And You thought Katie Couric Was Bad News...

The Democratic Party has been faring poorly in elections for much of the last generation. Finally, however, the Democrats have not only found the problem, but they have addressed it. What is it? Well, let's just say it doesn't involve the answer to balancing the national budget, or even civil liberties and security concerns. In fact, Democrats are reluctant to point out the factor likely to propel their party to electoral success. From today's Washington Post:

"By a combination of luck and design, Democrats seem to be fielding an uncommonly high number of uncommonly good-looking candidates.

The beauty gap between the parties, some on Capitol Hill muse, could even be a factor in who controls Congress after Election Day.

Democratic operatives do not publicly say that they went out of their way this year to recruit candidates with a high hotness quotient. Privately, however, they acknowledge that, as they focused on finding the most dynamic politicians to challenge vulnerable Republicans, it did not escape their notice that some of the most attractive prospects were indeed often quite attractive...

Some of the academic research on beauty and voting goes back decades, to the early 1970s. In 1990, political scientist Lee Sigelman, then at the University of Arizona, posited that Democrats were losing ground nationally, despite an advantage in voter registration, because their looks were a turnoff. He rated all governors and members of Congress on an ugliness scale and found that of the 26 least attractive, 25 were Democrats.

The playing field these days is more level. Research has shown that if candidates invest a little effort in their looks, the payoff can be huge. Campaign consultants hover around candidates, ordering them to change their hairstyles, get in shape and update their wardrobes. "The bar has been raised, without question," said Sigelman, now a George Washington University political science professor."

Talk about a facile solution. Anyhow, it seems the media trend toward superficiality is resonating with voters. So let me call it early: Katie Couric For President!