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
Merrick earned a B.A. in Political Communications from George Washington University and an MBA from Drexel University, which recently selected Merrick as its Entrepreneur of the Year. Look for Merrick on the news and talk shows discussing how personality plays out in our relationships, careers, and presidential elections.
Richard Ellis is a strategist and writer based near Park City, UT. Since launching Pen & Path in 2013, he has served as a trusted advisor to more than 350 investors, entrepreneurs, and executives. They turn to Rich when credibility and capital are on the line. From Forbes columns and TechCrunch op-eds to product launches and brand messaging to IPO disclosure documents and private placement memorandums, Rich delivers when words matter most.
Rich believes in telling meaningful stories, raising controversial issues, and questioning assumptions. Towards that end, he has saved more than 10,000 drafts and broken five backspace keys in the last decade. When interviewing clients, he is known for asking unfair questions like, “What does that mean?” and “Can you give an example?” Rich graduated summa cum laude from Yale University in 2011with a B.A. in History. His thesis on Israel’s Six Day War earned the Alfred D. White Senior Essay Prize in American History.