Personality or Platform ? Your Choice
Candidate’s personalities play a big part in voters choices.
Americans are extremely focused on personality as a deciding factor in their vote. The media’s reportage often concentrates on the personality of the candidate over other issues.
At the same time, candidates of both parties emphasize the personality traits of their opponents that will create mistrust among voters, airing ads that question the honesty of their opponents while emphasizing their own fortitude and trustfulness.
But just what are good personality traits?
The Popular Vote
Judging by the plethora of political attack ads we are bombarded with, most candidates personalities can use some tweaking.
As election day draws near, there is still something to be learned from mid-century children’s Health Textbooks that were chock full of advise on developing desirable personality traits and keeping mentally fit.
“No matter what kind of work you planned to do,” we were told, “desirable personality traits will help you be more successful.”
A few last-minute tips to help the candidates.
The Politics of Personality
Candidates use their upbringing, religious affiliation, and family to appeal to voters
“It is important to be well liked and to make a good impression. We all want others to like us. We all want to be popular and to feel we are part of a group,” we learn in Today’s Health”a 1960 school book
“The foundation for an attractive mature personality is good mental health. A mentally healthy person expects to like and trust others and takes it for granted that others will like and trust him too.”
The increasing polarization between Democrats and Republican parties has caused many voters to identify as Independents, and this increasing lack of party affiliation has resulted in voting decisions based on personality
“Stand firmly for opinions if you feel they are right but respect those of others. Others will be more receptive of your ideas if you are willing to listen to theirs with appreciation for new and different viewpoints.”
Keeping Mentally Fit
“The person who is mentally fit does not take himself too seriously.”
“It is your responsibility to develop good mental health habits through gaining self-confidence, setting reasonable goals for yourself and learning to adjust cheerfully to your surroundings.”
Candidates use their own personal attributes to relate to voter and use the negative personal attributes of their opponents to dissuade voters from supporting them.
“The mentally fit person is willing to take a reasonable amount of constructive criticism and to improve himself. He does not run away from problems but tries instead to face reality and to adjust to it. He understands the emotional needs of others and tries to be considerate and courteous in his relationship with them.”
“He is a cooperative person.”
“Learn to use your emotions wisely and keep them under control is an important step in personality development.”
© Sally Edelstein and Envisioning The American Dream, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Sally Edelstein and Envisioning The American Dream with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
