Psychology Commons^™

Why Al Gore Will Not Be Elected President In 2000, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This article highlights the key role of extraversion with reference to electoral success in U.S. presidential elections since the advent of television and argues that the introverted Al Gore will therefore not be elected president in 2000. Starting with Franklin D. Roosevelt, nearly every U.S. president has been extraverted relative to other U.S. presidents, except for Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter. Moreover, since the first televised presidential debate (between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon) in 1960, the more outgoing candidate has consistently won the election, with the exception of Nixon in 1968 and 1972.