Image is important, but is this what POTUS has been reduced to?

Let us not kid ourselves...while substance and issues are important image matters.

In 1960, the first presidential debate on TV was held.  The candidates were Richard Nixon and John F Kennedy.  Nixon, who had been sick lately and was still recovering, had insisted on campaigning until mere hours before the debate started.  Kennedy did not.  So, on the world's first televised debate you had Nixon who looked pale and sickly, was sweating perfusely from over exertion, and refused makeup so his his 5-oclock shadow showed vividly on the black and white TV's at the time.  By contrast, Kennedy was well tanned and rested, looked refreshed and confident.

The result was clear.  Those who listened on radio and couldn't see the debate resoundly thought Nixon had the better performance.  He was solid on the issues and policy and rebutted Kennedy easily.  However, those that watched on TV said that in their mind Kennedy was the clear winner.  They did not so much hear or listen to the substance of teh debate but focused on what they saw.  What they saw was this old, frail looking man who seemed nervous and unprepared and a calm and collected, handsome young man who "looked presidential."

Also in this vein, I have often heard the idea that if video cameras were in the Oval Office and the president were on TV 24/7 in the 1930's FDR would not have been president because americans would not have voted for a man in a wheel chair.

The message is clear:  image matters.  I think it is sad that people pay attention to looks instead of issues and policy, style over substance.  But I am not going to argue that it matters.

However, when it comes to the race for the presidency I think there are two images that need to be considered.  There is the image of the man, the candidate, and the image of the Office of the President of the United States.  The image of the candidate needs to be collected and well dressed, how he conducts himself publicly, etc.  This is why candidates wear sharp suits and ties, why they are seen in public kising babies and such.  The campaign is basically a job interview.  The candidates are the applicants and the american people are the employers.  They are showing whether or not they can do the job and should be hired over the other guy.

After the election, on the other hand, the victorious candidate now represents the entire country to the world.  His personal image no longer matters as it is the image of the President that the person must now present.  While the nice suits and calm demeanor are still important to project and a good image there are other things to consider. 

The president is the Commander-in-Chief.  he must lead by example.  The President doesn't relax until the nation is at ease, and rarely does so even then.  He eats when the people have eaten, he sleeps when we can sleep well.  He should arrive on the job early each day and leave late.  He should be above petty publicity stunts and group pandering.  People expect a president to have clear policies and try to win the people on their merits.

Image is important, but people are not as stupid as Liberals think.

Obama is seriously hurting in the polls.  His shallow superficial slogan of "Hope n' Change" has melted in the face of reality because it never had any substance.  He ran in 2008 on slogans and image alone.  And when he was elected he tried to keep up his personal image while ignoring the image of teh Office he held.  The whole of his presidency he has lived and acted like a king rather than a president.  Obama's recognized workday is from 10 or 11 until 4 while most americans work a 9-5 or longer.  While most of the country is hurting economically, the President expects us to cut back while he and the family take frequent vacations to Hawaii and various European locales and frequently eat out at "$50 hamburger" restaurants.  Often Mrs. Obama insists on leaving early, costing the taxpayers millions in extra spending.  And in just 3 years Obama has played well over 90 rounds of golf.  Thats more than double what Bush played in 8 years, and more than once every two weeks.

This insistance on his personal image is why Obama is losing ground quickly.  By abandoning the image of the Presidency he gives off an image of a man who doesn't care about the problems and issues facing the citizenry while not having and solutions to the problems.  But the people actually living in these hard times are paying moire attention this time around.  His disastrous economic policy has lost small business owners.  His tax policy, the "Buffet Rule," is losing corporate america and much of the big businesses.  Staggering student debt coupled with dismal job prospects are making the under thirty crowd leave in droves.  And the astro-turfed "war on women" has back fired and now women, especially mothers, are looking to Republicans for support.

And what is Obama's response?  He doubles down on his personal image.  This past week alone he went on the Jimmy Fallon Show and "slow jams" the news and shameless fishes for votes with the Dave Matthews Band.  Then there is his singing during a fundraising event.  Don't get me wrong, the man can carry a tune, but is that the image of President we want?  And finally we have his shameless and endless policy of buying votes with what he will give groups if they vote for him, also known as entitlements.

Image is important, but is this the image of President we as a country want to present to the world as well as the people of the United States?  A president who asks for votes based on what free goodies he can give, at the expense of the taxpayer, not on what he can do for the country?  A man that turns the Presidency into a lounge act on a popular late show to plead for votes? A leader that would rather be an old world King instead of an american president?