28-08-2003 13:34									#1
	America's clean-shaven presidency Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

I've seen threads on 'Poly contemplate when or whether the US will see a black, or female, or gay, or non-Christian president. Now it's time to take on the really important question: will Americans ever again elect a man with facial hair? Consider the historical record:

1789-1869 (Washington-A. Johnson): 17 presidents, none with facial hair (I'm including Lincoln here because he only grew the beard once in office)

1869-1913, the "Hairy Hiatus" (Grant-Taft): 9 Presidents, 8 with facial hair (4 with full beards, 4 with moustaches; only McKinley remained beard and/or moustache-free).

1913-present (Wilson-GW Bush): 16 presidents, no facial hair (though moustachioed Thomas Dewey got close in 1948).

I sit here stroking my beard and I ask: Will my kind ever be returned to power?

	28-08-2003 14:54									#2
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"Hairy Hiatus"

Generally refers to a dry period of beards, hiatus:

* Ben Kenobi checks dictionary.

'break or gap in a series or sequence.'

Looks like the joke is on me.

As for the beards, would you trust a man with one over one without?

	28-08-2003 15:19									#3
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quote: Originally posted by obiwan18 As for the beards, would you trust a man with one over one without?

I doubt it would make any difference. But I was back in the US recently and was struck by the fact that lots of guys sport beards, moustaches, and goatees these days; yet when you look at our leading politicians, none do. Seems strange...

	28-08-2003 15:49									#4
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I just read about this in some danish magazine today... let's see if I remember right...




Ever since WW2, most of the enemies of USA have had a leader with a beard* (Hitler, Hussain, etc), and USA don't want to end up having a leader like those, so they do everything they can to avoid them




* Don't remember the english word: That beard hanging between the nose and the mouth

	28-08-2003 15:52									#5
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The word you're looking for is "moustache." That's a pretty interesting analysis. Let's see: Hitler, Tojo (I think), Stalin, Castro, Ho Chi Mihn, Osama, Saddam...could be!

	28-08-2003 16:12									#6
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I think that Somali Muhammed Farah Aidid had a beard too. Not to mention Ayatolla Khomeini. But Khadaffi or the Panama "Pinapple Face" had none, had they?

	28-08-2003 16:17									#7
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Never trust a man with a moustache.

Always leave your moustache with a woman.
ACK!

Seriously though, McKinley was the only one in the hairy hiatus that was shot..... Was that because he was beardless? History demands to know!

	28-08-2003 16:31									#8
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quote: Originally posted by Evil Knevil Never trust a man with a moustache. Always leave your moustache with a woman. ACK! Seriously though, McKinley was the only one in the hairy hiatus that was shot..... Was that because he was beardless? History demands to know!

Alas, fond as I am of a good conspiracy theory, it's not so; full-bearded James Garfield was also assassinated.

Still, they were both succeeded by men with moustaches....hmmm...

	28-08-2003 16:44									#9
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I always thought there were two evil societies controlling us, the all-powerful bearded Illuminatti and the moustached, sinister Knights Templar. They battle for the world.

FIGHT THE MACHINE

	28-08-2003 18:07									#10
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Many black leaders in US have/had facial hair. MLK, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton...

	28-08-2003 18:11									#11
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AL SHAPRTON FRO PRESIDNET!

	28-08-2003 18:18									#12
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NO!

DENNIS!

	28-08-2003 18:27									#13
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mainstream culture after ww1 shifted away from facial hair because all the soldiers had to shave it off (gas masks for mustard gas etc). when the clean shaven soldiers came home, all the women swooned over them (as usually happens) and lack of facial hair became the norm.

politicans are always living in the previous 5 decades, so there you go.

	28-08-2003 20:09									#14
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* St Leo waits for the Hillary Clinton jokes

Fair enough, she doesn't have facial hair, but why let a few facts get in the way of the sexist mudslinging.:P