I mentioned in an earlier blog the tallest perceived man wins, rule of politics.
The most humorous story in this vein was when I was helping Joe Alioto run for mayor in 1967. Joe entered the race after a friend of mine, Gene McAteer, abruptly died in the summer. Joe entered at the last minute (which is a good strategy) running against Harold Dobbs.
I did some market research and focus group consulting for Joe's campaign.
I immediately appreciated Joe after he saw (through a two-way mirror) a focus group with many people who said they didn't like Joe. He turned to me and said: 'How can that be...they don't even know me?'
I
advised Joe about the problem he faced being short (maybe 5' 9") running
against a very tall man. Dobbs was well over 6 feet. Joe understood and
realized he would have to stand on a pedestal at any public debates.
A
few days after we talked, Joe called me to his campaign headquarters
and showed me one of his main pieces of campaign literature. It was a
photo of Joe bending over to shake hands with a Chinese utility workman
in a manhole. We both laughed.
PS: Photo upper right. Joe is in the middle, but this is a misleading photo. Joe and I parted ways when he strongly opposed school integration. Photo lower left, a real 50 year old streaker at one of Joe's rallys.