That's Meade's prediction. I'm delighted by that prospect, because I'd like to see these 2 highly verbal guys tearing into the issues.
I see that back in March, Ann Coulter said Rand Paul could not be the GOP candidate because "You can't run a short candidate," which may or may not be true, but both Rahm and Rand are short(ish). Rahm is 5'7" and Rand is 5'8". I don't think that's actually short, but there is a tendency among male politicians to be tall. We could speculate about the personality traits that are linked with male tallness/shortness and what that entails in their politics.
Wikipedia has a nice article on "Human Height," which includes a chart of the average heights in all the different countries. For the United States, the average height for men is 5'9.5" (5'10" if you restrict it to men in their 20s, and 5'10.5" if you restrict it to white men 20-30).
I see that the average height for females is 5'4", which makes me taller than average, even though I have had people refer to me as "short," to which I've always responded "Actually, I'm exactly average." I will change that to "Actually, I'm taller than average." (I'm 5'5".)
Now, Ann Coulter is 6 feet tall, so we might speculate about the personality traits of very tall women and the politics that ensue, but I'll just say perhaps contempt toward less tall men seems likely.
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Women will have a very difficult time voting for a male presidential candidate who less than six feet tall (give or take an inch). Accordingly, any party not attuned to this simple fact is at an extreme disadvantage -- especially if that part begins with an R.
This is one reason why the R's running John McCain was nuts.
Have you ever heard the old legend that Jesus of Nazareth was exactly 6' tall, and that no one since has ever been exactly that tall? It seems to be a common belief among Christian fundamentalists; I first read of it in Manly Wade Wellman's "Silver John" stories.
So far Rand Paul is impressing me. I could give a rip how tall he is...
I could give a rip how tall he is...
It's main impact in on low info voters and it's largely subconscious.
William Shatner claims to be 5'-10" tall.
Maybe but I doubt it.
One thing's for sure: no guy ever in the history of the entire Universe has ever lied hoping people would think his dick is smaller than it actually is.
I would think that the only height considerations to take into account would be the differential.
If two candidates were 5'7" and 5'8", that is not going to have much of an impact. It is not like many people see their candidates in person these days. Most exposure comes through TV.
Now if one candidate was 5'7" and the other was 6'2", that would be a glaring contrast easily detectable during TV debates and would have an effect on LIV's.
Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.
1 Sameuel 9:2
Tippytoes?
Mayor of Murder City?
You must be joking, although the Demos' gene pool is getting pretty shallow.
Nomennovum said...
I could give a rip how tall he is...
It's main impact in on low info voters and it's largely subconscious.
John Adams was so short and squat, his detractors called him His Rotundity while he was POTUS.
Those were different times, of course.
And this of course explains the successful presidential campaigns of Bill Bradley.
I think most women are pretty versatile regarding men's height. Men are more likely than women to underestimate a man because of his lack of height, in my opinion.
Scarlett Johansson Boyfriend Robot says: Scarlett says she could Never Vote for a Republican and I am Behind Her One-Thousand Percent.
I once voted for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and he wasn't even running!
I see Rand Paul as kind of a mirror image of John McCain.
McCain is rock solid on foreign policy but breaks with conservatives on the many domestic issues: McCain-Feingold, his idiotic comments to Apple recently, etc. To make up for his domestic policy deficiencies, he adopts a persona of a truth-telling maverick. The left-wing media love him because he's an attractive, well-spoken character who is not rigidly ideological and will often indirectly throw support to the Democrats as he "tells it like it is."
You only have to flip domestic issues for foreign policy ones and a young McCain morphs into Rand Paul.
It's probably why the two guys hate each other so. Conservatives so frustrated with McCain's loss to Obama can't see they're pretty much making the same mistake again.
Meade called it first.
The rest of you can catch up later.
Put on your ballet shoes and leap forward.
Scarlett Johansson Boyfriend Robot says: Scarlett is Very Politically Aware, I tell her that All of the Time: she is Not Just Beautiful.
John Adams was so short and squat, his detractors called him His Rotundity while he was POTUS. Those were different times, of course. - edutcher
Indeed they were: Women couldn't vote!
Scarlett Johansson Boyfriend Robot says: If Women Were Still Denied the Vote I would Cast My Vote for Whomever She Chooses; it would Only Be Right.
I'd vote for not tall Paul.
Somewhere there's a presidential plywood model of a clown saying "You must be this tall to run for president."
Maybe in Ann Coulter's garage.
Well, without reading the comments, I think RE will be all F* this, F* that, and F* this and that.
Rand Paul is more literate.
(Chicago seems to be spinning down the spiral staircase pretty slickly, doncha think? How does one run on that?)
Ann Althouse said...
Put on your ballet shoes and leap forward.
Very droll, Madame.
PS Was he sober when he made this prognostication?
Nomennovum said...
John Adams was so short and squat, his detractors called him His Rotundity while he was POTUS. Those were different times, of course.
Indeed they were: Women couldn't vote!
Why they were called The Good Old Days.
I don't have any doubt that Ann Coulter would vote for Paul. She has her critics but she is a conservative, I like her.
Exactly Average Ann Althouse -- now that you are in late middle age, have you not detected a slight shrinkage?
You might want to have Meade use his ruler and tape measure, and put a mark on the door jamb.
Surprise!
As for "height" and elections -- with these two guys -- with all things being equal (which they are not, of course) -- it would be Rand Paul before a heartbeat.
I thought Shaun Hannity was a short guy after seeing him and his former co-host Colmes standing back to back one time on tv but he said he was 6 feet tall, Colmes must be really tall.
Tall Paul, short Paul, it matters not. He's the best of the bunch so far. And that includes Chris Christie ..... who could campaign in three time zones at the same time.
Rahn Emanuel is quite tall when standing on top of the dead bodies from any given weekend in Chicago.
"In Rahm's Way" (2016) Directed by Auto-Premonition
A towel-snapping officer reprimanded during Barack Obama's first term is later promoted to rear admirer and gets a second chance to prove himself against the enema.
OTOH, given their their track record, the American public could elect anybody. Obama in 2008 .... anybody could make a mistake with their vote. But again in 2012? Kathleen Sebelius (aka John F. Kerry's twin) could probably win.
Rahm is 5'7"
Which explains the silly tough guy act.
I hate these short dudes who think they are all tough.
Rahm Emanuel, to finish Chicagoize the whole damn country.
Rand Paul, to look to the future with clear eyes.
I hate these short dudes who think they are all tough.
What if they actually are tough?
Rand Paul would be survivable as president, maybe even decent... but Mr. Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste? God help us... though if we put that despicable soul into office we surely wouldn't deserve any help.
John Kerry towered over George W. Bush.
I love Coulters acerbic wit, but are women supposed to have an Adams apple?
@ the Bat
I met Capt. Kirk decades ago(in my teens) and I remember him being about as tall as my dad (5' 8")
There have always been 2 sets of actors in Hollyweird.
The normal sized guys (Kirk, Charlie Bronson, Bob Conrad) and the big/tall guys (The Duke, Hank Fonda, Jimmy Stewart, Clint Walker).
What if they actually are tough?
It has been my experience that tough people generally don't go looking for trouble and peacocking about as a pipsqueak like Rahm does.
"I love Coulters acerbic wit, but are women supposed to have an Adams apple?"
I never noticed her adams apple until Chris Matthews or John Stewart said something about it and now I can't help noticing it, it is unattractive for a woman.
I hate these short dudes who think they are all tough.
Jimmy Cagney was 5' 5".
Our first Jewish president? Would he be the first Jewish candidate from main party?
When are people going to link Rahm to all of this corruption that occurred in the Obama administration? If he runs, I say we all start mailing dead fishes to his home, office and campaign headquarters.
Would he be the first Jewish candidate from main party? -- phx
Wasn't the Rev. Jesse Jackson from Hymietown?
Wasn't the Rev. Jesse Jackson from Hymietown?
You never miss a snarky race post. I wonder why.
You never miss a snarky race post. I wonder why.
You never miss an opportunity to question motives. I wonder why.
You never miss an opportunity to question motives. I wonder why.
You needn't wonder. It's cause I got you pegged, Shorty.
It's cause I got you pegged, Shorty.
I seriously doubt it, lefty.
Rahm who only got to run for Mayor after a friendly judge ruled he hadn't moved to D.C. (though he bought a house, claimed resident RE tax exemption in DC, and converted his home to a rental property which I'm sure he claimed depreciation).
Laws are only strictly enforced for Republicans in Chicago.
BDNYC said...
John Kerry towered over George W. Bush.
So did Addams Family's Lurch, the towering butler.
I'm shocked that you would use 'Ann Coulter' and the word 'contempt' in the same sentence.
I like Rand Paul. Considering the political legacy we've had lately from tall presidents, I'm willing to give a not-so-tall candidate a try.
Imagine the 2016 dem primaries:a trifecta composed of Rahman, Hillary and Joe Biden. The sad fact the country is quite capable electing one of those three. It used to be said that God loves drunks, fools and the United States of America. I'm starting to have my doubts about the Almighties affections.
Who the heck would Rahm possibly appeal to beyond the true believer hard left?
How tall is Hillary?
I'll bet she can make herself real small when dodging sniper fire.
I like Rand Paul. Considering the political legacy we've had lately from tall presidents, I'm willing to give a not-so-tall candidate a try.
That's just silly. It's the right-handed left-handed thing.
Nomennovum said...
I hate these short dudes who think they are all tough.
What if they actually are tough?
They usually don't act it.
Wyo sis won the thread.
I bet Hobbs is tall.
Never happen. As with Romney's Mormonism, Rahm's religion is a stealth disqualifier with a significant portion of low-information independents. Which is most of them.
Hillary's reported height is in the range of 5' 6" or 5'7". Based on the one time I saw her in person in Davenport, Iowa, where I snapped a couple of close-up hotos of her with a couple of kids, that seems about right, though I'd lean to the lower range. I'm 5'1-1/2" myself (and married to a full 6 footer), so I tend to be pretty good at height estimations for men and women if I get close enough to them. Not that I'm infallible, of course, far from it.
Interesting to speculate if due to conscious or unconscious height expectations for men vs. women, Hillary would seem taller than Rahman or Rand, though there within the same range.
"I hate these short dudes who think they are all tough."
What if they actually are tough?
They usually don't act it. - Rusty
I think everyone is reading too much into my question. I was more of a wisecrack response to the first statement. If the statement had instead said, "I hate these short dudes who act like they are all tough as compensation for their lack of size," I would agree. I am sure that that was precisely what was meant, but that was not what was said. As an analogy, some dumb people think they are smart, but they are not (and they come accross as bumptious). However, most smart people also think they are smart, and that is proper.
Same thing with short people. Some weak short people think they are tough, and that is silly. Most tough short people think they are tough, and what's wrong with that? If you're tough, you're tough. The best person to know that is yourself.
Hillary would be a lot taller, if she stood on a stack of Bibles.
This is Dukakis all over again, except the faces are new. Rahm Emmanuel will just end up looking like Anthony Weiner doing this.
Rahm is the one person who could outraise Hillary.
Rand Paul couldn't run for re-election as Senator while running for President, at least not in a general election. My guess is Rand wouldn't give up the cushy sincecure in the Senate.
It would be good to see Rahm as the Democrats' candidate because if he's planning to run he'll have to start by fixing the innumerable ills of Chicago, and that city needs some serious fixing if it's not going to go the way of Detroit.
But two things bother me about all this. First, 2016 is a long way away. The candidates won't be selected for at least another 36months, and who knows whose star will rise in the interim and whose will fall in the interim? Second, articles about which person wins or loses are simply wrong-headed. What is best for the United States? According to some economic models we could be in hyperinflaction well before 2016. What sort of person and what sort of policies would be best to deal with that possibility? (Probability?)
Rahm is cute, in a Tony Curtis kind of way.
Plus, he has a non-Stepford-looking wife.
And he doesn't have a crazy-old-guy-in-the attic father.
"And he doesn't have a crazy-old-guy-in-the attic father. "
But he does have a brother who is biologically attached to Obamacare.
PS: When will spellcheck recognize Obamacare?
Rahm Emanuel is certainly the only potential 2016 candidate with a missing finger.
Peter
Why not? First black President followed by first Jewish president. Can Hillary break the losing streak for the women?
Why not? First black President followed by first Jewish president.
Why the hell should we have two Presidents back-to-back from Chicago? What the hell is so special and great about that town (besides its dirty politics) which should lead us anywhere better? I don't get it. Why is Rahm seen as being any tougher with unions than say Chris Christie? What does Rahm have to offer the electorate that didn't vote for Obama? In short, what are the guy's positives?
I'd love to see Hillary vs Rahm. Coupla Chicago guys playing knuckles with each other.
Maybe we'll get to see Hillary doing shots in a bar again.
phx: "Why not? First black President followed by first Jewish president. Can Hillary break the losing streak for the women?"
Before we're done, Hillary will suddenly "discover" some long lost family lore which "proves" she is Jewish.
What is Rahms real name?
Rahm Emanuel is certainly the only potential 2016 candidate with a missing finger.
Peter
Hillary Clinton is certainly the only potential 2016 candidate with a missing peter.
Interestingly enough, short people - both men and women - face a lot of discrimination in China, especially for professional jobs. 50 years of Communism and this is what the result is: forget about a job with a top law firm if you're a short boy or any kind of girl.
Chris Christie may or may not be able to get significantly [enough] thinner, but Rahm, Rand and Hillary will never be able to grow even one actual inch taller, biologically and physically speaking. (But, at his height, if Chris does lose enough weight, he will look more like that height he actually is.)
Sarkozy heightened his stature as president of France: link
El Pollo Raylan: See "actual," "biologically" and "physically."
"How tall is Hillary?"
Morally or physically? Physically she's above average. Morally she's a dwarf.
And yet, I have a bad feeling that America will have Hillary! fever in 2016, as the Republicans nominate another Romney/bush/mccain/dole RINO establishment loser.
I mean why vote for some social liberal, neo-con, who wants to invade the world, invite the world, and hates middle America when Hillary! can offer the same thing, with some Bill Clinton on the side.
Think of all of the fun we'll have as Bill and Hillary! reunite for a second tour.
This time its Hillary on top!
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