The most quintessentially American political parable with an aesthetics lesson is that of the first nationally televised presidential debate. As it’s taught in U.S. history classes, Richard Nixon showed up looking pale and sickly after a recent hospitalization and refused makeup for his five-o’clock shadow. John F. Kennedy accepted makeup and went on-screen with an enviable tan and bright smile, winning over the American public and, ultimately, taking the presidency. There’s no real evidence to support the claim that JFK won because of his appearance rather than his competence, but we take it at face value because, well, of course looks matter. 

But where do we draw the line, when it comes to what our politicians do in order to look good?

When asked to describe “what plastic surgery is” from a list of positive and negative attributes, the top three selections among people who identify as Republican were fake (39%), dangerous (32%), and vain (31%). 

Among those who identify as Democrat, the top three were a form of self-improvement (33%), an empowered personal choice (30%), and a way to build confidence (30%). Talk about a political divide.

Democrats were voted more likely to get plastic surgery than Republicans by people* of every political persuasion and age group.

*Among those who chose a specific party

29% of Democrats have had a cosmetic procedure versus 22% of Republicans and 22% of Independents. 16% of Democrats have gotten 2 or more procedures compared to 9% of Republican voters. 

Both political parties agreed that the number one reason Democrats are more likely to get cosmetic work done is that they tend to value appearance more. But each group took a dig at the opposing party with their second-choice reasons: Republicans said it’s because Democrats are less attractive, while Democrats said it’s because they make more money and/or have more disposable income.

Among survey respondents who named a politician they think has had cosmetic work, 19% cited one with bad cosmetic work, while just 8% mentioned one with good cosmetic work. Nancy Pelosi, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden were the top three mentioned. The thumbs-up icon in the image above represents the percentage of respondents who consider their cosmetic work to be good, while the thumbs-down icon represents the percentage who consider their cosmetic work to be bad.
 
20% of Republicans say it’s inappropriate for any politicians, male or female, to get plastic surgery. Only 9% of Democrats think it’s inappropriate.

Despite the strong personal feelings of some in their party, the majority of Democrats (72%) and Republicans (69%) say they’re not more or less likely to vote for a candidate who has had a cosmetic procedure. As one blue voter put it, “The way they look shouldn’t influence their politics or how their constituents view their politics.”