A Spotlight on Success – Augusta’s expert featured on CNN talking POTUS and the ‘vertical’ advantage in presidential campaigns

Feb 17, 2020

1 min

Gregg Murray, PhD

Does the height of a person really matter? In America, if you are running for office, it might.

 

Augusta’s Dr. Gregg Murray was on CNN this weekend discussing how height can play an advantage in American politics.


Murray does confirm how a candidate’s height (or perception of) does make a difference in the minds of voters.


"Yes, there does seem to be some sort of relationship between an elected leader's height and how her or she is perceived, "says Murray.


Here’s the segment:




 

As the long road to November winds and weaves along the campaign trail, there are going to be many, many different factors that candidates look to capitalize on to gobble up every available vote. And if you are a journalist covering the election – that’s where our media-ready experts can help.

 

Dr. Gregg R. Murray, professor of political science at Augusta University, is available to talk about the upcoming election and all aspects surrounding each campaign. Murray’s research focuses on political behavior and psychology with specific interests in voter mobilization and turnout. He is also executive director of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences.

Connect with:
Gregg Murray, PhD

Gregg Murray, PhD

Professor of Political Science

Murray's research focuses on political behavior and psychology with specific interests in voter mobilization.

Government Responses to COVID-19Research MethodsPolitical BehaviorU.S. GovernmentPublic Opinion

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Augusta University

3 min

#Expert Q and A: Disinformation and Elections

Question: Taylor Swift recently took to her Instagram page to “set the record straight” about an AI version of her that had “endorsed” Former President Donald Trump. What are some of the things people can look for to know if a celebrity has indeed endorsed a candidate? Answer: People can go to the celebrity’s social media page to see their recent social media activity. On the page, people can search for information regarding political endorsements. People should be aware that many fake and parody social media accounts exist for celebrities, so people need to make sure they locate the real social media accounts of the celebrity in question. Also, people can search reputable news sources to see if there is any verifiable information (i.e., the information has been verified by other reputable news sources) regarding celebrity endorsements. Question: In an era where it is too easy for anyone to alter images or video, what are some of the dangers that can be associated with these deep fakes? How can this negatively impact the election, and just life in general with having this kind of misinformation out there? Answer: There can be multiple concerns regarding disinformation and elections. One, if voters make decisions about whether to vote for a candidate based on disinformation/misinformation, this is a concern for elections because in a democracy the hope is that voters can make informed voting decisions based on accurate information. Second, if millions of people are exposed to disinformation/misinformation and only a small percentage of those are not aware that the disinformation/misinformation is false, this could have significant effects for elections. The reason is that in recent presidential elections, and likely in the upcoming election, the margin of victory in some swing states can be less than 1% of the total state vote in some cases. Thus, if only a small percentage of individuals who are exposed to disinformation/misinformation believe the information is true, and the disinformation/misinformation affects their voting decisions, that could have significant effects on the election outcome of a given swing state. Furthermore, we know that the election outcome of each swing state has important implications for the overall presidential election outcome. Question: Do celebrity endorsements still help or hurt candidates? Answer: The empirical evidence linking specific celebrity endorsements to election outcomes is mixed. Based on existing research, we can’t say that a specific celebrity endorsement led to an election victory or loss. However, there has been some interesting research from Harvard (2024) that shows that celebrity endorsements do matter for elections by potentially increasing voter interest, voter engagement and voter registration. One example is in September of 2023 when Taylor Swift made an Instagram post encouraging individuals to vote. Immediately afterward, 35,000 individuals registered to vote on the non-partisan voter registration website Vote.org . So, while we can’t say that a certain celebrity endorsement will directly affect an election outcome, celebrities can move the needle in terms of voter interest, voter registration, and potentially voter turnout, which can influence election outcomes. Interested in learning more - let us help. Lance Hunter is an assistant professor of political science with a background in international relations. He is available to speak with media about this important topic - simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.

2 min

Can you benefit in transferring high-interest credit card debt?

Photo credit: paulaveryevans According to Lendingtree, Americans have over $1 trillion in credit card debt. The average American has around $6,500 in credit card debt. When you factor in the high interest that credit cards charge, it can be a daunting task to get the balance to zero. Many cards offer 0% APR on balance transfers for certain length of times. But is it worth it if you don’t plan on paying off the entire balance during the promotional period? Wendy Habegger, PhD, senior lecturer in the James M. Hull College of Business, said you need to be careful when taking advantage of such offers. “The benefit one would get in this situation is short-lived,” said Habegger. “While one might enjoy no interest for the promo period, when that period is over, the interest rate they are charged could be more than the credit card from which they transferred. My recommendation is that if one does a balance transfer, then only do so if you are able to pay off the balance before the period ends.” Some may think of doing a second balance transfer but Habegger said that it is not a good idea and could have a negative impact on a person’s credit score. It also gives the appearance the customer is at increased risk of default, which could trigger an even higher interest rate and higher fees. Not only may one incur higher rates, it could certainly impact their credit score, which can have a long-lasting financial impact. Even a large purchase on a 0% APR card will affect someone’s credit score. “A large purchase indirectly impacts one’s credit score based on credit utilization,” she added. “If one uses more than 30% credit utilization, it could impact credit scores.” Personal debt and credit are trending and important topics in America today - and if you're looking to know more, we can help. Wendy Habegger is a respected finance expert available to offer advice on making the right money moves during volatile times. To arrange an interview, simply click on her icon now.

1 min

#ExpertSpot: How Does the Ukraine/Russia War Finally End?

With the war between Russia and Ukraine now approaching two and a half years - there's no end in sight. How does it end? Check out this ExpertSpot from Augusta's Dr. Craig Albert for some insight and perspective. Craig Albert, PhD, is director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. He is a leading expert on war, terrorism and American politics. AI and the upcoming election is a serious topic. Albert is available to speak with media – simply click on his name to arrange an interview today.

View all posts