David Yepsen, the Des Moines Register’s chief political writer, lately has described how some of the presidential candidates stack up in terms of their presidential personas. To Yepsen, Barack Obama “looked presidential” in a recent debate, and Fred Thompson “looks the part of a president and carries himself that way. His slow talk and deep voice convey authority and a command presence.” It will be interesting to see whether this is a guy thing and whether there’s a non-sexist way to treat Hillary Clinton’s presidential bearing.

In any case, Iowans who remember their U.S. senator in the 1980s, Roger Jepsen, are not likely to be impressed by skin-deep analyses of the contenders. Jepsen looked every inch a U.S. senator. Time Magazine wrote of him in 1984, “Square-jawed and white-haired, Republican Roger Jepsen of Iowa is the very picture of senatorial splendor.”

When Jepsen upset incumbent Dick Clark in 1978 it must have been on the basis of Jepsen’s impersonation of a senator; it certainly wasn’t on his intellect. He showed neither judgment nor smarts when he allowed himself to patronize, before the election, a Des Moines massage parlor known for offering “nude modeling, nude encounters, and nude rap sessions.” Jepsen compounded the misstep when he paid with a credit card that produced a record police found when they raided the place and subsequently shut it for prostitution. (Jepsen said he thought it was a health spa; besides, that was before he found religion.)

Jepsen made a name for himself in Washington as one of the least-bright members of Congress, a reputation not enhanced when he was arrested driving alone in a lane marked for car pools and then claimed senatorial immunity entitled him to ignore the law and avoid the $35 fine.

The Des Moines Register’s editorial board interviewed Clark and Jepsen before making an editorial endorsement in 1978. Clark had nondescript features but an impressive record in his term in the Senate and a thorough command of the issues. Jepsen came for the interview with his able wife, Dee, near the end of the campaign when he had earlier faced many of the questions we put to him. Even so, he seemed stumped much of the time and turned frequently to Dee for rescue; she answered many of the questions.

The Register enthusiastically endorsed Clark. When voters thought otherwise, unkind souls blamed the paper for the editorial they described as the Register’s typical “kiss of death.” I blamed Clark for foregoing plastic surgery to compete with Jepsen’s “senatorial look.” Iowans came to their senses and rejected Jepsen in 1984.

My hope is that Iowans will remember their initial mistaken vote for Jepsen (the head I put on the post-election editorial mourning Jepsen’s victory, “Best Man Lost,” enraged readers and displeased the publisher) but had the virtue of truth – and that Iowans will vow not to be deceived in the caucuses or ever again by superficialities.

Television unfortunately emphasizes just that and makes of political campaigning a form of show biz where appearances count for more than they should. It’s troubling when the print press, which should provide an antidote, instead touts style over substance.

Roger Jepsen is a textbook example of how what you see is not what you get. My advice the next time a candidate is said to look presidential is: Remember Roger Jepsen.