Charismatic communication skill, media legitimacy, and electoral success

There is growing interest in how much a political candidate’s media and political skills, sometimes referred to as “charisma,” are critical to their electoral success and political survival. According to one hypothesis, the effects of media skills might be so strong that actors who do not possess media skills quickly vanish from the political arena. However, while many believe that media skills are an important aspect of being elected, few have actually tried to measure their effects. Part of the reluctance, no doubt, stems from methodological difficulties in measuring them. In this study, I look more directly at the media and political skills that are likely to play an important role in electoral competition and suggest a new methodology for measuring such skills. Findings are presented that show that media and political skills, as well as media coverage, can have an important impact on long-term electoral success of Israeli members of the Knesset.