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- Obamas' First State Dinner Marked by Classy but Cautious Style
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Senators' Thanksgiving Chores: McCain: 'I'm Frying Two Turkeys!'
Levi Johnston, Put Your Pants On
Five Reasons to Welcome the New Mammogram Guidelines
Is Chris Matthews Turning on Obama?
Report: Women Will Suffer Brunt of Climate Change
Is Howie Kurtz Crushing on Emily Miller? 
Senators Clash Over Worst Scenario: What If 9/11 Masterminds Go Free?
First Obama State Dinner: Lucky 400 at Tuesday Bash
Catholic Bishops Look to Get Their House in Order
Did Texas' Same-Sex Amendment Accidently Outlaw Marriage?
Study: Sarah Palin Too Pretty to Attract Voters
Via the LA Times comes word of a theory sure to raise a few eyebrows:
Newly released academic research suggests that Sarah Palin's sexiness, while great for selling copies of Vogue magazine and political buttons about the hottest governor from the coldest state last fall, may actually have hurt her vote-getting ability, which seems to be what elections are all about.
The research, conducted by a psychologists at the University of South Florida actually confirms the findings of other studies that shows that beautiful women have a hard time being taken seriously in the work place. Just how did the researchers arrive at the conclusion that Palin's good looks turned out to be more of a hindrance than a help in terms of winning in November?
They took a group of 133 undergraduates and assigned them to write a few lines about one of two celebrities: Palin or actress Angelina Jolie. Half of the participants in each category were asked to write "your thoughts and feelings about this person," while the other half were asked to write "your thoughts and feelings about this person's appearance."
The participants were then asked to rate their subject (Palin or Jolie) in terms of various attributes, including competence. Finally, they were asked who they intended to vote for in the upcoming election.
Those who wrote about Palin's appearance were more positive in their assessments than those who assessed her qualities as a person. But they rated her far lower in terms of competence, intelligence and capability, and were far less likely to indicate they panned to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket.
Nathan Heflick, one of the studies co-author's, found the results disturbing. In essence, the perception among the college students he querried showed that when a woman is pretty, people are less likely to think of her as being competent. In other words, even if McCain had picked Angelina Jolie, the election results may have been the same.
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David Knowles
A journalist, musician and novelist, David Knowles has covered politics at AOL for the past two and a half years...moreRelated Articles
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Comments (268)
matt
9:33AM Mar 5th 2009
Obama was asked about a letter he sent to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev regarding a series of mutual security concerns, including U.S. plans for deploying U.S. missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic. The president also said it is time for the U.S. to "reset or reboot" its relationship with Russia, a nod to the increasingly tense relations of recent years.
President Obama thought the best way to handle this was by a secret letter.. quid pro quo'?
Not in person? Now he is sending Hillary to clean it up? after all Obama did have a big party going on last night at the White House after all ...we do have out priorities don't we?
People are losing their jobs, their houses, and Obama is having a party!
President Obama thought the best way to handle this was by a secret letter.. quid pro quo'?
Not in person? Now he is sending Hillary to clean it up? after all Obama did have a big party going on last night at the White House after all ...we do have out priorities don't we?
People are losing their jobs, their houses, and Obama is having a party!
RATE THIS COMMENT:
(1)
(1) 
christine
9:36AM Mar 5th 2009
Pretty on the outside. Repulsively and dangerously ugly on the inside. Pretty or ugly I don't want that out of touch extremist bible thumping breedcow running ANYTHING !!
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-2)
(-2) MICHELLE
9:37AM Mar 5th 2009
Oh please it has nothing to do with this empty headed IDIOTS looks, she is stupid and cant put 2 sentences together w/o screwing up where the verb should be placed. She's a moron. Buh bye Sarah Saks buh bye now
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-1)
(-1) alisa
9:38AM Mar 5th 2009
Sorry Bristol, Willow, Bark & Nutmeg... mommy has no time for you these days. She's too busy trying to correctly pronounce 'nuclear' &
spreading lies about
our next President.
sarah twat saks sells oxycontin to kids she is hooked on it herself thats why she winks, its a drug twitch, lets hope the c----unt gets ass fucked by
a big dicked moose until her racist head blows clean the f offfffff..............
spreading lies about
our next President.
sarah twat saks sells oxycontin to kids she is hooked on it herself thats why she winks, its a drug twitch, lets hope the c----unt gets ass fucked by
a big dicked moose until her racist head blows clean the f offfffff..............
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-1)
(-1) David
9:39AM Mar 5th 2009
whaaaa the media isnt being nice to me --Blamey Whinehouse
... want to hear a joke? Sarah Palin
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEEE put PALIN on the 2012 ticket!! and the 2016 ticket!! oh and please please dont forget about PALIN
for 2020 either!! BECAUSE ANYTIME THAT OUT OF TOUCH EXTREMIST BIBLE THUMPING BREEDCOW is on the ticket... DEMOCRATS
will wipe the floor with that imbecile!! please please PALIN FOR 2012
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-2)
(-2) Somber
9:40AM Mar 5th 2009
Also doesn't help when a woman is short too. I have the physique of a twelve year old. All the time I run into the "Woah" reaction, followed by some people actually treating me as a kid.
How short am I? I have blocks duct taped to the peddles of my car... That short.
How short am I? I have blocks duct taped to the peddles of my car... That short.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-1)
(-1) briget
9:53AM Mar 5th 2009
It is true just read the remarks posted by other woman on this site,woman have to start supporting each other instead of ripping them apart.
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(2)
(2) FederalistBlogs
9:58AM Mar 5th 2009
Wow.... so many intellectually stimulating comments from the left today. Comments like “breedcow” and “twat” must make your parents very proud.
To the point of the post, that is exactly what my wife ( a Dem who voted Rep for the first time ever this election ) said something very similar. She felt the biggest issue would be with women voters. There is always that risk of catiness ( cati-ness, no idea how to spell that one ) where women do not like to see an overly pretty woman achieve to much and jealousy and claws come out. A shame when Obama’s alleged hotness was a plus for him with voters. Maybe we are cowards about sexism even more than racism.
http://federalistblogs.wordpress.com
To the point of the post, that is exactly what my wife ( a Dem who voted Rep for the first time ever this election ) said something very similar. She felt the biggest issue would be with women voters. There is always that risk of catiness ( cati-ness, no idea how to spell that one ) where women do not like to see an overly pretty woman achieve to much and jealousy and claws come out. A shame when Obama’s alleged hotness was a plus for him with voters. Maybe we are cowards about sexism even more than racism.
http://federalistblogs.wordpress.com
RATE THIS COMMENT: (2)
(2) Bill In Illinois
10:05AM Mar 5th 2009
I think Palins looks are less of a hinderance than her lack of intellectual prowess. It may be true that some peoples first thought of an attractive woman is that she lacks competence, but that quickly passes, unless the beholder is a knuckle dragging sexist. But when a pretty woman (and Palin is certainly plenty attractive, in a physical sense) doesn't have anything other than her looks, she is correctly deemed as lacking in the intelligence and cometency department. I thought Sarah Palin was damn good looking when McCain introduced her, then she opened her mouth, now I think she's disgusting.
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(-2) Sebas
4:48PM Mar 5th 2009
Sarh Palin debated Joe Biden. If Palin debated Obama , Obama will have to say ahs a hundred times before he can answer without a teleprompter. Palin energized the republicans when she was nominated as VP candidate.Palin knows more about newspapers than all the democrats combined because she is a journalism major.The liberal-biased media ask insulting questions like what newspapers do you read. If Palin debates Couric, Couric would know nothing except the prepared written questions on her paper. Remember Obama's remarks during the primaries-talking with terrorists and rogue nations without preconditions and Iran is a small country and not a military threat. How naive. Now Obama is asking Russia to persuade Iran to stop developing nuclear weapons. What a military weakling.Palin has more national security and foreign affairs experience than Obama. Sarah Palin is the commander-in-chief of the Alaska National Guards and frequently briefed about national security because we have both offensive nuclear and defensive nuclear shield missiles and early warning systems in Alaska because of it's close proximity to Russia.
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(0) Marsha Bailey
10:37AM Mar 5th 2009
alisa, A gutter mind is a terrible waste. Some people enjoy hating Palin even though she has never done anything to hurt them. Maybe they should redirect their hatred toward the ones who are actually doing them harm.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (2)
(2) Earl
10:38AM Mar 5th 2009
Isn't it strange that those things that have made this country the greatest country in the history of the world, are now being turned against. The principles that have made us great, came from the Bible. One of the founding fathers said that this is a Republic, and it is for a moral people. Evidently, the reason so many people have turned against ones like Sarah Palin is because they are not moral. They have rejected the morality that made our nation great!!
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(2) dr jay
10:56AM Mar 5th 2009
Please note: this was a "study" of college students. At the University of South Florida. It reached the astounding conclusion that many Florida college students think pretty women are dumb or otherwise lacking in competence. So what?
RATE THIS COMMENT: (1)
(1) Professional Woman
10:56AM Mar 5th 2009
This study is way too shallow. No matter what college students think about looks or ability, Sarah Palin showed herself to be ignorant and hypocritcal. In fact her own actions and inability to focus on the real issues are what alarmed the American public against her. She did it to herself. Her looks did not matter either way.
I would welcome an intelligent beautiful woman to represent our country - that would take our cause much further. It would show that women can be intelligent and beautiful at the same time and put away the old chauvenist attitudes (like those of Lush ox-moron and his followers) forever.
Sorry, but Palin just did not fit that bill and never will, and I am sorry that the archaic republicans could not figure that one out before they promoted her, because it set us just a little farther back again. What a shame.
I would welcome an intelligent beautiful woman to represent our country - that would take our cause much further. It would show that women can be intelligent and beautiful at the same time and put away the old chauvenist attitudes (like those of Lush ox-moron and his followers) forever.
Sorry, but Palin just did not fit that bill and never will, and I am sorry that the archaic republicans could not figure that one out before they promoted her, because it set us just a little farther back again. What a shame.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-1)
(-1) Professional Woman
11:02AM Mar 5th 2009
Sebas - you must be very young. Sorry, sweet, you have no clue about the reality of life. Dream on while you are young. I hope you get a chance to fulfill some of your more attainable dreams.
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(0) jan
11:07AM Mar 5th 2009
Palin's looks have nothing to do with her failure, except among a less intelligent, less educated segment of the population. One could be blind and realize her shallowness, vitriol and sheer ignorance clearly disqualified her for this highest, most critical of positions.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-1)
(-1) Professional Woman
11:12AM Mar 5th 2009
Earl10:38AMMar 5th 2009
Isn't it strange that those things that have made this country the greatest country in the history of the world, are now being turned against. The principles that have made us great, came from the Bible. One of the founding fathers said that this is a Republic, and it is for a moral people. Evidently, the reason so many people have turned against ones like Sarah Palin is because they are not moral. They have rejected the morality that made our nation great!!
___________________________________
So, Earl, just what makes you think Palin is so "moral"? Is it moral to attack a person's character with lies? Is it moral to attack a person's character with false inuendo? Is it moral to preach righteousness and not live it yourself? Is it moral to insite crowds to believe untruths to further yourself?
Please read the investigative report (it is online) and read about the decisions she had made while in public office (Mayor and Governor - they are online). Perhaps those will change your mind about her. Facts are facts and rhetoric is just that.
Isn't it strange that those things that have made this country the greatest country in the history of the world, are now being turned against. The principles that have made us great, came from the Bible. One of the founding fathers said that this is a Republic, and it is for a moral people. Evidently, the reason so many people have turned against ones like Sarah Palin is because they are not moral. They have rejected the morality that made our nation great!!
___________________________________
So, Earl, just what makes you think Palin is so "moral"? Is it moral to attack a person's character with lies? Is it moral to attack a person's character with false inuendo? Is it moral to preach righteousness and not live it yourself? Is it moral to insite crowds to believe untruths to further yourself?
Please read the investigative report (it is online) and read about the decisions she had made while in public office (Mayor and Governor - they are online). Perhaps those will change your mind about her. Facts are facts and rhetoric is just that.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-1)
(-1) Wish Belkin
11:23AM Mar 5th 2009
"beautiful women have a hard time being taken seriously in the work place."
_________________________________________________
It's her idiocy that makes it impossible to take her seriously.
_________________________________________________
It's her idiocy that makes it impossible to take her seriously.
RATE THIS COMMENT: (-1)
(-1) Marsha Bailey
11:27AM Mar 5th 2009
Lie to Me-by Johnny Lang, the perfect anthem for obama worshippers!
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(1) joedenver60
11:29AM Mar 5th 2009
To began with, the study was done in a university setting, which was the worst place to do a study on looks and intelligence. Some of you seem to be in denial, but she started as a homemaker to a mayor and then to become a governor, and even went against a republican that was corrupt. That in itself is enough to make a movie on her strength and intelligence. She was voted in by 80% of the people of alaska. If you think the people of alaska are stupid to have done this, then it takes one to know one
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