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Summary
Article # 3
Political Impression Management: How Metaphors, Sound Bites, Appearance
Effectiveness, and Personality Traits Can Win Elections
This article introduces the concepts of political impression management and perception politics.
Three main points of interest are addressed: sound bites, the effects of appearance in politics, and
personality profiles in the media. According to the view of political impression management,
politicians and political parties control the impression they make on the audience (De
Landtsheer, 2004).
Perception Politics:
As a result of the modernization of politics, new dynamics in political communication can be
distinguished, in which dramatization of politics according to the rules of media logic takes
place. Style has become increasingly important, at the expense of content. This trend is held
responsible for turning politics into perception politics. The 21st century, includes the expanding
phenomena of infotainment, the mixture of entertainment and information, and politainment, the
mixture of politics and entertainment (De Landtsheer, 2004; Norris and Holz-Bacha, 2001;
Esser, 1999; Grabe, Zhou, and Barnett, 2001; Leroy and Siune, 1994).

Perception politics encourages voters to form intuitive impressions of political candidates based
on certain cues such as language style, appearance characteristics, and nonverbal behavior
instead of wellconsidered opinions based on arguments. The fall in political involvement
translates into voters using the peripheral route (cues) rather than the central route (arguments) of
information processing. This dramatic trend magnifies the role and importance of style,
appearance, and personality, thereby turning politics into perception politics. Furthermore, this
peripheral route emphasizes the emotive factor and turns the focus from rational arguments to
emotional cues (Marcus, 2002, 2003). Research by Aronson, Wilson, and Akert (1994)
concluded that people tend to vote with their hearts rather than with their minds (Falkowski and
Wojciech, 1999).

Political Impression Management:
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The view of political impression management holds that it is possible for politicians and political
parties to improve the impression they register with the audience (McGraw, 2003; De
Landtsheer, 2004).Political impression management focuses on several aspects of political
communication, studying the influence of impression sent by political candidates: from the
verbal message, appearance characteristics, and perceived personality traits to the nonverbal
behavior of political candidates. In political marketing theory, the political candidate is
understood as a political brand that needs to be repositioned when it is no longer working.
Political impression management links up perfectly with political marketing theory and Citizens
no longer act as just voters; they are becoming political consumers. Whereas Politicians are
Performers and the best performer win the crowds (Maarek, 1995; Newman, 1999b;
Schwartzenberg, 1977).
THREE ASPECTS OF POLITICAL IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
The Power of Political Rhetoric: The Way of Sound Bites and Metaphors:
Political language style is assessed by various politicians. Sound bites are short statements by
politicians that generally include style elements such as metaphors and begging rhyme. Sound
bites belong to the commercial media world: they do not require explanations and last only a few
seconds. American research quoted by Hallin (1992) reveals that the average length of the sound
bites on the television evening news dropped dramatically from 42 seconds in 1968 to less than
10 seconds in the 1990s. A lot of sound bites contain metaphors, which we define as applications
of alien names (Beer and De Landtsheer, 2004). In perception politics, they are the gateway to
the publics thinking. They enable politicians to magnify problems, to hide others, and to suggest
solutions. By drawing analogies and by avoiding the central argumentative route, politicians are
able to carefully manage the impression they make on the audience (Petty and Cacioppo, 1986).

The Appearance of Political Suitability:
During her nine years as prime minister of Britain, Margaret Thatcher made various changes in
her appearance, thereby illustrating the importance she and her advisors attributed to presentation
and style (De Landtsheer, 2004; Norris, 2000; Palmer, 2004a, 2004b; Starr, 1997). George W.
Bush allegedly raised his side of the stage during the 2004 election debates, masking the fact that
his opponent John Kerry was significantly taller. Several profound scientific studies conclude
that people ascribe others certain personality traits purely based on physical appearance, which
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could possibly lead to such a person being perceived as more politically suitable (Andersen and
Garrison, 1978; Bass, 1985; Lord, DeVader, and Allinger, 1986; Eagly, Ashmore, Makhijani,
and Longo, 1991; Maarek, 1995; Caprara, Barbaranelli, and Zimbardo, 2002; De Landtsheer,
2004). Once the physical features that lie at the roots of the political suitable appearance are
determined, it is possible to manipulate the physical appearance of political candidates in a
politically desirable sense.
An examination of the particular features of political candidates with high and low political
demeanor ratings made it possible to identify those specific elements of a visual presentation that
contribute to the projection of a favorable political image. Male politicians are ideally older than
35 to 40 years old. Well-scoring males have a high forehead and dark or grey hair combed in
parts. Badly scoring males are blond with thick, uncombed, or sloppy hair. Men should wear a
classic dark suit with a white or pale blue shirt and a colored tie. Sweaters, bright colors, or white
or Scottish jackets are unfavorable. Female politicians, on the other hand, are preferably older
than 40 to 45 years old. They should have dark or grey hair and classic hair fashion, with short or
medium-length hair. Again, blond or loose hair is unfavorable. Formal dress is the most
appropriate; a classic blouse and jacket in contrasting colors are the best. Bright colors, only dark
colors, showy patterns, and naked arms are unfavorable (De Landtsheer, 2004). These studies
made it possible to determine which perceived personality characteristics contribute to the
creation of a suitable political image; also the candidates perceived as extroverted and outgoing
generally bring home the victory. The hard-working, conscientious introvert has to give in. These
findings can be linked to the distinction made in political marketing between Teflon
personalities, to which nothing sticks (like President Reagan), and Velcro personalities, to
which almost everything sticks (Newman, 1999b). The Teflon personalities are perceived as
extroverted and outgoing, characteristics appealing to voters and consequently linked to
leadership suitability. These personality traits evoke certain emotional connections and reactions
that attract voters.
POLITICAL IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND DEMOCRACY
Especially during the past decades, the media has assumed that people are no longer interested in
politics and just want to be entertained. Political debates and discussions were therefore
commercialized and organized along the rules of media logic. Politics should be entertaining,
amusing, fast, and simple. We are living in a highly visual society in which opinions and
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impressions are based on what mediatelevision in particularis showing us. There seems to
be no space, no time, and especially no demand for serious political conversation. Only a small
politically interested group with easy access to the Internet and quality newspapers is getting the
complete picture and is thereby enabled to form arguments based on facts (Norris and Holtz-
Bacha, 2001; Street, 2001).Charisma, personality, language style, and the impression that
politicians leave with the public seem to be the true foundations of political opinion formation.
Through the modernization of media culture and under the influences of globalization,
concentration, and commercialization, the language, personality, and appearance of politicians
are dominating the perception formation. Credibility, while political credibility as such is
crumbling.
Pursuing this reasoning, according to critics persuasive rhetoric, the manipulation of
appearance, perceived personality, and other aspects of political impression management could
be considered imminent threats to democracy. These tools are enabling politicians to gain votes
based on capacities and characteristics that are not necessarily present in the true personality of
the candidate. Therefore some people argue that the content and definition of democracy should
be adjusted to the actual meaning and function democracy holds in modern society, whereas
other scientists (Mazzoleni and Schultz, 1999) believe that political impression management and
political marketing will not endanger the democratic functioning of society.
Charisma, true or false, can win you the elections, but at the end of the journey politicians and
political parties are cheered or judged on their achievements and failures. Voter choice may
significantly be influenced, and even steered, by impressions and perceptions, but politicians are
ultimately evaluated on their governing results (Bass, 1985; Aldrich, Gronke, and Grynaviski,
1999; Bartels, 2002). The political impression management techniques, or political marketing
tools, discussed in this paper ensure that politics does not decline into the power of certain
influential personalities or elites, but that it stays in touch with voter aspirations and
expectations, thereby strengthening democracy and ensuring citizen participation.