Likeability

"Sure, he's liked, but he's not well liked." -- Willy Loman, in "Death of a Salesman," by Arthur Miller.

"In your heart, you know he's right." -- Barry Goldwater campaign slogan.

   Many political campaigns are settled more on the basis of likeability rather than competence. And when it comes to electing a President of the United States, perhaps more attention should be paid to competence and experience in government, than to how well a candidate is a personable, well liked person.
   This year, however, neither of the two main candidates for the White House is known for a high likeability quotient. Unfortunately, many voters substitute their feelings for a rational judgement on competence.
   Moreover, there may even be some gender bias, or a size bias in voter decisions, both of which act on a subconscious level.
   Consider the Great American Fallacy, that "bigger equals better." Americans tend to prefer sports that emphasize large players and high scores, such as basketball and footfall.  Compare that to soccer, the most popular sport in the rest of the world, where a player's legs need only be long enough to reach the ground.
   Consider the proverb of days gone by, when it was said that "a woman's place is in the home." And remember that the U.S. women's soccer team was the first American team to win the World Cup. The men's team has yet to do so.
   Women now serve as corporate chiefs, governors, senators and representatives on the state and national levels. They are also likely to get caught for misfeasance and malfeasance, just as men are caught. This, too, is equality.
   In the current presidential election campaign, both major party candidates face a likeability problem. There are many folks who have taken a personal dislike for one or the other. 
   Or as someone once said when asked why he disliked another person, "I don't need a reason, I just don't like him/her."