The document discusses how American perceptions of the president are shaped by media portrayals and images that symbolize certain qualities. It analyzes photos and clips of past presidents to show how their appearances projected strengths like leadership or weaknesses like lack of discipline. Symbolic images influence public views of a president's character and abilities to handle challenges like disasters. Presidents must be aware of how their words and visuals can impact perceptions of their fitness for office.

1. The President as Symbol American perceptions of the president: What is real and what is not?

6. Look at the images below of the Presidential election debates of 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon

10. In 2008, another presidential candidate, John Edwards, was caught by the Enquirer in a similar situation.

16. Clinton remained a darling of the media during his presidency. Despite his problems, he called himself “the comeback kid”. What image does he project in this pictures?

17. Compare the two pictures below of Bill Clinton meeting two different people. Which picture do we most associate with former president Clinton? Which picture would Clinton prefer to have associated with him? Why?

20. Many pundits have poked fun at John Boehner, our current Speaker of the House, for crying.

21. Which of the following images shows a stronger representation of a politician? Why?

22. Sometimes circumstances help a president to project an image. What image does President Bush project here?

23. We don’t like our presidents to make mistakes. What is wrong with this image taken in 2005?

26. What image does Clinton portray in this clip?

27. Many times a president can get into trouble with words. Here is Bush 41…and, yes, he raised them twice.

28. And Obama, normally a man who remains calm under pressure…

29. When we attach perceptions to our politicians at their best…

30. We should be careful not to attach false perceptions to presidents at their worst…(imagine if we had a camera on us 24 hours a day!)

31. Even the best manipulators of the media have bad days…