1972
"We
didn't make him look presidential enough" recalls Charles Guggenheim, the
Academy Award-winning film maker who produced commercials for George McGovern's
presidential campaign.The
Guggenheim spots used a documentary approach, filming McGovern in lively conversations
with diverse groups of voters. Unlike the 1952 "Eisenhower Answers America"
campaign where the questions where filmed separately from the answers, Guggenheim
captured actual encounters between candidate and voters. Portraying McGovern
in such an approachable manner may have diminished his stature.The
Nixon campaign knew the power of appearing "presidential." Their
slogan "Re-elect the President" appealed to Americans' respect for the office,
even if they found Nixon personally unappealing.Nixon
won re-election in a landslide. 
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