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View Full Version : If Ron Paul was a better dresser he'd be higher in the polls




Pete Kay
12-05-2007, 09:46 AM
I know that this seems trivial, but it's true. The first time I saw Ron Paul was at the first Republican debates. I loved what he said, but what also made an impression on me was that he looked Presidential. He looked really sharp in a nice fitted suit and was well groomed. I have seen Dr. Paul many times looking kind of frumpy and unkempt. It doesn't bother me at all, because I already have an opinion of him, but at the same time I wonder about other poeople's first impressions of him.

The truth is, if he made an effort to be well groomed and presentable, it would really help his delivery of his message. It's makes the difference from people seeing him as eccentric and seeing him as looney. When I saw him on The View, he wore that dark and drab suit and he really looked out of place. Something as simple as wearing a lighter colored suit can help him sell his candidacy to certain people. I wish that the campaign would take notice of this.

A lot of people make their decisions about Presidential candidates based soley on looks and gut feelings. We all know that's not the way it should be, but we also have to be realistic about the way this country is.

pcosmar
12-05-2007, 09:52 AM
I have always found him to be well dressed. I would be fine with his message if he wore a T-shirt and shredded Jeans, or maybe Buck skin.
The last thing I want is another empty suit.

kylejack
12-05-2007, 09:53 AM
Not crazy about the shoes. He has been dressing nicer lately, though.

ItsTime
12-05-2007, 09:56 AM
He is a very skinny man (because he works out all the time) I bet it is hard to find clothes that fit properly. However every time I have met him he seemed to be dressed really nicely and smelling great. I LOVED this shirt he was wearing.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d76/esotericmind23/ronpaul040.jpg

RPFTW!
12-05-2007, 10:09 AM
I can't say I've ever given Ron Paul's clothes a second though. Or any guys for that matter.

RonPaulJunkie
12-05-2007, 10:12 AM
ehhh.. If the type of stuff he is wearing now is turning people off then we are worse off than I thought. :(

Quick
12-05-2007, 10:16 AM
"I really like Ron Paul and all his positions, I think he'd make a great president, but he isn't the best dresser. I'm voting for Rudy."

That isn't something we need to worry about. ;)

DeepBlu
12-05-2007, 10:17 AM
"I really like Ron Paul and all his positions, I think he'd make a great president, but he isn't the best dresser. I'm voting for Rudy."

That isn't something we need to worry about. ;)

Well, it's more subconscious than that. I think the original poster has a point.

hopeforamerica
12-05-2007, 10:19 AM
Yeah, I want a really polished look. One like....Romeny's. NOT!!!

deedles
12-05-2007, 10:22 AM
Appearance does count. He always looks very nice, but not always presidential. Sometimes professor-esque. He looks good in dark suits with white shirts and simple ties. Colored shirts ain't gettin' it, IMO.

Harry96
12-05-2007, 10:26 AM
Everyone makes subconscious judgments about others based on their appearance. So why not take every advantage you can get?

I've never really seen him look bad, but he also never looks exceptional. He could make some minor changes and look much more presidential. My biggest problem is that he tends to wear ugly, cheap-looking ties.

RonPaulFTFW
12-05-2007, 10:27 AM
I put more stock in his humble demeanor and gracious smile even when he's being attacked.

That speaks louder than anything he might wear.

RonPaulCult
12-05-2007, 10:29 AM
I say anybody that is THAT superficial would be voting for Romney in the first place.

Pete Kay
12-05-2007, 10:32 AM
"I really like Ron Paul and all his positions, I think he'd make a great president, but he isn't the best dresser. I'm voting for Rudy."

That isn't something we need to worry about. ;)

It is something to worry about. People make quick judgements based on first impressions. When someone is runnning for President one of the first things people do is try to envision that person as President. It's no differnet than a job interview. He needs to sell himself. It's the whole package. I've seen him look really great sometimes (especially debates), but other times his hair is all messy and he looks really tired. We can forgive that because we love Ron Paul, but somebody looking at him for the first time might just turn the channel.

BuddyRey
12-05-2007, 10:33 AM
I'd like to see him in casual attire when he appears on these network TV shows. It puts people at ease to see potential leaders dressing like normal people. I saw him in a pullover sweater once and nearly flipped out!

Pete Kay
12-05-2007, 10:35 AM
I'd like to see him in casual attire when he appears on these network TV shows. It puts people at ease to see potential leaders dressing like normal people. I saw him in a pullover sweater once and nearly flipped out!

Yeah, he wore a nice sweater vest in the interview with Wolf Blitzer. It was a good look for him.

RonPaulJunkie
12-05-2007, 10:36 AM
If people are looking for a slick dressed political that exactly what they will get IMO. I have actually heard people say its nice to see a normal looking guy that you can relate to.

BuddyRey
12-05-2007, 10:37 AM
Yeah, he wore a nice sweater vest in the interview with Wolf Blitzer. It was a good look for him.

That's it! That's the one!

I agree, he looked very avuncular and dignified (even moreso than usual! :D)

Brian Bailey
12-05-2007, 10:38 AM
Yeah, he wore a nice sweater vest in the interview with Wolf Blitzer. It was a good look for him.

I agree, I liked the sweater look.

He looked pretty worn out during that interview. I found myself wondering if he was catching a cold. I pictured Mrs. Paul making sure he had a sweater on before he went out the door to be on national television.

hopeforamerica
12-05-2007, 10:39 AM
If people are looking for a slick dressed political that exactly what they will get IMO. I have actually heard people say its nice to see a normal looking guy that you can relate to.

+1

The Plan
12-05-2007, 10:39 AM
This is BS. Ron Paul dresses like a pimp dawg!!!!
The only thing i didn't like on the view is that his posture looked bad when he first came on.

tmg19103
12-05-2007, 10:44 AM
His suits are off-the-rack and don't fit well (I was in the corporate world for 15 years and still have about $10,000 worth of custom fit suits wasting away in my closet and I really noticed RP's suit not fitting on Leno by not draping down his waist but rather sticking out and later saw one on the Situation Room that was a size too big in the shoulders) and his hair has been a little unkempt lately.

I guess you could argue it either way - he does not look presdiential enough, or he is positioning himself as an average American who is not part of the corporate/CFR elite.

Early on in the spring his hair was shorter and well combed and his suits fit better (maybe he lost weight with all this campaigning). I sometimes wonder if this is a plan from the comapaign to differentiate him as the best "fit" for average Americans.

I'm torn on this if it is a concerted camapign effort. I think average America WANTS to see a presidential looking candidate, but if the frumpled RP is the real RP, then he should be himself - because that's what he has been on his platform.

By a slight margin, I personally feel he should get fitted suits and clean up the hair.

tmg19103
12-05-2007, 10:45 AM
This is BS. Ron Paul dresses like a pimp dawg!!!!
The only thing i didn't like on the view is that his posture looked bad when he first came on.

True on the posture. Also noticed it a little on Leno. He should stand up straighter.

Pete Kay
12-05-2007, 10:48 AM
This is BS. Ron Paul dresses like a pimp dawg!!!!
The only thing i didn't like on the view is that his posture looked bad when he first came on.

Yeah, he's a bit of a sloucher. Most Presidential campaigns have people that help the candidate with issues like these. It's crazy to think that they don't matter. George Bush was hammered for his bad posture in the first debate with Kerry and I've met people that said they didn't vote for Kerry just because he looked like Lurch from the Addams Family.

I know that it offends some to you to even bring this up because it seems so superficial, but people are superficial. If you don't believe me ask yourself, "If Ron Paul looked liked Danny Devito, would anybody think he had a shot at the Presidency?'

JMann
12-05-2007, 10:55 AM
Paul should have nicely tailored suits. I doubt anyone that has contributed would complain if the campaign bought him 10k worth of tailored suits and some nice (yet still comfortable) shoes.

RP probably hates stuff like this but in a campaign you can't always let the candidate call the shots. They should take a shopping day in New York and get a haircut and some spa treatment. No one wants him to become Johnny Edwards but a little refreshing isn't a bad thing. He deserves to take a day for himself and for the benefit of his campaign.

atthegates
12-05-2007, 10:55 AM
the first republican debate was by far his best performance.

The Plan
12-05-2007, 10:56 AM
Yeah, he's a bit of a sloucher. Most Presidential campaigns have people that help the candidate with issues like these. It's crazy to think that they don't matter. George Bush was hammered for his bad posture in the first debate with Kerry and I've met people that said they didn't vote for Kerry just because he looked like Lurch from the Addams Family.

I know that it offends some to you to even bring this up because it seems so superficial, but people are superficial. If you don't believe me ask yourself, "If Ron Paul looked liked Danny Devito, would anybody think he had a shot at the Presidency?'

Who knows?
Rudy looks like Nosferatu and Richard Nixon looked like Troll.
If you ask me i think it's actually more important to show a little temper sometimes. Sometimes i wish Ron would just let loose on one of these assholes for a second. He needs to show that he has some fire like he did in that first Fox debate. He should have acted much more offended at McCain than he did in the CNN debate.

MS0453
12-05-2007, 10:59 AM
Lol This thread made me do a little google search and I came upon the "Style Guy" (www.men.style.com) Best and Worst World Leader's blog.

Post on Paul Reads:

Texas Congressman and M.D. Ron Paul, my personal favorite Republican candidate, ran for president in 1988 as a Libertarian. He's an old-fashioned G.O.P. guy, for small government and staying out of international involvement. He's actually a Republican against the Iraq war who voted against the Patriot Act. Stylistically he has the unusual quality of looking like he's alive and human. He's thin, sprightly, and personable; sort of Buddy Ebsen-like. Think of a much more attractive Frank Perdue. He's slim and generally wears his clothes well

For a politician he's not a style clone and, like many M.D.s, he likes brave ties.

My only style tip for the good doctor is that he doesn't really need shoulder pads and should always go for a natural shoulder, since he's a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy. He tells it like it is, and his ideas (like abolishing the IRS, not to mention the Department of Homeland Security) are so good he's labeled a kook, just like the independent Mr. Kucinich is labeled a kook. Don't believe it. This guy has true style. ("true style" is a link to the RP courageously speaks the truth video on youtube.)

http://men.style.com/gq/blogs/styleguy/style/index.html

link with the pictures, etc.

tmg19103
12-05-2007, 11:08 AM
Lol This thread made me do a little google search and I came upon the "Style Guy" (www.men.style.com) Best and Worst World Leader's blog.

Post on Paul Reads:

Texas Congressman and M.D. Ron Paul, my personal favorite Republican candidate, ran for president in 1988 as a Libertarian. He's an old-fashioned G.O.P. guy, for small government and staying out of international involvement. He's actually a Republican against the Iraq war who voted against the Patriot Act. Stylistically he has the unusual quality of looking like he's alive and human. He's thin, sprightly, and personable; sort of Buddy Ebsen-like. Think of a much more attractive Frank Perdue. He's slim and generally wears his clothes well

For a politician he's not a style clone and, like many M.D.s, he likes brave ties.

My only style tip for the good doctor is that he doesn't really need shoulder pads and should always go for a natural shoulder, since he's a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy. He tells it like it is, and his ideas (like abolishing the IRS, not to mention the Department of Homeland Security) are so good he's labeled a kook, just like the independent Mr. Kucinich is labeled a kook. Don't believe it. This guy has true style. ("true style" is a link to the RP courageously speaks the truth video on youtube.)

http://men.style.com/gq/blogs/styleguy/style/index.html

link with the pictures, etc.

Interesting to note this is from six months ago when his suits fit better. Like I said, I wonder if he has lost weight on the campaign trail because all the signs lately point to his suits looking a size too big.

EDIT: also note how clean cut his hair is six months ago in the "Ron Paul Courageously Speaks the Truth" vid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7d_e9lrcZ8

BuddyRey
12-05-2007, 11:34 AM
I know that it offends some to you to even bring this up because it seems so superficial, but people are superficial. If you don't believe me ask yourself, "If Ron Paul looked liked Danny Devito, would anybody think he had a shot at the Presidency?'

I completely disagree. This may very well be the case for your average political candidate, but someone like Ron Paul could look the worst way possible and his ideas would still be no less inspiring.

Besides, Danny DeVito is charming and charismatic! That's far more important than having whatever look Madison Ave. says you should have, IMHO.

Pauliana
12-05-2007, 11:37 AM
You're assuming he can be managed, coached, packaged and re-branded. I thought the reverse was what we like about him...

JMann
12-05-2007, 11:49 AM
You're assuming he can be managed, coached, packaged and re-branded. I thought the reverse was what we like about him...

We are not trying to convince the people that already like him but rather simply pointing out a way to help him with people that do vote based on looks. I'm afraid these folks outnumber those that vote based on ideas.

runderwo
12-05-2007, 11:54 AM
I have talked to women who have voted based on how handsome, well-dressed and poised a candidate is. Probably the corollary to the men who vote based on how authoritative and in-charge a candidate sounds. There are a lot of people out there without a clue, unfortunately. To them, the presidential race is just a celebrity runway walk.

JenHarris
12-05-2007, 12:01 PM
Yeah, he wore a nice sweater vest in the interview with Wolf Blitzer. It was a good look for him.

I loved that sweater look :)

BillyDkid
12-05-2007, 01:05 PM
If people are looking for a slick dressed political that exactly what they will get IMO. I have actually heard people say its nice to see a normal looking guy that you can relate to.Actually, I think the GOP ought to literally run a Ken doll as a candidate - oh that's right, they are running a Ken doll.

Pete Kay
12-05-2007, 01:36 PM
I completely disagree. This may very well be the case for your average political candidate, but someone like Ron Paul could look the worst way possible and his ideas would still be no less inspiring.

Besides, Danny DeVito is charming and charismatic! That's far more important than having whatever look Madison Ave. says you should have, IMHO.

I'm not talking about you. Try to step out of yourself and think how other people think. Why do people like Huck so much? Because he makes them laugh. That's the reason. People will vote for somebody because they think he is likable.

The truth is, that people automatically try to put a person into a preconcieved category when they see them. Ron Paul doesn't really fit into any superficial category so it's hard for people to superficially form an opinion about him. if Ron Paul was a sharp dresser, then people would see him and immediately think that he was an old man that had his stuff togerther, and it would help carry his message to these people. When Ron Paul looks frazzled and frumpy it only reinforces their notion that he is fringey.

Oh and Danny Devito is charismatic but most people couldn't get over the fact that he's a little man. Look at poor Kucinich. That's people's biggest criticism of him. They say he looks like and elf and then they dismiss him. I think that's crap, but this is the American publc we are dealing with here.

Johncjackson
12-05-2007, 02:40 PM
Rudy looks like a demonic creature and has a lisp. Is that hurting his polls? The only candidate I've heard of getting any points for looks is Romney- and sometimes he is considered TOO put-together.

aspiringconstitutionalist
12-05-2007, 02:42 PM
Really? I've always thought he looked great... maybe I'm wrong...

ladyliberty
12-07-2007, 07:07 AM
I think RP ought to start showing up at debates dressed like the History Professor that he is:

http://artneedlecapandgown.com/doctoralgowns.jpg

derdy
12-07-2007, 07:32 AM
You guys are totally accessorizing!!

Hope
12-07-2007, 07:34 AM
Did you see Ron Paul when he wore that blue sweater over a shirt and tie? He looked awesome. Three piece suits don't look great on skinny men, no matter how expensively tailored they are. He needs to wear the sweater as much as possible, he looked really approachable and comfortable in his own skin.

cmc
12-07-2007, 07:37 AM
He always looks very nice, but not always presidential. Sometimes professor-esque.
+1

He looks like what he is: a doctor!