By Klein Aleardi<\/p>\n
Ask any voter and they can describe exactly what each candidate looks like, produce each one\u2019s latest meme, and outline each\u2019s outfit of choice. Hillary will always don a pantsuit, the Trump chooses a red power-tie paired with a toupe, and Bernie puts on his best grandpa face. In today\u2019s political battle field, it\u2019s not just about policy. Candidates are looked at through the lens of a First Lady, where appearance plays a large role and image, age and relatability are at the forefront.<\/p>\n
After losing to Hillary by an over-40% gap in South Carolina, the question of whether Sanders\u2019 appearance actually has an effect on the voters or is just another meme generator gained traction.<\/p>\n
I took the matter of appearance during candidacy to the image experts at the Fashion Institute of Technology. In a fashion-focused setting such as the design school, their responses returned a mix of barely noticing the subject and embracing the attention to age.<\/p>\n
According to FIT sophomore Melanie, Sanders is no different than other candidates\u2014current and past. \u201cThey\u2019ve been electing people like him for the past 200 years,\u201d said Melanie. \u201cBut it\u2019s just because we recently had a young president. I don\u2019t think he\u2019s any different from the other old white men who have run before.\u201d<\/p>\n
The age of the President is a discussion point as old as the candidates themselves. Although no one has been quite as old as Bernie, many are close. And, some have also felt the wrath of that judgmental generation who continues to drag out the matter. In 1986, when President Ronald Reagan turned 75 during his term, a few jokes were made at his expense on \u201cSaturday Night Live.\u201d The then-Weekend Update anchor, Dennis Miller, went as far as comparing Reagan to his grandfather\u2014another common Bernie association.<\/p>\n
Professor Leonard Bess, a department-head at FIT, says it\u2019s mostly the older generation\u2014who have always weighed age as an important factor\u2014hating on the Bern\u2019s seniority. \u201cI think for the older individuals it will be a factor,\u201d Bess said. \u201cProbably because it has always been that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though those high numbers are often tossed around with the idea of death, that\u2019s not necessarily why people are against him becoming president. Generally\u2014with the exception of some voters\u2014it\u2019s a concern that has been around elections for decades and has little to do with the nominee, says Bess. It\u2019s all about his replacement.<\/p>\n
\u201cReally what you\u2019re asking yourself is who will be the vice president,\u201d Bess said. \u201cSo you\u2019re looking at the vice president in that case and think, well, I really don\u2019t want him to be president, so then I don\u2019t want the main guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even without the age factor, Sanders is a stark contrast to the polished diplomacy of other candidates \u2013 exception: Trump. As demonstrated by Larry David\u2019s portrayal of the former Vermont governor, which, as usual, wasn\u2019t far off from the real thing, Sanders is a spirited character behind the podium.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think his animated speeches is part of why people think he\u2019s crazy and super radical,\u201d Joel Yates, founder of VendMend, said. \u201cI think his approach to the issues is far out there, but I think you have to add some shock value to what you\u2019re saying otherwise it won\u2019t stick.\u201d<\/p>\n
That seems to be the approach Donald Trump has chosen, and it\u2019s working. Supporters admire the leading Republican nominee for saying what he means.<\/p>\n
On a segment of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver featured a clip from CNN of a female voter stating, \u201che says what he means, I honestly believe he\u2019s telling the truth.\u201d Another said, \u201che\u2019s aggressive, he\u2019s strong and he\u2019s bold.\u201d The days of talking policy are fading as candidates like Trump and Bernie introduce their personalities to the country.<\/p>\n
But, unlike Trump, what Sanders lacks in traditional diplomacy, he makes up for with his message. FIT student, Allegra Toran, doesn\u2019t care that Sanders\u2019 style differs from Obama\u2019s calm demeanor. While President Obama stares through the camera into your soul to skillfully convince you of his policies, Bernie simply tells it like it is.<\/p>\n
Not even Sanders\u2019 fashion distracts his audience, says Toran. Without an attractive face or a dad bod, attendees have nothing to do but listen \u2013 a skill Toran believes would be lacking if America chose a female president.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a woman were president, they would all be asking who she\u2019s wearing,\u201d Toran said. \u201cThey\u2019d be critiquing her outside and not listening to what she\u2019s saying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clinton has already experience her share of fashion criticism \u2013 and not always from fashionistas. Although the pantsuit critique was, and still often is, popular in mainstream media, today\u2019s female fashion conversation has taken a turn for the supportive. Women, and men, are defending Hillary\u2019s choice, begging followers to change the subject.<\/p>\n
A Forune.com article begins, \u201cHere\u2019s a thought: Let\u2019s stop talking about Hillary Clinton\u2019s pantsuits.\u201d But, even with articles like this, her clothing still makes headlines, often bigger than her policies, and often next to a piece on Trump\u2019s toupe. No matter the candidate, politicians can\u2019t seem to escape the eye of the every-day fashionista.<\/p>\n
The best case scenario for the next president is to handle the fashion-crazed followers with as much brilliance as the Obama family. The reigning first family has secured their position as leadership icons and dominated the media spotlight with their fashion and relatability. People have shared dozens of Obama memes, loved their dogs, and idolized Michelle\u2019s arms. Allegra deemed the bunch the modern version of the perfect family.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike, back in the day with Dick and Jane, a mom and a dad, with two kids a boy and a girl,\u201d Allegra said. \u201cThey\u2019re the perfect family but in an imperfect way. They\u2019re a minority, they have two girls, but they give off this vibe where it\u2019s damn, I want to be a part of that family.\u201d<\/p>\n
With such stark differences between President Obama and Sanders, the question of fitting the fashionable\u2014not to mention trendy\u2014mold is up in the air for the democratic nominee. Although many on the college campus are currently unsure of Sanders\u2019 personal life, they do believe it would be busted open with an invitation to the White House.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the reason why the Obamas and their fashion are so much in the media is because he\u2019s in his last term so there\u2019s not much he can get done,\u201d FIT illustration major, Marisa Aguilar, said. \u201cI don\u2019t think that would change for Bernie.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"