Research has shown that the perceived style of leadership is by far the most important thing to most voters in evaluating officeholders and candidates.

Teeter’s statement distills a core finding of modern political polling: many citizens judge leaders less by detailed policy positions than by the “feel” of leadership—traits such as competence, strength, empathy, steadiness, and authenticity. “Perceived style” points to an evaluative shortcut voters use under limited time and information, where image and demeanor become proxies for trustworthiness and capability. The quote also implies a strategic lesson for campaigns and incumbents: communication, presentation, and narrative framing can outweigh issue-by-issue agreement in shaping approval. At the same time, it hints at a democratic tension—if style dominates, substantive governance may be undervalued in electoral accountability.