Hey I was just thinking about you last night. I was making a mental list of the people I really likedon OS who no longer seemed to be here. I am pleased to take you off of that list!

One of the things I despised about Palin's ascension was that it seemed clear her "beauty queen" status had a lot to do with it.

I think you may be right, looks are more important than substance in these days of celebrity.
Over here in the UK the TV companies just dump all their female presenters when they get old. Not even old, merely middle aged.

Thanks Kellylark. I don't have a lot of time these days and have found that I get more people to read what I have to say on my own personal Facebook page than on Open Salon. How sad is that?

I think you're right that Palin's appearance helped her. But my point is that we don't criticize male politicians like Barack Obama for looking so good. (Unlike Palin, though, Obama does actually have knowledge and substance.)

Though in the UK, at least you're honest enough to call them "presenters" or "readers" as I understand. In the US we pretend these people on TV are "anchors" or "journalists" when they are just pretty faces reading the "news."

You're right. Obama is an empty suit, eye candy for some, fits some sort of weird accepted presidential "look". Give me Golda Meir anyday.

Your right and it is so sad.

Sadly, I don't think Palin's popularity has much to do with her looks. That would be easier to understand. I think her toxic "I got mine and the rest of you who aren't privileged white people who pat themselves on the back that they've bootstrapped their own selves into their present circumstances and everyone else is a whine can just go FUCK yourselves 'cause you're not getting any of MINE, and God is on my side by the way, and thinks all y'all without pregnant daughters should WAIT FOR MARRIAGE to drill, baby drill" attitude is what's got them cheering in the aisles. Her looks are just icing on the cake.

Deborah Young, it's a pretty big stretch to imply that Obama has no intellectual acumen or capability at all - that's what people typically mean when they call someone an 'empty suit'. You may not like his ideas, but that does not make him as intellectually impoverished as his predecessor or Sarah Palin.

Sandra, I think Palin's appeal are those things too. ;)

Clearly there are a lot of attractive 40-something women out there who have not garnered vocal political constituencies. If just by being an attractive, mature, but postmenopausal woman were enough to get one elected, there'd be a number of OSers in Congress right now.

My point about Murphy's point is true or not, it doesn't really matter. Generally, we don't elect ugly people. What does that generality do for us in understanding Palin? Nothing.

At least Yushchenko had a full head of hair. I can't see a bald man even getting the nomination, much less winning the general election. I do think it will be possible for a relatively unattractive man or woman to be selected for the VP slot, and then move to the head of the ticket as the heir apparent after serving time in the subordinate role.

Nixon was ugly, Carter was ugly, Bella Abzug and Barney Frank - ugly! Nice folks, some of them, superbly intellectually accomplished, others - has nothing at all to do with looks and their contituencies agreed.

So when, exactly, did looks become so important? Did video really kill the political star?

I'd also like to point out that before he was poisoned, Victor Yushchenko was handsome in a greasy, Eastern Eurotrash sort of way. Going from beautiful to ugly did not end his political career.

Well you certainly make a very good point. Still, I think if Obama looked like Yushchenko and had the smooth rhetoric, debate skills and intellect that he has in spades, it's still possible that he could get elected. I can't believe the same of Palin.

Search for a photo of Yushchenko before his enemies tried to kill him with poison. He was actually a dashing man. In some ways, the scars on his face may have helped him get elected: they represented just how much he was willing to sacrifice for his country.