Book excerpt: Ever since 1789, Americans have engaged in the time-honored tradition of judging presidential candidates by their personalities. While it may sound unwise to pick the leader of the free world based on personality traits rather than platforms, policies, and ideology, that is exactly what will happen in the 2024 election. In this exploration of U.S. presidential elections, personality expert Merrick Rosenberg and co-author Richard Ellis reveal the pattern behind who takes the White House and why. You will discover the unique characteristics of Eagles (Donald Trump and Franklin D. Roosevelt), Parrots (Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan), Doves (Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter), and Owls (George H.W. Bush and Richard Nixon). You will find that almost nothing stops certain personalities from winning elections. Personality Wins shows how America’s national personality contest worked before 1932 and how it has changed in the era of radio, TV, and digital media. Through unforgettable and often unbelievable stories from the last twenty-three elections, Rosenberg and Ellis show how personality shapes the vote—and how it will determine the outcome of 2024. "Merrick has put together an excellent guide to understanding politics and human nature as well, which I will be eagerly sharing with my media and politics students." – Jon-Christopher Bua, White House Correspondent, Talk Media News and Adjunct Professor, The Catholic University of America