On November 5, Americans will vote for the nation’s highest office. Voters witnessed a wild campaign season that included both an assassination attempt and the bowing out of an incumbent president. Former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris will face off against one another in the 60th U.S. presidential election. Citizens will select a leader based on—what?
Before an election, each candidate tries to persuade voters to choose him or her. Honesty, capability, and intelligence help. But according to some experts, other qualities—like good looks, clever slogans, and a positive media presentation—may be more important to some voters.
A survey by Allure magazine claims half of Americans “think appearance defines us significantly or completely.”
The power of perception prompts some candidates to hire more than just speech writers. They now enlist stylists to improve their images and spin-doctors to turn negative press into something that sounds positive.
For this election, Robert Kennedy, Jr., engaged someone to select his clothes. Previously, candidate Ron DeSantis became embroiled in a discussion about whether he wore lifts in his cowboy boots. Multiple news outlets discussed Nikki Haley’s “strategic” dress and shoe choices.
Another way candidates create favorable impressions is with slogans. Slogans are short, memorable phrases that try to shape how people think. They can propagate a message through advertisements, bumper stickers, speeches, postcards, and more.
In 1860, candidate Abraham Lincoln proposed that citizens “Vote yourself a farm.” The slogan aligned with his promise to support free land for willing homesteaders. He won.
Woodrow Wilson secured reelection in 1916 with “He kept us out of war.” A year later, he plunged the United States into World War I.
Calvin Coolidge advised voters faced with reelecting him in 1924 to “Keep cool and keep Coolidge.” They did.
One slogan flop belonged to 1964 presidential hopeful Barry Goldwater: He had “AuH2O” printed on campaign buttons. Using the chemical symbols for gold and water may have been clever. But it was hard to say. Instead, “All the way with LBJ” helped secure the top spot for Lyndon Baines Johnson.
This November, most voters will likely decide whether to follow former President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” or Vice President Harris’ “Let’s Win This!” Carefully consider what each slogan intends. What does the candidate want you to believe or do? In a perfect world, votes would be cast in wisdom. But the world isn’t perfect. God’s word records how the Israelites repeatedly chose bad leaders based on things like height or hair or smooth speech.
Thankfully, 1 Samuel 16:7 says no matter how humans judge each other, God sees what’s inside.
Why? Supporting good candidates is important. That usually means trying to look beyond outward appearances and clever phrasing.
