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    October 26, 2011

Tallest Candidate Wins Majority of US Presidential Elections

   Latest research affirms our preference for tall leaders

   Ted Landphair | Washington, D.C.
   At 185 centimeters - 6'1" - Barack Obama was noticeably taller than his
   173-centimeer (5'8") Republican opponent, John McCain, in 2008. Photo:
   AP
   At 185 centimeters - 6'1" - Barack Obama was noticeably taller than his
   173-centimeer (5'8") Republican opponent, John McCain, in 2008.

   When it comes to voter preference, a candidate's positions on the
   issues count. But some may check a name on a ballot for a more primal
   reason: the candidate's stature.

   Researchers at Texas Tech University suggest that height affects
   voters' preference in political leaders, possibly for instinctive
   reasons going back to caveman days.
   The findings were published in the journal Social Science Quarterly by
   political science professor Gregg Murray and graduate student David
   Schmitz.

   "A near-universal fear of snakes and a preference for unhealthy fatty
   foods likely evolved from a time when snakes were a common threat and
   caloric intake was uncertain,' Murray says. 'We believe similar traits
   exist in politics."

   The authors point to what's called the "big man" tribal leadership of
   many ancient societies, as well as the impact of physical strength on
   status in the animal kingdom. And they note that the taller candidate
   has won 58 percent of U.S. presidential elections between 1789 and
   2008.
   Abraham Lincoln, at 193 centimeters, was one of our tallest presidents.
   He loomed over his second opponent, Stephen A. Douglas, who stood just
   163 centimeters. Abraham Lincoln, at 193 centimeters, was one of our
   tallest presidents. He loomed over his second opponent, Stephen A.
   Douglas, who stood just 163 centimeters.

   The authors asked 467 American and foreign-born college students to
   draw a figure that represented their concept of a "typical citizen" and
   an "ideal national leader" before being asked to draw both figures
   together. Sixty-four percent drew the leader taller than the citizen.
   The researchers then asked the students to assess themselves as leaders
   and potential political candidates. The results revealed a
   statistically significant association between height and the students'
   self-assessment as leaders.
   Researcher Schmitz writes that "culture and environment alone cannot
   explain how a preference for taller leaders is a near-universal trait
   we see in different cultures today, as well as in societies ranging
   from ancient Mayans, to pre-classical Greeks and even animals."
   At 185 centimeters - 6'1" - Barack Obama was noticeably taller than his
   173-centimeer (5'8") Republican opponent, John McCain, in 2008. But at
   least two of his potential opponents in 2012 - former governors Rick
   Perry and Mitt Romney - are as tall, or a little taller, than the
   president.