Character a crucial issue in upcoming election, experts say

With less than a week to go in the neck-and-neck race for the White House, experts say the perceived character of the presidential candidates could be a deciding factor in electing the next commander-in-chief.

"Character is always an issue," said James Campbell, political science professor at the State University of New York-Buffalo. "It is always right alongside issues as being important to voters."

Character is at the forefront, he said, because it is tightly linked to leadership and performance in a presidential term.

The issue of character is a long-running theme in elections. But because of the media and the saturation of advertisements, the voices are louder, said Bruce Altschuler, professor of political science at the State University of New York-Oswego.

To come across as the perfect Oval Office pick, President Bush and Sen. John Kerry are working overtime to portray themselves - and each other - as either a flip-flopper or steadfast leader, a Vietnam vet or the guy next door.

One way to get the message across is through language, said William Balthrop, communication studies professor at UNC-Chapel Hill.

He said that Kerry, to counteract the Bush campaign's portrayal of him as inconsistent and indecisive, has been using strong terms that convey resolution.

Bush tends to keep his mannerisms and speech informal, which makes him effective in communicating his beliefs, Balthrop said.

In a debate setting, Bush's informal language might not work as well, Balthrop said, but during stump speeches and out in public, he is able to connect with the crowd.

He often is seen as the guy next door, and for certain voters, that is a good thing.

"Some people think that's important, and if you trust that person because he shares similarities ... you're more likely to vote for him," Balthrop said.

But in some cases, location is everything.

When reflecting on the place these candidates call home, many will consider themselves able to relate more to Texas than to Cambridge, Mass., said James Gimpel, political science professor at the University of Maryland-College Park.

According to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, 49 percent of registered voters are leaning toward Bush, giving the president a lead over Kerry by two percentage points.

Come Election Day, how voters see the candidates likely will play a large role in who will call Pennsylvania Avenue home for the next four years.

Altschuler said character and issues tend to be intertwined. And this year's turnout could be one of the highest in years because of the compounded and hotly debated issues of war and the economy.

Compared to past years, the public tends to be more informed during this election because of its significance and increased media coverage, Balthrop said.

"I think the media also sees this, as a lot of people see this, as the most important election in a generation," he said.

But for the most part, the country is highly polarized in its political beliefs, and for the majority of voters, their decision already has been made, Campbell said.

Some of the most important voters are those still undecided with less than a week to go, he said, but often they are relatively uninformed.

"In general, they aren't as well informed as the partisans are," he said. "It's really the exception to find someone who is really well-informed and still undecided."

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.