Has hair care become the third rail of politics?
Has caring about your hair care become the third rail of presidential politics?
It sure seems like it. Leaving the house Wednesday morning, I caught a segment on "Today" about Newt Gingrich's foundering presidential primary bid. According to the report, Gingrich's wife Callista (she of the Tiffany bill) butted heads with Gingrich staffers because she didn't want any campaign flights scheduled for early morning -- because she wanted to have time to get her hair done. (Whether or not this is actually the case, you have to admit, Mrs. Gingrich the Third has a flawless coif so solid it could easily have been cast in solid platinum.)
Add in the mockery -- and "Breck girl" nickname -- Sen. John Edwards earned for the follicularly focused faux pas captured on video (long before there was so much more to mock him for), and the fallout from President Clinton's trim on the tarmac at LAX by Christophe of Beverly Hills to name just two, and it seems that this kind of tonsorial attentiveness is not a trait that plays well with John and Jane Q. Public.
While it's still a long road to the Oval Office -- for any candidate -- it's clear that the presidential primary preening watch is already in full swing.
So here's our advice to current front-runner Mitt Romney, who has been accused in the past of having a too-perfect head of hair: Throw away the comb, ditch the product and jam a knit wool cap on your head. Remove the knit cap only for campaign speeches. Repeat as necessary. This will make you look like you've got more going on in your head than worrying about what's on top of it.
And, for a brief moment, it might make some people think about wool-cap-wearing U2 guitarist The Edge.
Which can't hurt your chances one bit.
-- Adam Tschorn
Photo: Callista Gingrich (credit: Mike Stewart / Associated Press) and Mitt Romney (Charles Krupa / Associatited Press) are among those in the political arena who've caught heat for their hair care.
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I dunno about that, but I can unequivocally state that Calista Gingrich III scares me. It wouldn't surprise me that she's a bit, uh, high maintenance.
Posted by: California Homeowner | June 15, 2011 at 01:02 PM
Wow....the mannikin worries about the PLASTIC helmet?? And she's thinking about being the 1st L-A-D-Y????????? OMG........ Good ol boy, Nutron Gangrine....ain't HE somethin????
Posted by: Robert NO longer in LA | June 15, 2011 at 01:27 PM
That gal in the picture has total "helmet hair!"
Posted by: Sabrina | June 15, 2011 at 01:32 PM
Calista's eyebrows are even freaker than that hair do.
Posted by: AndreaU8 | June 15, 2011 at 03:28 PM
Romney's hair looks to be very low-maintenance. Put some stuff in it, comb it back, and you're done. He wins no style points for this, but is this a beauty pageant or a presidential campaign?
Posted by: woof-woof | June 15, 2011 at 08:38 PM
She is not of this world.
Posted by: Bowl Weevils | June 15, 2011 at 09:49 PM
I guess this means Governor Rick "Good Hair" Perry won't be join'in the fight?
Posted by: dadada | June 15, 2011 at 10:30 PM
Calista is the living embodiment of Daisy Duck.
Posted by: Millie Bea | June 16, 2011 at 08:46 AM