Moral Crusader vs. Flyboy: The Political Personalities of Al Gore and George W. Bush

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

11-3-2000

Disciplines

American Politics | Leadership Studies | Other Political Science | Other Psychology | Personality and Social Contexts

Abstract

Aubrey Immelman’s research has found that Al Gore’s major personality-based leadership strengths are his conscientiousness, a detail-oriented ability to craft specific policies, and low susceptibility to ethical misconduct, whereas opponent George W. Bush’s major personality-based leadership strengths are his skills in connecting with critical constituencies, mobilizing popular support, the ability to retain a following, and his self-confidence in the face of adversity.

What can such profiles tell us about the leadership style of the candidates? In his presentation on the application of personality profiling to presidential politics, Immelman presents his research on presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush, briefly explains how he goes about the task of assessing personality at a distance, and discusses the leadership and policy implications of the candidates’ respective profiles.

Comments

The research was conducted at the Unit for the Study of Personality in Politics (USPP), a collaborative faculty–student research program in the psychology of politics at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict in Collegeville and St. Joseph, Minnesota, directed by Aubrey Immelman, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, who specializes in the psychological assessment of presidential candidates and world leaders.

View the personality profiles of Al Gore and George W. Bush

Related links:

Al Gore » http://personality-politics.org/al-gore

George W. Bush » http://personality-politics.org/george-w-bush

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