Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House

by Ben Shapiro

Hardcover: 304 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 15, 2008)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 159555100X

ISBN-13: 978-1595551009

 

For Release January 15, 2008

Media Contact: Sandy Schulz, MNS Publicity, (202) 244-1460

or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

New Book Examines What it Really Takes To Win The White House

 

Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House

Press Release

 

Ben Shapiro’s Romp Through The History of Presidential Image-Making Ranks the Best

and Worst Presidential Candidates of All Time...And Explains How the Current Crop of

Contenders Stack Up

 

Who is Winning the Image War?

Like it or not, image matters in presidential politics, as much or even more than the substance of candidates’ positions. Bestselling author and nationally syndicated columnist Ben Shapiro reveals just how much image matters, and what candidates are willing to go through (today and historically), to win the biggest prize of them all—the presidency.

In his enthralling new book, Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House, Shapiro takes a fun romp through history of presidential imagemaking, ranging from presidential hair (John Kerry’s election losing coif) to presidential height (Lincoln’s big advantage), to what it means to be a “boots” candidate, and why if you’re a “suit” candidate you’ll almost certainly lose. Shapiro rates the current crop of contenders and makes predictions based on historic precedent.

 

In Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House, Shapiro reveals:

• The top ten “image candidates” of all time—and, the five worst. Where do today’s

candidates stack up?

• Suits VS Boots: Shapiro notes Teddy Roosevelt’s advice to William Howard Taft on

cultivating a rustic image—horseback, yes, tennis, no—and explains why Jimmy Carter’s

cardigans gave him no chance against Ronald Reagan’s rancher mystique.

• The Long and Short of It: Size matters. Shapiro reveals why the taller candidate has

almost always won the presidency—even before television was a factor.

• Taking Bullets for Ballots: Candidates and their military service. Shapiro focuses on the

campaigns of 1992 and 2004 to show why military service is not the political trump card

it once was.

• Old School vs. New School: The issue of age in presidential campaigns. How has it

played out in history, and how is it playing out today?

• The Beer Buddy Syndrome: Who would you rather have a beer with—George H.W. Bush

or Bill Clinton? JFK or Nixon? “Beer buddy” is shorthand for likeability. And it

matters.

• The Hair Makes the Man: Out of forty-three presidents, only five have been bald. Hair is

the reason George McGovern stood little chance in 1972, and could partly explain JKF’s

victory in 1960. Does Mitt Romney’s perfect hair work for or against him? John

Edwards: Is his hair the sole basis of his popularity? Will Rudy’s baldness seal his fate

with voters?

• The Spouses: They matter, now more than ever. Jackie Kennedy greatly aided her

husband’s political quest, contributing to his glamorous Camelot image. Rosalynn

Carter’s polish balanced Jimmy Carter’s earnestness. Hillary Clinton became a major

campaign issue in 1992. Tipper Gore’s job in the 2000 campaign was to demonstrate her

husband could be passionate. And then there’s Teresa Heinz Kerry.

 

Ben Shapiro takes a delightful look at politics in our image-obsessed society. The charm of Shapiro’s book is that it shows that it has always been this way—statecraft as stagecraft, and politics as entertainment appealing to mass tastes. The result is a compelling collection of political arcana, riveting stories, laugh-out-loud anecdotes from along the campaign trail, and, ultimately, a savvy guide to how to succeed in the modern political arena.

Purchase book on Amazon here

To arrange an interview with Ben Shapiro, or to receive a copy of

Project President: Bad Hair and Botox on the Road to the White House,

please contact Sandy Schulz, MNS Publicity, (202) 244-1460 or

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Press Blurbs:

 

“I’m constantly citing the power of dress. It’s semiology: our clothes send a message about how we want to be perceived, and where is this more powerful and evident than in elected offices. In Project President, Ben Shapiro captures presidential semiotics with a potent narrative and deft analysis. It’s simultaneously fascinating and hilarious!”

– Tim Gunn, Project Runway, Liz Claiborne, Inc.

 

“The smart voter must come to every election well prepared—and Ben Shapiro has done your work for you. Drawing on all of American campaign history, Shapiro has written a smart, shrewd, and marvelously entertaining book about the nature of politics, and the kinds of things candidates and their consultants do to manipulate you on your way to the voting booth. His good news is that we figure out the politicians sooner or later, but wouldn’t it be better if it were sooner? With this book, you’ll be ready for the circus that’s on its way to town.”

--Dr. Larry J. Sabato, Director, Center for Politics, Robert Kent Gooch Professor and University Professor of Politics, University of Virginia

 

“Presidential politics has always been more superficial than we'd like to admit. With a stylish and likeable touch befitting a strong candidate, Ben Shapiro takes us deep into the shallowness that has shaped American history.”

– Jonathan Alter, Newsweek

 

“An entertaining and illuminating romp through the politics of symbolism and personality in our presidential politics. If you're thinking of running for president read this book before you spend a dime on a political consultant."

– Rich Lowry, National Review

 

“It takes a wise historian to know that small details can make up a more edifying tableau than the big picture. It takes a perceptive historian to know which details are most edifying. And it takes a good writer to present the details in a manner both witty and memorable. Congratulations to Ben Shapiro on all three accomplishments.”

– Eric Burns, author of Infamous Scribblers and Fox News host

 

“Ben Shapiro takes a romp through American history and shows how personality--and even haircuts--have elected or defeated presidential candidates. It's a tour through history that fans of both parties will enjoy--and can learn from."

-- Michael Barone, Resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute, Senior Writer, U.S. News & World Report, Co-author, The Almanac of American Politics

 

“It's taken the full eight years of his presidency for somebody to finally reveal what propelled George W. Bush to victory in the 2000 presidential election, and reassured his reelection in 2004: his cowboy boots. Forget the party platform, ignore the campaign promises: it's the candidate's 'image' we're voting for. And as Ben Shapiro writes, before one becomes president they must sell that image every hour of every minute of every day."

-- John McCaslin, Washington Times

 

About Ben Shapiro...

 

Ben Shapiro is a bestselling author and a nationally syndicated columnist. At age 16 he entered

UCLA, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in June 2004 with a BA in Political

Science. He graduated Harvard Law School cum laude in June 2007.

 

Shapiro was hired by Creators Syndicate at age 17 to become the youngest nationally syndicated

columnist in the U.S. He has been the subject of articles in the Wall Street Journal, the New York

Times, Associated Press, and Christian Science Monitor; he has been quoted on “The Rush

Limbaugh Show,” “The Dr. Laura Show,” the “O'Reilly Factor,” at CBSNews.com, in the

New York Press, in the Washington Times, and in The American Conservative magazine, among

many others.

 

The author of the national bestsellers, Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s

Youth (WND Books, May 2004) and Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting

Our Future (Regnery, June 2005), Shapiro has appeared on hundreds of radio and television

shows around the nation, including “The O’Reilly Factor” (Fox News), “Fox and Friends” (Fox

News), “In the Money” (CNN Financial), “Scarborough Country” (MSNBC), “The Dennis

Miller Show” (CNBC), “Fox News Live” (Fox News Channel), “Glenn Beck Show” (CNN),

“Your World with Neil Cavuto” (Fox News) and “700 Club” (Christian Broadcasting Network),

“The Laura Ingraham Show,” “The Michael Medved Show,” “The G. Gordon Liddy Show,”

“The Rusty Humphries Show,” “The Lars Larson Show”, “The Larry Elder Show,” The Hugh

Hewitt Show,” “The Dennis Prager Show,” among others.

 

Shapiro practices law with Goodwin Procter, LLP in Los Angeles, California.

 

 

 

Ben is represented by Premiere Speakers Bureau. To request a speaking engagement, please visit the Premiere Speakers Bureau Web site or e-mail Ben directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

 

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