# Has the uglier candidate ever been elected president? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 28, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847 "2004-03-28T02:40:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/21 "2004-03-28T12:50:06Z")
I think it is only at the extremes where it becomes a factor (here in the TV age): 1. The candidate is (by politician’s standards) an extremely attractive combination of appearance and charm. Appearance here needn’t be pretty-boy model good looks. It’s whether the overall combination is charismatic. JFK is an example. Clinton managed this too. So did Reagan. It was an attractiveness to the electorate that transcended their platforms or messages. 2. The candidate is awkward, clumsy, and/or repulsive in such a way that this particular combination is also remarkable, a factor often commented on. Dukakis, his head protruding from a tank like a turtle, springs to mind. He became something of an object of derision just from the impression he gave physically (IMO). He was the rare person who could make the elder Bush seem charismatic by comparison. Ford’s clumsiness was also a real factor, I believe, his model days notwithstanding (I wasn’t aware of this). And, as noted, Nixon versus Jack is probably the textbook example where the contrast made the case: the sullen, low-browed, five-o’clock-shadowed hump versus the wavy-haired, athletic-looking, vital young man with the handsome smile. Nixon would later win, but not then, not with this “charisma gap.” Anything where both candidates are in between and it’s not a major differentiating factor. Just as previously mentioned–I mean, who is better looking, Gore or Bush? That’s a tight race between two guys running 16 second 100-yard dashes. :shrug: ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/22 "2004-03-28T14:32:07Z")
> [@SettingSun](#): > > No, just the fact that the man couldn’t even stand up to be measured for his height and got elected 4 times. Apparently he could stand up, if he could brace himself with his arms. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/23 "2004-03-28T14:43:19Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > When you are my age (60), Kerry is enormously good looking. He was hot thirty years ago. (Hubba, hubba) Eh, I saw his 'Nam era mug on the cover of _The Atlantic_ a few months back, and it just confirmed what I always said: He looks like Jay Leno. Still, it’s better than Kucinich, who looks, frankly, like Gollum. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/24 "2004-03-28T14:54:55Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > During the 1960 Presidential debates, Kennedy wore TV makeup, but Nixon did not. I believe that I read that in _The Making of the President_, but it’s been several decades ago. The author may have been Theodore White. You don’t remember that debate and all that was said about Kennedy looking so good and Nixon looking like a ghost? I guess my extra 5 years makes the difference. > [@](#): > > The elder George Bush was a looker when he was young and the current President wasn’t too bad. I still prefer the young Al Gore. I can’t find a picture to prove it, but even Barbara Bush was attractive when she was young. > [@](#): > > The older I get, the better looking Eisenhower gets. 😃 Yeah, several years ago my father-in-law (God rest his soul) thought Maggie Thatcher was a real looker. > [@](#): > > When you are my age (60), Kerry is enormously good looking. He was hot thirty years ago. (Hubba, hubba) Maybe I should have saved my story about Maggie Thatcher for this one. 😉 > [@](#): > > It may be hard to imagine now, but Teddy was the handsomest of the youngest three Kennedy boys. He started going down hill after the swim from Martha’s Vineyard to the mainland. > [@](#): > > BTW, for the record, I find short men as attractive as tall men. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/25 "2004-03-28T15:45:10Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > No, I don’t think anyone considered Abe a “dreamboat.” In his day there were many, many political cartoons that compared him to various species of primate other than homo sapiens. That was fairly common in that day; editorial cartoons, and editorials, were nastier then. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/26 "2004-03-28T15:46:29Z")
JFK huh? Hmm…there’s bound to be a **Blonde** joke there somewhere. 😃 Sorry hun, I just couldn’t resist. (t-k…ducks and runs) FDR on the other hand was 6’ 2" and very handsome as a young man. There are lots of photos of him [here](http://history1900s.about.com/library/photos/blyfdr52.htm) **"The people"** rarely got to see the man. What they got was the image, hey, he’s a Roosevelt…(I’m not comparing the ethics, morals, administration or anything else for that matter, other than the namesake. But it’s kinda like, our current chief. Hey, he’s a BUSH… ) Most remembered FDR’s appearance from newspapers and the shots were almost always staged. FDR standing at Harvard, standing in wedding, standing on honeymoon, sitting in boat, sitting with family, standing on the Battleship Texas, it was actually a surprise to some that he was in a wheelchair at all. As far as the tallest candidate winning is concerned, [here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_308.html) is **Cecil’s** opinion on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/27 "2004-03-28T21:25:53Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > Abraham Lincoln. Didn’t Lincoln run against Douglas, who was short tubby little man? Maybe in 1860 that was considered better looking. Nixon vs. HHH. Hard to say. Humphrey was balding, as I recall, but Nixon couldn’t exactly be called good looking either. (I’m bald myself, but am trying to be completely objective about this). Speaking of baldness, I think Eisenhower is the last president we had who was bald. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/28 "2004-03-28T21:33:49Z")
One shouldn’t judge his appearance entirely on the well known photos that show him to be a tired, prematurely aged man. He was actually one of the youngest men to have been elected president up to his time, if not the youngest. There are pictures of him early in his presidency, and earlier in life, when he seems to have been a rather good looking man. Of course that 6’4" height must have seemed preposterous in those days. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/29 "2004-03-28T22:29:05Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Speaking of baldness, I think Eisenhower is the last president we had who was bald. Are you forgetting [Gerald Ford](http://www.dke.org/time876.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/30 "2004-03-28T22:35:52Z")
[Gerald Ford](http://www.ford.utexas.edu/avproj/hseries/h41-2b.gif), high school graduation photo. [Ford](http://www.ford.utexas.edu/avproj/hseries/h14-1b.gif) playing football for Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/31 "2004-03-29T02:18:31Z")
I was amazed at how much taller Kerry is than Carter. I don’t think America is known for producing a handsome candidate much less president. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/32 "2004-03-29T03:14:06Z")
> [@Michael Ellis](#): > > Eh, I saw his 'Nam era mug on the cover of _The Atlantic_ a few months back, and it just confirmed what I always said: He looks like Jay Leno. > > Still, it’s better than Kucinich, who looks, frankly, like Gollum. I had some Star Wars parody computer game where part of it was a gene splicer that would allow you to cross any two of a list of Star Wars characters to get a result. If I remember correctly (I don’t think I have the CD anymore and I ain’t going to go looking and install it) crossing Yoda with–I’m not sure who, but somehow R2-D2 sticks in my mind–gave you Ross Perot. And you’re right about Kerry, now that I think about it. He [does](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,102873,00.html) look like Leno. (Click the picture on the right with Kerry sitting in a chair). ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/33 "2004-03-29T03:45:16Z")
Eh, I think Kerry’s the better-looking candidate, but that may be just cos of my odd personal preferences (I think he’s cute). I still can’t see Bush as looking like anything other than a bipedal chimpanzee. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/34 "2004-03-29T03:54:12Z")
**Walloon** , those photos of Gerald Ford are eye-opening! In the movie _When Harry Met Sally_, there is a scene near the beginning where Sally is saying goodbye to her boyfriend (at the airport, I think). Her boyfriend was played by President Ford’s son. I think that he looked a lot like his father did. Am I the only one that thought that Dukakis was nice looking? Loved those eyes! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/35 "2004-03-29T04:00:54Z")
Who ran against Taft? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/36 "2004-03-29T04:06:40Z")
For a photo of Ike at West Point in 1915, click the link below, then select “West Point” from the column on the left. Double click the left photo on the third row for a close up. [http://www.eisenhower.utexas.edu/avsl.htm](http://www.eisenhower.utexas.edu/avsl.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Jaade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@Jaade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaade)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847/37 "2004-03-29T04:12:44Z")
I’ve read several accounts that state that Lincoln would not have been electable in the TV age. His voice was unusual, and some even went so far as to say he was “scary looking”. I do not believe that he was ever considered to be good looking, even in his time. As for the uglier candidate being elected? I think Gore (in his first term as VP) was by far better looking than any picture I’ve seen of GWB. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-uglier-candidate-ever-been-elected-president/236847.md?page=1)