It goes all the way back to Hubert Humphrey and maybe back to Adlai Stevenson. Stevenson also had a "funny name" and was characterized as an "egghead". My parents explained that to me when I was not even five years old in the 1956 election.
Let's face it; Humphrey was effeminate. That is why he lost in 1968.
Stevenson famously remarked, in response to a suggestion that any thinking person would be voting for him, that this would not be enough; he needed a majority.
It's related to the "elitism" problem. Back in 1960, John F. Kennedy was greeting workers outside a plant somewhere, maybe in West Virginia. Some guy said, "Senator Kennedy, I hear that you've never worked a day your whole life." Kennedy seemed a little uneasy until the guy followed up with, "Let me tell you, you didn't miss a thing."
Kerry's windsurfing video was a dealbreaker. Obama's hoops can maybe close the deal. How I would love to see an ad with Charles Barkley and Bill Bradley, maybe some more.
It was the masculinity deficit that doomed Al Gore in 2000. The campaign recognized the problem. That's why they put Tommy Lee Jones up there at the convention to talk about how "bad" they had been as roommates in college. That did not do it especially after Gore chose Lieberman as his running mate. What a horrible choice. I guess it was a combination of a "holy man" to counter the Clinton "scandals" and the idea of drawing to an inside straight with Jewish voters in Florida.
There were all kinds of better choices than Lieberman.
And I think the Veep choice does matter. I like Clark and Webb.
Just look at Clark. He has the guts and intelligence to take on McCain on matters of national security. What exactly are McCain's credentials? He was shot down and was a POW.
And the conventional wisdom that Clark was ineffective as a campaigner in 2004 are just wrong. He was an electrifying speaker and has a great biography. He did well in "town hall" situations. He builds a bridge to the Clinton crowd.
And Webb is a "man's man", whatever the hell that means.
Bush got by with his phony ranch, "windshield cowboy", clearing brush stuff, but you know what, that really matters.