most of the tests. More so than most Senators. Sort of a doughy jaw, though.

Not very tall, either. Though I assume the study relied on headshots.; 9/6/12, 1:17 PM
cubanbob said...: I indeed vote on the attractiveness of the candidate, their attractiveness to my wallet. My wallet has never yet found an attractive democrat.; 9/6/12, 1:17 PM
Anonymous said...: Lindsey and Shiloh, hide your Dalmatians!; 9/6/12, 1:25 PM
Brent said...: Lindsey, what about Bill Clinton?

Heck, even Rachel Maddow wants to do him.; 9/6/12, 1:27 PM
kentuckyliz said...: I will vote for the candidate that makes me want to earn my presidential kneepads.

Or my Senator kneepads.
Or my Congress kneepads.
Or my Gubernatorial kneepads.
Or my state senator kneepads.
Or my state representative kneepads.
Or my agricultural commissioner kneepads.
Or my county judge executive kneepads.
Or my school board kneepads.
Or my dogcatcher kneepads.

I feel tired and I want to take a shower.; 9/6/12, 1:29 PM
kentuckyliz said...: Cruella Deville has Elizabeth Warren-like cheekbones.

Is she Native American?

Registered cardholding tribe member?; 9/6/12, 1:30 PM
mccullough said...: John Thune is a handsome man. He looks like Tom Brady.; 9/6/12, 1:31 PM
furious_a said...: So, if the election were decided on looks, it would be no contest.

This theory moves the 'deceased' demographic to 'toss-up' from 'leans Obama'.; 9/6/12, 1:40 PM
furious_a said...: Speaking of pretty, in 'Julia's World' John "Silky Pony" Edwards would have been President-for-Life.; 9/6/12, 1:45 PM
kentuckyliz said...: I'd vote for Paul Ryan.

Cooorrrrrr.; 9/6/12, 1:46 PM
jungatheart said...: While Romney and Obama are handome, my choice would be Ron Paul.; 9/6/12, 1:57 PM
Quaestor said...: Tyrone Slothrop wrote:
[The] Hollywood crowd don't exactly form a brain trust-- not ugly, but definitely stupid.

The Hollywood crowd consistently elects the stupidest and ugliest human(?) in politics.; 9/6/12, 2:16 PM
Quaestor said...: Why does the CBC have more than its fair share of stupid and ugly women?; 9/6/12, 2:20 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: Quaestor said...

Tyrone Slothrop wrote:
[The] Hollywood crowd don't exactly form a brain trust-- not ugly, but definitely stupid.

The Hollywood crowd consistently elects the stupidest and ugliest human(?) in politics.

How I wish I could unsee that.; 9/6/12, 2:26 PM
rehajm said...: This theory moves the 'deceased' demographic to 'toss-up' from 'leans Obama'.

LOL- I'm stealing this..; 9/6/12, 2:46 PM
shiloh said...: "You wanna play tit-for-tat?"

Actually, was replying to a post that disappeared. Not that I don't enjoy playin' tit for tat as that is political blogging in a nutshell.; 9/6/12, 3:14 PM
ricpic said...: ...I find Mitten completely unattractive...what am I to do?

Buy a pair of glasses.; 9/6/12, 3:31 PM
ricpic said...: Actually that should have been -- Buy a pair of corrective glasses.; 9/6/12, 3:33 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: shiloh said...

"You wanna play tit-for-tat?"

Actually, was replying to a post that disappeared. Not that I don't enjoy playin' tit for tat as that is political blogging in a nutshell

shiloh I find this comment odd, since you quote my comment directly, and I don't see any comments prior to yours that have been removed.

Still, I have to agree with you about tit-for-tat. In long threads there is always a watershed moment when the original subject matter gets submerged in Yo Mama so fat vituperation. There is an amazing correspondence between this watershed moment and the appearance of Love in the thread.; 9/6/12, 3:35 PM
ricpic said...: Obama is snakelike. Some women find that attractive.

He's like all the shits I've ever known, quite taken with themselves they are.

On this site freder, shiloh, garbage, hatboy absolutely, montana urban schmendrik spectacularly, Titus in his peculiar way: all shits taken with themselves. Oh, and I left out the shittiest shit of them all: roeschi, what a doll.; 9/6/12, 3:40 PM
Paul said...: If Romney wins it just might be because Obama has been an unmitigated disaster and someone with Romney's business acumen and record of turning things around seems like a sensible alternative.; 9/6/12, 4:13 PM
Paul said...: "Obama is snakelike"

I read somewhere that he looks like he's made out of earthworms. That struck me as inspired and poignant!; 9/6/12, 4:15 PM
Saint Croix said...: Dude, seriously, Sarah is 95%? Mitt is 99%?

I would call that result totally gay except Titus would be on my side, jumping up and down, yelling "tits!"

Exactly.

How do you miss that one? Even if I was an alien or a machine or some kinda non-humanoid, and I had some kinda weird scientific measure of beauty involving, I dunno, rulers and math, it's Sarah in a cakewalk.

She was like Princess Diana, if Princess Diana was a threat to world power. Did we not see all the rage in the planet swirling around this woman? Yes we did!

Not only was Sarah Palin going to take your welfare check from you, she was going to take your man, too!

Meanwhile, I'm liking Mitts more and more, but he's still Happy Snooze With Grandpa. Where's the passion? Where's the heat? Where are the women who will drop to their knees and...oh never mind it's too ridiculous.

Sarah fucking points at some poor schlub running for office and says "I like that one." And now we all like her too! It's junior high all over again. And Sarah's in charge!

She has to wait until she's a senior citizen to run again. That's how hot she is. She's too hot for fucking politics. She's a fucking grandmother and our hearts are still racing. Are you kidding me? She's still beating Bristol, for fuck's sake.

It's still Beatlemania on the right! Do you doubt me? Put her in a fucking stadium and charge tickets!

In another decade we'll all calm down. Maybe. She'll be like McCartney and Wings or something.

How smart is Sarah Palin? How good a President would she be? Who the fuck knows? Her beauty destabilizes our whole fucking culture, remember? We love Sarah! We hate Sarah! She put our entire culture into a shampoo commercial.

And I'm only half-joking!

Where are the journalists who are stalking Mitt Romney? Yeah, they're peeking in his windows, trying to get a glimpse of his...

income tax returns.

So, you know, when you downgrade Sarah to below Mitt beef, okay, that's crossing a line of reality and, and, and, I'll go back to science again.

What the fuck, man?; 9/6/12, 4:20 PM
ricpic said...: Palin is the total shtoop. I saw a picture of her standing at a podium and the camera was behind her and a little to the left and her legs, my gawd her legs. She's makes your ass fall out hot.; 9/6/12, 4:34 PM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: My cousin, a political agnostic, encountered Palin, still the governor, by herself running up a stairwell in the Alaska capitol building. Saying she was late for a legislative session, she stopped, steadied herself on his arm and took off her heels, "to run faster." He told be this story in a far-away voice, as if he had just interviewed a mermaid. He was impressed.; 9/6/12, 4:47 PM
Anonymous said...: "Obama is snakelike. Some women find that attractive."

Mary Matalin sure does.; 9/6/12, 5:27 PM
rcommal said...: Which is why women should not have the vote.

Fine. Will that mean wimen will be exempt from paying taxes?

Also, it's not as if a) men don't respind to attractiveness and b) different people don't respond to different types of attractive.; 9/6/12, 5:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Objectively speaking, both Hill and Pelosi were attractive when young. Years ago, I saw Jesse Jackson coming out of a library in DC, camera crew in tow, and was struck by his looks. In person, he has (or had) a presence that never came across to me when I saw on TV. I never thought Obama was handsome, but he's in good shape (if a tad too thin).

Romney is your type if you think Ward Cleaver was hot. I find Ryan quite handsome, but then I'm a sucker for the dark hair/baby blues combo (see also Ryan Braun and Aaron Rodgers). Ryan is also definitely not too skinny.

I think the VP debates should be conducted shirtless.; 9/6/12, 5:41 PM
gadfly said...: Palin vs Romney.Getting past the sociological studies that have no hard data other than opinion, we can look to the actual popularity of these candidates as recorded by the viewers of their convention speeches. Sarah Palin had 37.2 million viewers to Mitt Romney's 25.3 mlllion.; 9/6/12, 5:54 PM
furious_a said...: Rather than good looks directly affecting voters’ decisions...

...if Clint Eastwood had instead made the same speech in Charlotte lampooning Romney, the ladies (Maddow included) would have pitched their panties at the podium like it was a Tom Jones concert.; 9/6/12, 6:04 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Lindsey, what about Bill Clinton?

Heck, even Rachel Maddow wants to do him.

Hell. It sounds like Chris (slobbering fool) Matthews wants to do Bill also.; 9/6/12, 6:11 PM
wyo sis said...: I can't say I think Mitt Romney is that good looking. I know he must be because people say so, but he just looks like a lot of men I know.; 9/7/12, 12:39 AM