Presidential Character

At the end of the day, American voters are putting their faith in one man to become leader of the free world. This man should embody many of the factors the electorate look for in a leader. 

In 1952, voters turned out in their biggest number in decades to elected President Eisenhower. Unproven politically, character was an important factor, with “Ike” celebrated as a war hero for his efforts as Supreme Commander during World War Two. 

1992 saw Bill Clinton elected over the far more strait-laced George H. W. Bush, with Clinton characterised as having a “lethal charm” that helped him to the White House. 

Candidates can too have negative perceptions that keep them from the presidency. Barry Goldwater’s 1964 nomination freaked out many voters, with some of those in his own party opposing him, such as Nelson Rockefeller, William Scranton, and George Romney. 

Romney’s son Mitt, a perennial critic of Donald Trump, has described his party’s 2024 candidate as having a “failure of character”. He is not the only one as many other figures associated with Trump have refused to endorse him, most notably his Vice-President Mike Pence. Character could play a big part with criminal charges, his conviction of sexual assault, and January 6^th big targets on the nominee.  

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