(music) John Kennedy: "I want us to recapture that
image." The first Kennedy-Nixon debate in 1960 showed
just how important appearance is for political candidates.
Richard Nixon: "There's been more growth in this administration than its predecessor."
Most who listened on the radio thought Nixon won. But a large majority of those who watched
on TV thought Kennedy won. Nixon's image was hampered by his appearance. His shirt was
ill-fitting and he refused to take make-up to lighten his perpetual " 5 O'clock shadow".
Kennedy, by contrast, was tan and confident and well-rested.
Since a debate is very much like a job interview, we've asked author and job interview expert
Sue Morem appraise the three candidates running for Minnesota Governor as well as give us
some tips on doing a job interview.
Sue Morem: Tom Emmer. He looks the part. He carries himself well. He's a larger man so
that carries some strength with him. But that can be overpowering to people. His gestures
were very well thought out. Very Solid.
Tom Emmer: "Giving people the freedom and the opportunity to realize their greatest
dreams"
Sue Morem: And maybe he needs to soften his approach a little bit because he can seem
a bit stern, maybe even angry and that can be threatening to others. But as far as his
overall appearance and his manner, I thought he did a good job.
I noticed he used the word "we" over and over again.
Tom Emmer: "We believe that it is time to look at a different direction. We believe
it's time to talk about government living within its means.
...because we have proposed... ...we believe..."
Sue Morem: And I'm not sure we the viewer knows exactly who "we" is. Who is he talking
about when he says "we". And just like when you're in a regular job interview, if you're
representing yourself, talk about "I". I feel this or I'm doing this. It's OK to use "we"
once in a while, but then he should let us know who the "we" people are.
Tom Emmer:(touches finger to nose) ...if we get elected...
Sue Morem: I did notice that he also...he did rub his nose and then do something else
around his face...
(visual - Emmer touching his face twice)
...two times within just a matter of moments. We need to be careful anytime we bring our
hands to our face and start touching. Rubbing the nose repeatedly can mean that we're lying
or covering up something. Touching our hands to our face can even mean that we're nervous
about something. So we just got to watch those gestures a little bit.
Well, Mark Dayton has a great look. I mean he dresses well. He's clean cut. I notice
he tends to slur his words a little bit
Mark Dayton: "In Minnesota there I'm told there's 95 different languages and dialects
throughout our state"
Sue Morem: Now I'm not sure if this is due to this hockey accident that I've heard about,
but if it is, I think he should let that be known more because it does sound like he slurs
his words a little bit so people might be left to wonder about that. If he could slow
his speech down a little bit, maybe enunciate a little bit more that might be helpful.
He also seemed the most nervous to me. When the camera first went on him, he seemed a
little tense. He doesn't use a lot of facial expressions. I think he could warm himself
up and others to him if he just, you know, overcompensated maybe for his speech which
isn't as always as clear as it could be and was a little bit more animated. I think that
would make him a little bit more interesting.
Moderator "Independence Party Candidate Tom Horner...."
Sue Morem: I find it interesting that he's running as an Independent because it seems
that he's trying to separate himself from the others. The other two wore dark suits.
I noticed he wore a lighter colored suit in a couple of his debates. And he seems a little
bit more casual. The way that he sat with his leg crossed over his other leg and his
whole posture. He just seemed more relaxed like "Hey here I am" ,and I don't know, I
felt that his hair was just a little bit less styled. So he's sort of anti-establishment
in a little bit although he's dressing the part, just a little more casually. I think
he could be a little more animated in his speech. He seemed a little dull, a little
flat.
Audience member at debate: "I would like to ask these gentlemen what their philosophy
is on abortion."
Tom Emmer: "You know what, I appreciate the question. And you know Jackie and I we believe
in life, but I gotta tell you this election, it has to be about what is hurting the state
of Minnesota: the loss of of jobs..."
Sue Morem: I would say it's typically not a good idea to just avoid a question or divert
the attention to another topic. If you get a difficult question, you can maybe turn it
to your advantage by associating it with an experience that you had that's similar to
the kind of question they're giving you. If you can give a colorful story to go around
it where you maybe aren't specifically giving an answer, but you're giving a lesson learned
as a result of something similar. I mean you don't want to dodge questions and avoid and
divert all the way. You want to be as direct and honest as you can be.
Well certainly when you're in a job interview, you want to be a good listener and I thought
all the candidates did that pretty well. They were listening to what the other person was
saying. But you have to be just as aware that the camera is on you or people are watching
you even when you're listening. And so I noticed that some of the candidates, you can read
what they're thinking when they're listening by their facial expressions.
Mark Dayton: "...accounting services, legal services, haircuts, funerals, car repairs..."
Sue Morem: Sometimes we have to "fake it" (laughs) in order to be taken the way that
we want. So maybe we need to put on a more pleasant face even if we're feeling disgust.
But so we certainly want to be a good listener. We want to speak to the question. Address
the question. Speak in a personal term. You know when you add a personal story and add
that human touch, it makes you more human to others. And I think our politicians can
do well by that. And I think we can do that as well when we're in a job interview.
Moderator: "Our first closing statement..."
Sue Morem: And what's great in a debate when each candidate gets the chance to have their
60 second wrap-up, they in a sense get to summarize and re-sell themselves to the listening
audience.
Tom Horner: "I'm asking you to vote for your future. To vote for what you know is right.
To vote for Minnesota. Thank you very much."
Sue Morem: In a job interview it's really important to have your 60 second pitch at
the end too. This is where you're going to summarize the reasons why you are the candidate
for the job and also that's the time to ask for the job or let it be known that you're
very interested in the position. And many times job seekers fail to do that. They forget
to do that. So it's really important.
(Music: Sue's Advice)
Sue Morem: To Tom Emmer: I say button up and soften up. First of all, button your jacket.
You're a big guy and you have a strong presence but maybe you need to soften it a little bit.
And that beautiful white salty-with-a-little-bit-of-pepper hair, I'd like the white shirt vs. the blue.
That's a good contrast with the dark suit and and just going to bring out your colors.
So button up and soften up.
My advice to Mark Dayton is relax and liven up. Have some fun. Smile! Be a little bit
more enthusiastic.
Tom Horner, you need to update your image. It looks a little outdated. So I would say
go get a new hairstyle and maybe polish up your outfit, your colors could use a little
stronger contrast. The glasses even, a new pair of glasses. You just need to look a little
more polished. Update that image.
(music close) Howard K. Smith: "I've been asked by the candidates
to thank the American networks and the affiliated stations for providing time and facilities
for this joint appearance."