12 - 2012 MR. America Pageant

Does Your Candidate Look Presidential Enough?

It is amazing to me that with the many problems we have in our
country, there are those who are still interested in whether or not
someone looks presidential. It comes up all of the time. And, don't
believe for a minute that these comments only come from those
cheesy media outlets that talk about one's looks based on a genuine
lack of knowledge about the real issues of an election. They really
don't have a choice except to focus on this perspective. They have
nothing else to talk about. But, it is sad that you might hear this
comment from mainstream media who has all of the tools, to at
least, be able to have a grasp on the real issues that face our
country.

But, even they will find time to include a portion of their
coverage or commentary to bring up the "who looks presidential"
comment. First of all, what does that statement even mean? If there
is a look that a candidate should strive for, what is that look and
who set that look as the standard? Is it short or tall? Is it black
or white or brown or a mix of the three? Is it overweight or slim?
Is it athletic or studious? Is it mature or youthful? What is this
look that we keep hearing about?

I took some time to review some people who had actually been
president. Surely, they would have the presidential look. They must
have it. If not, how did they get elected? I started with our first
President George Washington. President Washington is generally
considered to have been a good President, but his looks are a
different story. I'm not one to criticize, but George was not
necessarily an attractive man. Let’s face it … bad wig, unusually
common face, and a mouth full of wooden teeth. Did he look
presidential? Apparently to somebody ... he did. Sorry, but I don't
see it. By the way, his wife Martha was no beauty queen
either.

What about Honest Abe, our 16th president? He happens to be my
favorite president of all time. I read everything that I can get my
hands on concerning his presidency. But looks? Not so much! He was
tall and gangly. He had a nose that was eclipsing each time he
turned against the rays of the sun and a mole that every plastic
surgeon in 1863 Washington would have loved to get their scalpel
on. And, that chin-lined beard and top hat; need I say more? A
great president but not much for looks either.

What about Teddy Roosevelt? He served two terms and was generally
well respected. But, did he look like a president? Some might argue
that. When he put on his battle gear, he looked more like a
stand-in for The Crocodile Hunter. Dainja, Dainja!!! He seemed more
at home on the back of a horse than in the big seat of the
presidency. He wore those round glasses and accompanying lancet
very well but neither was very stylish. That look might have been
well suited for the land down under and someone with a slight
vision impairment, but it did not bode so well for a president. He
was a smart and courageous man, no doubt, but not so much of a
fashion icon. In his defense, very few men can carry off that
bloused trouser look. He gave it his best shot.

I would be remiss if I did not at least mention our 27th President,
William Howard Taft. You remember Mr. Taft don't you? He was the
heaviest President in our nation's history at over 300 pounds. He
was definitely substantial, but Presidential?... I'm not so sure.
Taft is the only President to actually get stuck in the White House
tub. I can't imagine he looked very Presidential at the time. He
wasn't much for looks, but you have to give him some credit. He
never met a meal that he didn't like. And, what about our fourth
President, James Madison? At only five foot, four inches and less
than 100 pounds, could he have possibly looked Presidential? Maybe
he was the first to coin the "light" phrase. As in Presidential-
Lite. I'm sure his parents were proud of the little rascal, but I
suspect that he looked much tinier than Presidential.

So who is it that someone would say looked presidential? Was it
Kennedy, was it Eisenhower, or maybe it is Obama? Although I do not
hold my breath every time a strong wind blows by those ears of our
current leader. On any given day, I expect him to take flight. I
have no idea what it means to look presidential. Is it one of our
current slates of candidates? I look at Gingrich, I look at Ron
Paul. Is that the look we are talking about? Really? If it is based
on sheer "easy on the eye" concept, maybe it is Romney or Perry. At
least, you can look them head on without putting one hand over your
eye as a natural filter. I think that whoever started this whole
business has been to one too many movies. Robert Redford and
Harrison Ford looked presidential in the movies, but we must not
forget they were acting. Come to think of it, maybe the line
between fact and fiction is not that different. Aren't they all
actors to some degree? Hey, it worked very well for Ronald Reagan.
He did pretty well at both. Someone once said that politics is show
business for ugly folks. I'm just saying.

Perhaps looks should have nothing to do with it and we just stick
with qualifications and abilities. Nah, it'll never happen. We'll
just keep searching for the candidate that has that look, whatever
it is, that looks presidential. Let's just be glad that Ben
Franklin never made it to the White House. He is responsible for so
many of the great things that have happened in our country, but I
challenge anyone to say that he had the look. He would add a factor
and an element to this whole formula that would require such a
corrective curve to the point that would never allow us to find the
look we are searching for. Give him his due. He was the originator
of bifocals and could work that mullet like it was nobody's
business. Most of us wish that his early, yet apparently long
lasting, fashion statement had also been struck by lightning on
that fateful night. It wasn't pretty then and it's not pretty
now.

So the search continues. We're not sure what is it but somebody has
it and we won't stop until we find it. It may, however, prove
difficult. In the meantime, here's looking at you. Feeling
Presidential?
About this column: Stan Hall is a victim advocate with the Gwinnett
County District Attorney's Office and Director of the Victim
Witness Program in Gwinnett County. He also writes a weekly column
and is host of a government access cable show, both of which are
titled "Behind the Badge."