Daphne Gray-Grant

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October 27, 2008

Likeability: the killer ap

Could your writing win an election?

When I was a kid, dinnertime conversation often centred on politics. My father had strong views, which he accurately described as "somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun," and he wasn't shy about sharing them with his more liberal daughter. By the time I stopped wearing braids, and to my mother's despair, we often spent dinnertime loudly arguing the merits of government policy.

But there was nothing better than an election. My father's cronies always came over and as we peered at the TV through the foul-smelling fog (they all smoked, of course), we saw the results trickle and then, finally, finally pour in. Who needed Meet the Press when you had an houseful of politicos contributing their own, thoroughly uncensored colour commentary?

These days, however, I usually end up watching returns with a quiet group -- my husband and son -- and I'm a bit more interested in what the paid pundits have to say. Following the recent Canadian contest one such journalist made a telling comment. He observed that the leaders of the two main political parties were demonstrably smart men, but that, fatally, neither was particularly likeable. (As a Canadian, I'll refrain from passing judgement on the likeability of the U.S. presidential candidates.)

This struck me with force not just because it is so true and obvious -- but also because it is so often scorned. Voters are seen as "shallow" and "naïve" for focusing on the person rather than policy. But, really, isn't it human nature to want to vote for someone you trust and like? (And when I say this, I am not endorsing the media's relentless focus on personal minutia, which I think is wrong. I'm just talking basic likeability here.)

Furthermore, I think likeability also counts when it comes to writing.

But what defines this tricky term? Let me take a stab at it by suggesting three measures:

A true and abiding interest in people. Of course ideas, matter. So do statistics and other hard facts. But they must be seen in the context of how they affect real people. Too many politicians go all wonkish when they start talking policy and too many writers do data dumps on their hapless readers. Make it personal, folks. Make the average person care. Tell stories and anecdotes about real people. Give us examples.

An ability to explain complicated ideas in clear, engaging language. It's considered sophisticated to scorn the sound bite these days, but I believe there is something useful about the clarity and incisiveness that a good sound bit requires. Warren Buffet, the oracle of Omaha, understands this perfectly. When asked, last week, to give his reasons for going on a stock buying spree he said: "If you wait for the robins, spring will be over." True, complex ideas can't be explained in 15 seconds. But their purpose and intent can be summarized.

A sense of warmth and compassion. We voters and readers hunger to know that the politician or writer cares about us. We get it that you have to be relatively wealthy to run for office (very wealthy in the case of U.S. president) and that you need to be an expert on something to write about it -- but speak to us as if we were equals as human beings. Don't be pompous and don't talk down to us.

Let me emphasize that likeabilty, of course, is not enough in either politics or writing. You also want intelligence, good judgment and common sense. But likeability a start.

In fact, it's really little more than the Golden Rule -- treat others as you'd have them treat you -- writ large. And if you follow that rule, well, you'll have a better chance of getting my vote, as either a politician or a writer.

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