Is this one ok?
Posted on 02/27/2011 3:05:46 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Rightwing candidates are better looking than their leftwing counterparts, something they benefit from during elections, according to a study conducted by Swedish and Finnish economists.
"One possible explanation is that people who are seen or consider themselves beautiful tend to be more anti-egalitarian and rightwing," Niclas Berggren, one of the three co-authors of the study, told AFP Wednesday.
The study compared election results from parliamentary and municipal elections held in Finland in 2003 and 2004 respectively with an online poll of non-Finns to determine how the 1,357 participating Finnish candidates ranked in terms of beauty.
More than 2,500 non-Finns were shown photographs of each candidate, with no indication of which side of the political spectrum they stood on, and were asked to rank them on a scale from one (very ugly) to five (very beautiful).
"We establish two main results. First, we find that the candidates on the right look better than the candidates on the left. Second, we find a greater effect of good looks, in terms of more votes for candidates on the right," the report states.
Berggren pointed out that "several studies have shown that good looks bring more votes, but we believe we're the first to analyse this in terms of political sides."
Explaining the findings, he said that globally, "the left perhaps traditionally has used a more rational approach.
The right meanwhile, "has been more conscious of the importance of looks," he said, pointing to the examples of Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin in the United States.
The study also shows that the "beauty premium" for garnering votes is more apparent in municipal elections than in a national vote.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
Then how the hell did I become a conservative? I was a pimply dork in high school who got picked on. No hit with the girls, either. I didn’t have that much fun in college, either. I did not like American society much, but to my credit, I did like the country.
Yes, I was a liberal, but as I read the Washington Times during a jobless period in my life, I became more conservative. I eventually joined Free Republic. And the various actions of government and liberals (and people in general) since only reaffirms my current, conservative/libertarian veiwpoint. I still have women problems, I’m overweight and still fighting acne, and sometimes, I despise all of humanity. Yet, I’m still conservative, respectful of individual rights, and willing to work on my problems.
Please explain people like me, Mr. Orange Hoof!
(Mabye I should throw away my Smiths CDs and start acting more positive.)
OK, I admit, I didn’t read the “hard-and-fast” rule part, but still, without casting any doubt on your hypothesis, I must admit, I AM an exception to your rule at this point in time.
Furthermore, there must be a LOT of misfits and outcasts (an unrealistic idea to me) for Obamao to have won.
I read the article.
This is the kind of thing that makes me wonder why so many people worship God. You’d think He’d make unattractive people more gifted, better in bed, or whatever, to compensate for what was taken away from them by the genetic lottery.
This idea (beautiful = more intelligent) automatically puts GATTACA-like visions into my head.
People should not be worshipping God (or man, Heaven forbid). They should be worshipping the fact that the world can be a cold, cruel place, and learn to deal with that fact.
Is this one ok?
And that's my point. You fell in with the outcasts. But you matured and grew up. A lot of liberals do that because one day they realize how illogical and vapid they are raging against the machine and decide to embrace the right (and the Right).
So, there you are Mr. TSR. A reformed liberal. And probably a more content and wiser man than a lot of the liberal friends you left behind. Possibly better looking too.
LOL. Never seen her look better!
I’ve had a similar hypothesis although you articulate it better and put a slightly different twist on it. I’ve always felt that when the outcasts grow older, they view the successful conservatives as the people they resented when they were growing up and side politically with the group that will screw them over.
Most definitely.
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