A picture is worth a thousand words, and a photo op depicting a presidential candidate looking heroic or empathetic can sway votes and win elections.

But a photo op that makes a candidate look foolish or fey can doom a presidential campaign.

Just ask Michael Dukakis who in the 1988 presidential campaign, in an attempt to look credible as a commander-in-chief, rode in an M1 Abrams tank wearing a helmet. That photo of the diminutive (5’8”) candidate riding a tank wearing a helmet tanked his campaign.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who has aspirations of running for president in 2024, and who coincidently is also 5’8”, wore white fishing boots to visit a flood zone, dooming any chances that he will ever be taken seriously as a presidential candidate.

It’s OK to wear white boots that look identical to Nancy Sinatra’s iconic white boots if you cosplaying the 60’s pop star, or if are making a coming out speech. But you don’t wear immaculate white boots to a flood zone, especially not after Labor Day, if you want to be taken seriously as a presidential contender.