Presidential Elections - The Secret to Winning Revealed
Second Article in a Series
By KipParent on 11-08-2007
Every Sunday and Thursday
What's the primary quality a candidate must possess to win the November Presidential election? You might consider it an unfair advantage some candidates possess - in fact, it might well be the true "litmus test" of electability. Using our knowledge of this fact and Keirsey Temperament Theory, we were able to call the past 2 winners well ahead of the election (and the Supreme Court).
Since the beginning of the televised election cycle and the Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960, 5 of 8 elected presidents had this "unfair" advantage, and won every time. And it's getting more lopsided. Since the advent of cable news and 24x7 coverage of the candidates, 6 of our last 7 elections have been won by... the Artisan candidate - even when, in 1980 and 1992, the Artisan candidate had to defeat an incumbent president. In fact, going back to 1900, where we began our research, an Artisan Democrat or Republican has never lost in the general election.
| Year | Winner | Temperament | Loser | Temperament |
| 1960 | Kennedy | Artisan Promoter | Nixon | Guardian |
| 1964 | Johnson | Artisan Promoter | Goldwater | Rational |
| 1968 | Nixon | Guardian Supervisor | Humphrey | Idealist |
| 1972 | Nixon | Guardian Supervisor | McGovern | Guardian |
| 1976 | Carter | Guardian Supervisor | Ford | Guardian |
| 1980 | Reagan | Artisan Performer | Carter | Guardian |
| 1984 | Reagan | Artisan Performer | Mondale | Guardian |
| 1988 | Bush-41 | Guardian Protector | Dukakis | Guardian |
| 1992 | Clinton | Artisan Performer | Bush-41 | Guardian |
| 1996 | Clinton | Artisan Performer | Dole | Guardian |
| 2000 | Bush-43 | Artisan Promoter | Gore | Rational |
| 2004 | Bush-43 | Artisan Promoter | Kerry | Idealist |
So, if the Artisan candidate always wins the general election, why don't the parties always nominate an Artisan standard-bearer? Keirsey Temperament Theory explains all - the answer to that question in my next entry.
[Index to all articles in this series]
 |
 |
 |
 |
Posted by FreeBird on Nov 11, 2007
Who are the artisans (if any) running for president this time? Neither of the front runners (Rudy or Hillary) strikes me as being as artisan... I am available! haha |
 |
 |
Posted by pizzaman on Nov 11, 2007
What about Fred Thompson? He's an actor, like Ronald Reagan. Is he the "magic" candidate? |
| |
 |
Posted by KipParent on Nov 11, 2007
Sbeck - the last Rational president was Dwight D. Eisenhower (elected in 1952 and 1956). Famous Rational presidents include Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. There has never been an Idealist elected president of the United States. Free and Pizza - I will write about the individual candidates starting this week. There are some Artisans in the mix, although they do not currently look likely to win their parties' nominations. Fred Thompson is not an Artisan. |
 |
 |
Posted by JackDermody on Nov 14, 2007
I would liken the era we live in now to Jefferson's post-revolutionary years and to Lincoln's Civil War -- times for an Inventor or Architect to lead us out of a terrible quandry. It's a time for genius and personal power. Which candidate seems closest to such a profile? |
| |
|
Posted by KipParent on Nov 14, 2007
Jack, (jumping ahead slightly in my series....) I believe Barack Obama is the closest to this type as an INTJ Mastermind. Dave Keirsey and I have been debating Al Gore's type - what do you think he is? |
 |
 |
Posted by TennisGuru on Nov 15, 2007
Judging by his movie I'd say he is an Idealist! |
| |
|
Posted by JackDermody on Nov 15, 2007
Is Al Gore possibly a Renaissance person? -- someone who's preferences are so varied that it's hard to determine if he is clearly any particular type? I'd put money on Rational. Mastermind? Could there be an Architect lurking not far behind because he really thinks and acts out of the box and dabbles in ecclectic arenas and they say he's hilarious in private? Is he an Idealist? TennisGuru asks. Gore seems more structured, articulate and decisive than most Idealists I'm aware of (and I am one). Then again, Gore seems to have Guardian body language and a high tolerance for logistics, details, and processes. I guess the only temperament he could definitely not be is Artisan. |
So, looking at this table, it seems like Idealists and Rationals are toast when it comes to presidential politics. How many - if any - Idealists of Rationals have ever been elected president (before 1960)?