Here's the paper on the combination of faces and political influence. https://vhil.stanford.edu/pubs/2008/bailenson-facial-similarity.pdf https://vhil.stanford.

Here's the paper on the combination of faces and political influence. https://vhil.stanford.edu/pubs/2008/bailenson-facial-similarity.pdf https://vhil.stanford.edu/pubs/2008/bailenson-facial-similar... >Abstract: Social science research demonstrates that people are drawn to others perceived as similar. We extend this finding to political candi- dates by comparing the relative effects of candidate familiarity as well as partisan, issue, gender, and facial similarity on voters’ evaluations of candidates. In Experiment 1, during the week of the 2006 Florida gubernatorial race, a national representative sample of voters viewed images of two unfamiliar candidates (Crist and Davis) morphed with either themselves or other voters. Results demonstrated a strong prefer- ence for facially similar candidates, despite no conscious awareness of the similarity manipulation. In Experiment 2, one week before the 2004 presidential election, a national representative sample of voters evaluated familiar candidates (Bush and Kerry). Strong partisans were unmoved by the facial similarity manipulation, but weak partisans and independents preferred the candidate with whom their own face had been morphed over the candidate morphed with another voter. In Experiment 3, we compared the effects of policy similarity and facial similarity using a set of prospec- tive 2008 presidential candidates. Even though the effects of party and policy similarity dominated, facial similarity proved a significant cue for unfamiliar candidates. Thus, the evidence across the three studies sug- gests that even in high-profile elections, voters prefer candidates high in facial similarity, but most strongly with unfamiliar candidates.