Mitt Romney: Miss America?

Before I go any further, I’m not trying to be derogatory toward either Mitt Romney or Miss America. But, I DO see similarities between the two as I observe the current primary. I must also say that what I’m seeing Mr. Romney’s personality is not a distinct as Rick Santorum’s or Newt Gingrich’s.

(Let me remind you that I am making long-distant assessments and sharing my observations from a personality standpoint. Some traits are obvious, but personal contact helps answer questions that need closer observation. I would love to be able to provide that, but cannot since I don’t know any of the candidates. One on one would have been extremely helpful in writing this post.)

Perfection?

On the outside (and often on the inside) Miss America is the poster child of perfection. Perfect appearance, perfect body, and outstanding accomplishments! Oh yeah, and perfect hair! Romney is much the same. People are always commenting on how presidential he looks. His hair always lays perfect (although did I see a rogue spike in the one of the past debates?). He is statuesque when in the spotlight, but I must say I glad we don’t have watch him parade around in a bikini.

Yes, in the outward sense, Romney is a great example of the melancholy personality, much like Miss America. So even though we have “Mitt” America on the outside, he is far from perfect much like the other candidates. So, let’s dig a little deeper and see what we find.

How Goes the Mouth?

I find Mitt America very interesting in this area. When answering questions in debates, he reminds of MISS America. We’ve all seen the questions that come up on the stage during the Miss America pageant. The representatives of each state smile and answer question that often revolve around their recipes for world peace and the all-too-tricky political inquiries. Many of the girls answer with wide, enthusiastic eyes and plastic smiles. Some answers are so Barbie plastic that it elicits the all too common, Are you serious? Mitt America comes across like that as his melancholy searches for that perfect answer. Then to make matters worse, he mentally hair sprays it as it flows from his mouth. Could it be that these plastic answers are why he doesn’t garner enthusiastic support from GOP voters?

Melancholy personalities are often so concerned with wrapping themselves in perfection that they don’t come across naturally. They are so worried about crafting the project that they look, well, plastic. A relaxed and charming sanguine almost always rises above a stiff, perfection-seeking melancholy even IF their ideas are the same. I think this is partly what why Michelle Bachman never caught on big during her time in the primary.

Successful

Melancholy people accomplish great things. Romney certainly has. He has successfully (although many will disagree with his methods) run many, and saved, companies, plus he turned the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City around when it faced severe financial problems. A melancholy will analyze charts, graphs, and financial statements, and find viable solutions. Mitt America has a proven track record and it is due, in part, to his natural ability as a melancholy.

He also served as governor of Massachusetts. There is a lot that experts could comment on politically here, but from a personality standpoint, one must assume took time to analyze what it would take for a Republican candidate needed to do to the gain the support of a liberal leaning state. Melancholy personalities love to analyze.

The Tricky Part of Mitt America

This trickiness is why I’d love to observe Romney from a closer vantage point. There are things about him that would probably make more sense if I could see him in person. For one thing, knowing for sure what personality blend he has would clarify some of the things that are not adding up for me. (See the post I did on the tricky blends involving the melancholy personality.)

First of all, melancholy personalities have high standards and this often manifests itself in details. We all know that negative ads have been running amuck and there is plenty that could be said from a political point-of-view. However, since I am focusing on the personality angle, we’ll stick to that and Mitt America’s participation in them. Many of his attacks on others have been proven incorrect. Melancholies tend to thrive on facts. It doesn’t make sense that a melancholy operating in their strengths would allow the dissemination of incorrect information. The melancholy personalities I know are enthusiastic seekers of the truth.

Also, this personality likes consistency. They tend to resist change. (I think that could be the introvert influence because phlegmatic people are much the same.) It probably driven more by doing what one feels needs to be done politically, but Mitt America seems to have no qualms lambasting his GOP political opponents, but yet pussy-foots around when it comes to the current president. In the interest of not getting political, I won’t go into much detail, but those who are up on politics know what I mean. Mitt America plays hardball with those he is more aligned with ideologically while tossing Nerf balls at Obama. The differences in his approach do not add up. They make sense politically, but not from a personality perspective.

The Melancholy Candidate?

This is a hard to break down when it comes to Mitt America. There are some areas he is the consummate melancholy candidate, but there are others that do not add up. Maybe they would if I was able to follow him around and make first-hand observations. This could be the reason that GOP voters are searching for the anti-Romney candidate. Mitt America raises more questions for me than he answers.

The Personality Angle

So, what do personalities contribute to the GOP presidential primary process? This is how the personality mechanic sees it:

• Rick Santorum, Mr. Rogers, is the perfect candidate for many conservative Republicans ideologically. However, there is a fear that his phlegmatic lack of “spark” will hinder his ability to defeat the current president.

• Yosemite Newt has the scrappy nature needed to take on the biased press and, more so than anyone else, the “audacity” to bring up the lack of vetting the current president endured while he and the other GOP nomination seekers must endure a colonoscopy every other week. But, his rough choleric edges turn off many voters and he has lots of past baggage that people will not look beyond because they must feel he hasn’t changed. Cholerics and controversy can be a deal breaker for many.

• “Mitt” America. His personality creates more questions than it answers. There is no denying he is influenced by the melancholy temperament, but it doesn’t seem to define him as fully as the other candidate’s personalities define them. Maybe that is why, despite running for president for so many years, he hasn’t captured the heart and imagination of the America voter.

So there you have it. You may or may not agree with any of the above candidates. Or, perhaps you are like me and not sure which one to support. I am using the personalities as a tool to understand each of them. If it were possible to meld the strong parts of each of these men into ONE candidate, Republicans would have one heck of horse in the race. But that is not how personalities work. We all have strengths and weaknesses. There is no perfect person OR candidate.

(NOTE: In the interest of openness, I need to disclose that I am conservative. However, my goal is to write this series of posts purely from a personality perspective. I have not decided which of the GOP candidates I will support. I also want to add that many of our Miss America winners are outstanding young women. I use them in this post because of their ability to portray perfection better than almost any other group of people.)

©2012 Shona Neff