Can Gingrich Become Likable?
Mon, December 12, 2011 | Post a Comment | 
The Point: You may want to run for some kind of elected office one day. This is to help you evaluate if you have what it takes to win...
If he wants to get elected he better be.
Amazingly, Newt has surged to the top of the polls for the race to Republican nomination for president in 2012. Through the endless television debates he has established himself as someone who for the moment has convinced the most Republican voters that he is the best candidate. Agree with him or not, he has at least demonstrated that he has a grasp of the issues and can tell you exactly what he would do on every vital issue facing the country. At least you know he’s thought about it and has an opinion and a plan. At this point, a large number of people are agreeing with him and his ideas but that won’t get him elected.
Getting someone’s vote comes down to whether or not they really like you.
All these discussions of policy issues are facts and figures, that are the logical side of the brain, but that’s not the side that makes the voting decision. That decision comes from the emotional side. People just need to hear enough of the logic where they feel good enough to make the emotional decision and that comes down to likability.
Who are they going to trust? Who do they feel the most comfortable trusting to lead? Who do they feel they can relate to the most? So much of progress in life comes from bringing people together, finding common ground and creating cooperation from people with differing views? Someone who is limited in charisma and personality has trouble with that.
They come across as brittle, cold, uncaring, and rigid. These are all characteristics that may be great for a dictator but bad for a politician. For us to vote for someone we need to feel that we can relate to them and they could relate and understand us.
Newt has always been known as bright guy but the question now is, can he become likable enough to get elected? We’ll see…what do you think?
Feedback: You agree? Does likability make a difference to you?