Opinion: Shirtless Obama and others: The naked truth about political leaders

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Shirtless seems to be the new dress-up. At least outside of winter climes.

All the online excitement generated yesterday by a shirtless photo of President-elect Barack Obama got us thinking and looking.

And, you know, these male displays of pectorals are not all that new for politicians or political activists.

As a public service heading into the holidays, The Ticket has assembled a motley collection of shirtless shots here, everyone from French President Nikolas Sarkozy to the Russian leader Vladimir Putin and even our very own California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

If you don’t recognize them with their clothes off, pass your cursor over the photo for caption material. Maybe do that anyway.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credits: People (Obama); Associated Press (Clintons, Reagans, Gore, Schwarzenegger, Kennedy, Burger Boy); ABC (Putin); MGM (Baldwin); AFP (Sarkozy); ChuckNorris.com; Michael Thompson / GQ (Anniston).