Jon Ossoff is mogging his way to the top.
The Democratic senator from Georgia is on track to win reelection in November. He is increasingly viewed as a candidate to watch in 2028.
Many attribute Ossoff's political strength to his embrace of "looksmaxxing," the internet subculture devoted to optimizing physical attractiveness. Journalists and other Democrats rave about his "beefier physique" and "square-jawed" visage. He's been described as a "hot Atticus Finch" who belongs in a Vogue ad.
Ossoff, 39, has completely transformed himself since running for Congress (unsuccessfully) in 2017. In addition to beefing up and elevating his grooming routine, Ossoff has hired a Hollywood makeup artist to help take his appearance to the next level. His campaign has paid Stephanie Ponder, whose film credits include The Notebook and The Hunger Games, almost $3,000 for "makeup services" since February, the Washington Free Beacon reported last week.
Other male Democrats running for Senate this cycle have struggled to keep up with Ossoff's aesthetic gains. Abdul El-Sayed, for example, has sought to portray himself as a handsome socialist. He recently described his primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens (D., Mich.), as an "ogre" he wants to impale on a pike to send a "message."
El-Sayed, 41, is clearly trying to looksmaxx. He's not as flubby as he was when he ran for governor in 2018, but his overall results have been pathetically suboptimal.
The Free Beacon asked Wheat Waffles, a YouTube influencer who specializes in looksmaxxing analytics, to assess El-Sayed's attractiveness and potential for improvement. Applying his empirically derived methodology, Mr. Waffles rated the candidate a 5/10. That's not very good, according to a Free Beacon analysis of the expert's assessment.
El-Sayed got high marks for eyebrow thickness, hair texture, ramus length, mandible straightness, and "beard growing genetics," which accentuated the "good forward growth" of his jawline. The candidate's weakest features included facial asymmetry, low-set cheekbones, and an "oversized nose." There was simply "too much fat" on El-Sayed's face, Mr. Waffles explained; removing it could potentially boost his rating to a 6/10.
That said, the looksmaxxing expert seemed to doubt whether El-Sayed could ever achieve a higher rating on account of his advanced age. "Even if you’re attractive as a 40+ year old, it’ll just be perceived as creepy if you approach girls in their 20s," he wrote.
El-Sayed's diminutive stature was another factor weighing down his attractiveness score. The candidate claims to be 5'8", but a compelling Free Beacon analysis determined that his actual height is closer to five feet even. Mr. Waffles urged El-Sayed to start heightmaxxing by wearing "shoes with lifts."
The Free Beacon was unable to determine Jon Ossoff's true height, which some have suggested is greater than six feet. We couldn't help but notice, however, that Ossoff's feet are rarely visible in photographs touting his alleged height, which could be the result of advanced heightmaxxing techniques.
Former president Barack Obama, who claims to be 6-foot-2, reportedly said that Pete Buttigieg was "too short" to be president. Buttigieg is 5-foot-8, allegedly, just like El-Sayed. For once, Obama is right. America hasn't elected a president shorter than 5-foot-9 since William McKinley in 1896.
That's too bad for Mayor Pete and El-Sayed, but Ossoff could easily be president someday—if he has the courage to complete his transformation.
