I was just musing to myself earlier, and thought it might make an interesting topic.

 

How much influence does personality politics play on the political stage, and does it hold any influence on your voting preferences? Is it shaped by general party policies, or is it strongly driven by dislike/like of the leaders? Does charisma matter as much as substance?

 

Much as I'd like to be able to say hand on heart that I'm voting objectively based purely on policy, I'm probably not. Part (although not all) of my increasing dislike for the Tories is down to Dave. Kind of personality politics in reverse - his REPULSES me, for me when I see Dave, I see Blair Mark II.

Personality politics plays far more of a part than it should. Why does it matter that Gordon Brown is a hopeless television performer? Clement Attlee would have been at least as bad but he was one of our best Prime Ministers.

I was just musing to myself earlier, and thought it might make an interesting topic.

 

How much influence does personality politics play on the political stage, and does it hold any influence on your voting preferences? Is it shaped by general party policies, or is it strongly driven by dislike/like of the leaders? Does charisma matter as much as substance?

 

Much as I'd like to be able to say hand on heart that I'm voting objectively based purely on policy, I'm probably not. Part (although not all) of my increasing dislike for the Tories is down to Dave. Kind of personality politics in reverse - his REPULSES me, for me when I see Dave, I see Blair Mark II.

 

Cameron is an inferior Blair. Note how when the latter shifted his party closer to the centre and won an election because of it, they got a landslide because he had a solid Cabinet behind all the spin. The former has nothing, which is why if they do win tomorrow night it'll be a damp squib of a victory because you'd find more political expertise and tact in a morgue than the Shadow Cabinet.

Edited May 5, 201015 yr by BLVD

I think personality plays a huge role in politics. Take 'charming' Tony Blair.

i had a customer once who proclaimed she was voting for that candidate (blue rinse 60 summut woman) because she looked like her type of person.... :wacko: what about the policies?...

It plays a massive role in elections

 

If people properly analysed Lib Dem policies and such flaky things as regional immigration, no prison sentences of under 6 months, amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and so on then the Lib Dems would be the laughing stock they deserve to be but because Clegg came across as a nice charming guy in the debates they are possibly going to hold the balance of power, personality is everything these days

 

Although I am pleased he did Boris Johnson only really won the mayorship because of his appearances on HIGNFY

regional immigration, no prison sentences of under 6 months, amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants

 

Or rather, it is these sympathetic policies that has contributed most to their rise. Clegg didn't stand on TV winking at the audience in a cheerful manner and promising to buy everyone a metaphorical drink. He increased in popularity because these policies were finally given the platform the popular press would never give them due to their fear that Liberal plans for electoral reform will pretty much make majority poltiics a thing of the past - unless a party ever polls a MAJORITY OF THE VOTE.

 

Come on the Hung Parliament - come on! Finally a chance for compromise not bullying, one-sided legislation.

It's easy with the TV Debates to judge who to vote for based purely on 90 minutes on screentime, rather than looking into the policies as such. But for me it's not a case of personality, rather than a case of who is coping. To be, both Cameron and Brown looked worn down and exhausted after the third debate, Cameron in particular just not being able to handle himself in some cases. It's not a case of personality or 'who looks good on TV', but who is cracking under the pressure of 3 90minute debates. If they can't handle that, how are they expected to handle a term in power when the heat is really on?

Or rather, it is these sympathetic policies that has contributed most to their rise. Clegg didn't stand on TV winking at the audience in a cheerful manner and promising to buy everyone a metaphorical drink.

 

Exactly, every single one of the supposedly ridiculous Lib Dem policies that Craig mentioned was brought up extensively in the debates, so his theory that those policies would put people off voting Lib Dem makes about as much sense as his theory that Simon Cowell is an idol to young people.

 

Anyway, I actually think certain aspects of a politician's personality SHOULD be relevant. For instance, Cameron... I don't like his policies anyway, but his evidently narrow world-view IS a factor for me as well. For instance, once in some interview, he talked about how normal his wife was, because, and I quote his exact words, "she even went to a state school". The fact that he views going to a state school as something out of the ordinary (shown by his use of "even") speaks volumes about how limited his experiences of the world are, how little he's associated with working-class people. And I'm not going to lie, that does make me even less likely to vote for him, because it does make me think he simply doesn't understand the viewpoints and needs of normal people. And I'm not holding the fact he went to private school against him in itself - Clegg had an equally privileged upbringing, but he's actually taken the time and effort to broaden his outlook on the world. You don't choose what start in life you get, but you can choose to understand the viewpoints of others - evidently Cameron chose not to.

 

So, even though maybe personality as such isn't a factor, I do definitely feel a politican's CHARACTER is a factor for me. It's more than just policy. In addiition, if someone was heard making a racist or homophobic comment, I would be less likely to vote for them, even if I agreed with their policies. I do agree though that silly things like how they come across on TV or how "fresh" they look should have no place in people's decisions - although there's no denying that they do for some people.