# Shooting the Messenger By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-11-09 Can one separate the message from the messenger? When one looks at recent elections in the US, one sees not only a struggle of messages and ideas but also who is delivering that message. The question for many is whether they will ever hear a message if it comes from someone they strongly dislike. For example, it is easy to point to groups of people who dislike, and maybe even hate, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Many road signs indicate as much. Regardless of their message, these individuals would likely never vote for the person they dislike. However, if one were to ask them nonpartisan and nonjudgmentally whether they liked policy A or B, many would select policies that align with their hated messenger. When this is revealed to them, most will continue to vote based on their feelings about the messenger versus the message. As much as the intelligentsia and technocrats think it's about the policies, it's almost always about the messenger. Organizational leaders tend to be taller, well-spoken, well-dressed, and good-looking, regardless of merit. When two candidates are put head-to-head, many refuse to see the issues. When both candidates are polarizing in their personalities, cultural norms weigh heavier than any reasonable policies. Picking candidates to run for office often has nothing to do with their merit and everything to do with their likeability. #### Related Items [[Politics]] [[Cognitive Biases]] [[American]] [[Election]] [[Personality]] [[Policies]] [[Decision-making]]