The aesthetics of a candidate, the way in which they carried themselves, stood at a lectern and held the public's gaze - vaporous though they may be - meant something vital and reassuring.
In determining whether someone looked presidential, voters typically searched for broad shoulders on which they might be able to hang the label 'heroic.' They wanted someone with a calming voice who could soothe a nation during a calamity.
Entwined with those high-minded ideals are the country's enduring prejudices. An American president looked a particular way. He - and it has always been a he - had a look of confidence and perhaps even swagger.
When Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump met for the first time... the simmering question: Who would look presidential? But really, the issue was whether Harris would.
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