Leader in the Saddle…We Like Our Presidents Tall

As we push deeper into election season, it seems like we will poll or study just about anything...including the stature of the candidates themselves.  Not the  stature based on resume, accomplishment and current place in society...but stature as in "who's taller" and will their height take them to new politcal heights.  Interesting study reported by UPI.

 Americans prefer tall presidents. Study participants were asked to describe and draw a figure that represented their concept of a "typical citizen" and an "ideal national leader," before being asked to draw both figures together. The results showed that 64 percent of students drew the leader as taller than the citizen, the researchers said. Gregg R. Murray, who led the study, explained, "Our research and the literature demonstrate that there is a preference for physically formidable leaders that likely reflects an evolved psychological trait, independent of any cultural conditioning. So while at 6 feet, 1 inch, Barack Obama towered over the 5-foot-8 John McCain in 2008, perhaps he'll meet his physical equal in one of the 'big man' governors in the 6-1 Rick Perry or the 6-2 Mitt Romney in November 2012." (UPI)