What does "looking Presidential" mean anyway?

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20. no, that's a bit like saying one "looks like an actor" if one is on stage.

i could also make a list of varying different acting styles, then come to the conclusion that simply being on stage is what make one look like an actor.

yes, some actors are fast-talkers, some are very expressive with their hands, some are graceful, some are intense, etc.

but people want certain over-arching things from actors. they want to be able to hear the lines at least reasonably clearly, and most of all, they want the actors to remember their lines and stage directions. the occassional goof is ok, but not on a routine basis.


same with being "presidential". people want many things from the president, but at a minimum they want the president to, in some manner, appear to be "in charge" and "in control" of the situation.

this is where shrub failed miserably. the office always seemed bigger than him, he never seemed in command of the facts, he never seemed to be in touch with what the country needed, he never seemed to be in charge even of his own people. worse, he always seemed to be representing his big donors first, and the republican party second, and the rest of the country could go to hell as far as he was concerned.

in short, it's like the difference between looking like "an actor" and looking like a "proper actor".

when people say someone "looks presidential", what they mean is they appear to be a reasonably good fit for the office, at least in terms of image. reducing it to simply being in office misses the entire point.