the candidate that looks the best wins
I don't know about you, but Nixon sure doesn't look good to me.
I saw a nice cartoon a couple days ago, of Hitlery dressed in a men's suit, holding up her stubby arms in a Nixon V for Victory sign, looking very much like Nixon. Wish I knew where that cartoon was now.
But between the two candidates at the time - Humphrey and Nixon and McGovern and Nixon - Nixon looked the best on television. Carter looked better than the tired looking Ford. Reagan - with his movie star looks - beat both Carter and Mondale. Bush looked better than the squat Dukakis. Clinton - whether you think so or not - looked better than Bush or Dole. And Bush 43 came looked better than Gore - more relaxed, more comfortable with himself.