A Candidate You Can Identify With

Jesse Walker | February 11, 2005

Stanford scholars may have unlocked one of the secrets of political persuasion.

Comments

sage|2.11.05 @ 3:37PM|#

Let's see them morph Kerry with a horse. Oh wait, his parents already did.

|2.11.05 @ 3:42PM|#

This study implies that the shape-shifter aliens from X-Files would have a strong advantage in...

HELP!!!!

|2.11.05 @ 3:43PM|#

thoreau was getting too close to the truth. I took care of him.

|2.11.05 @ 3:55PM|#

Wierd morphs. Anybody else notice how much morph Bush looks like Chevy Chase?

|2.11.05 @ 4:23PM|#

I think that the Kerry/asian girl blend sort of looks like Dennis Kucinich.

Which brings up another thought: Imagine how effective this sort of morphing could be if a candidate, say, blended his face with that of, say, Howard Dean or Al Gore or some other less popular but solid contender.

|2.11.05 @ 4:26PM|#

As an aside, I tried to get into a grad school program for this sort of image rendering face-morphing, but the institution I applied to "didn't have the funding or the space" at the time, which is code for "you're too stupid so we're rejecting you nicely". Or something.

|2.11.05 @ 4:58PM|#

maybe just because the average participant would be younger than either candidate and the morphed faces would look less old or wrinkly or haggard or whatever. I mean it has long been considered important to use makeup for the same effect for crowd appeal in politics, showbiz and general social life

sage|2.11.05 @ 4:59PM|#

"maybe just because the average participant would be younger than either candidate and the morphed faces would look less old or wrinkly or haggard or whatever."

Then how does Ted Kennedy keep getting re-elected? He looks like he stepped out of the grave to take a piss.

|2.11.05 @ 5:02PM|#

sage, the answer is quite obvious ... everyone in Mass looks like that.

|2.11.05 @ 5:25PM|#

sage,

"He looks like he stepped out of the grave to take a piss."

That one goes in the archives. Beautiful!

|2.11.05 @ 6:23PM|#

I'd vote for them. As long as they do 40% of what I say.

The 60-40 blend did wonders for the underwear industry. This, however, has me scratching my ass in confusion and dread.

|2.12.05 @ 1:30AM|#

By coincidence, I was just reading a Kenneth Rexroth poem, The Dragon and the Unicorn (1944-50) which contains the lines:

In K.C. everyone, even
The whores and an appreciable
Number of Negroes, looks like
Truman...

|2.12.05 @ 6:17AM|#

I'm from Mass C but I'll let you live anyway.

My question is how this works on people who don't like themselves or their appearance.

|2.12.05 @ 7:28AM|#

They both came out looking younger and friendlier.

|2.13.05 @ 12:12AM|#

Many animal species treat relatives better than non-relatives because the relatives share some of their genes (kin selection). An animal recognizes similarities between it and another animal, then concludes that other animal is kin and treats it better (kin distinction).

Maybe humans have a similar mechanism. If you see someone looks like you, you subconsciously register him as kin and look at him more favorably.

gaius marius|2.14.05 @ 4:52PM|#

Maybe humans have a similar mechanism.

almost certainly, i'd say, mr jtuf.