How important are acting/teleprompter skills for winning high US political office?

[enhanced_deficit]

How important are acting/teleprompter skills for winning high political office in present day America?

Some of our recent so called "great statesmen" have been actors literally before coming to pilitics, others seem to have mastered the art after coming into politics.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9IcbVDTVls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9IcbVDTVls


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nk7OAZC7r0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nk7OAZC7r0


Top 10 Actors Turned Politicians (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854874,00.html)

Saturday Night Live alum Al Franken is fighting to become Minnesota's next Senator, but he's far from the first person to turn celebrity into a run for office. A look at a few of his predecessors and their entertainment careers before (and in some cases, after) they became public servants



George Murphy (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854874,00.html)
Ronald Reagan (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854875,00.html)
Clint Eastwood (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854876,00.html)
Fred Grandy (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854877,00.html)
Ben Jones (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854878,00.html)
Sonny Bono (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854879,00.html)
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854880,00.html)
Fred Thompson (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854881,00.html)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854882,00.html)
Al Franken (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1854887_1854886_1854883,00.html)


http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1854887,00.html


On related note, current Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer may have bright future someday in US politics armed with his Harvard education and all.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGvHNNOLnCk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGvHNNOLnCk

[euphemia]

I think they are somewhat important. It is important for a President to give the appearance of calm in the face of danger. A good example that we all remember is when they gave GWB the news that 9-11 had happened. He was reading to children. If he had panicked or made a demonstration of fear, it would have affected the class.

It is the same with any President. He (so far) has to appear calm and cannot be rattled when the press or anyone else tries to provoke him. Sometimes this just takes acting.

[phill4paul]

I don't think you need teleprompter skills. However, I think do you need acting skills and a solid knowledge of your positions. One must be a public speaker able to convey his message to his audience.

[Brian4Liberty]

I don't think you need teleprompter skills. However, I think do you need acting skills and a solid knowledge of your positions. One must be a public speaker able to convey his message to his audience.

Definitely need to be a smooth public speaker. Lack of knowledge can be overcome by only reading from a teleprompter. Many politicians and talking heads fall apart when they have to actually speak off the cuff, but as long as they avoid that, no one is the wiser.

[Zippyjuan]

Worked great for Reagan to have a teleprompter. He could read a phone book and sound good thanks to his acting training. Clinton was a great natural speaker even without one. His wife would need one- note that so far on the campaign trail they are limiting unscripted encounters or questions. Obama needs one. GW Bush did too. You do need to connect emotionally to voters. Most vote based on likability- not policies. Reagan and Clinton were very likable.

[libertarianMoney]

I suspect it's only somewhat important. Then again... it may just be something I tell myself to feel better.

I like to believe most of these men are REALLY that dumb. Perhaps they aren't acting. They might just be falling for their own BS and too stupid to realize it. That allows them to sound completely genuine without needing any acting skills at all. Of course, they need to be charismatic but actual acting might not be the biggest role.

Behind the scenes deal making could be more important. Anyone can sound good with a good budget for TV ads and consultants. Hardly anyone watches debates beyond the presidential candidates (at least from what I've seen.) That means less on the spot acting skills are required. Everything is cut and pasted into something pretty for the ads.

More importantly: Is Arnold really a good example for acting skills?

[GunnyFreedom]

Important to what? To actually doing the job? Not at all, not even a little bit. To tickling people's ears enough to win/keep the the job? More important than anything else, including sanity and competence. People (voters) are superficial and dumb. I voted "very important" because the question specified "winning" rather than "doing," and because people are dumb.

[GunnyFreedom]

On related note, current Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer may have bright future someday in US politics armed with his Harvard education and all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGvHNNOLnCk

This video makes me want to punch Ballmer in the solar plexus to shut him up, and then force him to smoke 4 packs of cigarettes a day for the next 10 years to bring his voice down an octave or 2.

[phill4paul]

Important to what? To actually doing the job? Not at all, not even a little bit. To tickling people's ears enough to win/keep the the job? More important than anything else, including sanity and competence. People (voters) are superficial and dumb. I voted "very important" because the question specified "winning" rather than "doing," and because people are dumb.

+rep. The generation after the MTV generation.

[DevilsAdvocate]

People are sick of actors. They want someone genuine. If war breaks out, I don't want some solemn faced corpse reading a script. I want someone with passion and real feelings and determination.

I am SICK of politicians using political buzzwords, delicately crafted statements, and scripted banter to MANIPULATE people and herd them around like sheep! I just want someone real! I just want someone in office who is actually a real person and not one of these manufactured personalities.

[DamianTV]

Tell you what, those Acting / Telepromter Stillz are considered to be far more important than beng Honest to most people.

[Ender]

Everyone who deals in public should have acting skills; if Ron Paul had better speaking skills, it would have helped him immensely.

NOTE* I am not talking about *honesty*. I am speaking of gaining the ability to speak well and have an audience understand and enjoy your presentation.