F or some reason, this is yet to take shape when it comes to politicians and presidents in particular. Being clean-shaven was not always the norm in American politics. The last president to sport some facial hair was William Howard Taft, who grew a mustache.
Taft served his term in the White House between March and March Since then, America has not had a single sitting president with facial hair. Beards became popular in the s among the hippie counterculture.
This notion led to their reduced popularity in politics. Today less than five percent of the members of the U. Congress have mustaches or beards. There is little research about politicians and facial hair. Analysts have, however, concluded that voters make decisions based on factors like appearance. Because of this reason, politicians opt to be clean-shaven.
Voters perceive politicians with beards as more masculine. There is also that general feeling that beards and mustaches make a man look more mature. This is a quality that people want to see in a head of state. Some, however, believe that men who have beards are not only unhygienic but have something to hide.
In politics, public trust is everything if you want the votes. Having a clean-shaven president shows that the person is tidy, clean, and bear with nothing to hide. These qualities would make a candidate look trustworthy, thereby winning more votes. This is all tied to their appearance. It was not until when women won the right to vote. That was also the last time the U.
Higher masculinity rates were tied to perceptions of competence. There was also the issue of the hippie culture catching on in the s. During that time, facial hair grew unpopular among politicians. Most of them wanted to distance themselves from the popular counterculture.
A century ago, a good number of presidential candidates had beards or mustaches. This was the norm and it played an essential part in the electability of a president. During that time also women issues were rampant- with women not allowed to vote. When women got that right, facial hair among presidential candidates disappeared. A president who had facial hair after that was perceived as sexist.
This may not be the sole reason why presidents who followed, later on, have all been clean-shaven. There is no denying, though, that this perception has played a role in it. Most men start growing facial hair when they reach puberty. Facial hair signals male dominance, strength, and maturity. Today, politicians, especially presidents seeking election, need to portray masculine traits.
During and after the Civil War, beards in politics were rampant. They, however, became less prevalent when women gained their rights to vote. It was also during that time that the double edge safety razor became available. Today, research has it that voters tend to stereotype men who have facial hair. Men with facial hair are perceived as composed, competent, aggressive, bold, and powerful. This, however, has its downsides. Voters may also perceive bearded politicians as more likely to hold issue positions that affect women.
They are also more likely to support military spending, deployment of forces, and gun rights. The last major party-bearded candidate to run for president was Charles Evans Hughes in He lost the elections. Like every fad, beards emerge and re-emerge in politics. Times have changed since the Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Harrison days. Today, voters are not so keen on political candidates having facial hair.
We are yet to see a president with a mean beard or a mustache, though. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and one of the most popular. Remembered for abolishing slavery, President Lincoln entered the office on March clean-shaven. A letter from year-old Grace Bedell of New York was the one that convinced him to start growing a beard. Bedell did not like how he looked without facial hair on his campaign trail in her letter.
All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President. Lincoln began growing his beard. By the time he was elected, he had grown his famous chinstrap beard, for which he is remembered.
President Lincoln was the first President to have a beard without a mustache. He served as president until his assassination in April of Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the United States and the second bearded president. He served as president from to President to have facial hair. Civil War General Ambrose E. Adams, then Secretary of State, failed to win a majority of the Electoral College and was elected as President by the U.
House of Representatives. Andrew Jackson had actually won the popular vote and 99 electoral votes. Since no candidate got a majority, the House of Representatives, as stipulated in the Constitution, selected the winner. This was further supported when later, as President, Adams nominated Clay to be his Secretary of State. Andrew Jackson perhaps had the last laugh, though, when he beat Adams by a landslide in the Presidential election. Plus, there is now a group known as the Bearded Entrepreneurs for the Advancement of a Responsible Democracy BEARD who are trying to bring facial hair back into politics because it shows dedication, which they believe will replicate in their public service.
This committee also provides financial support to political campaigns of those with beards. Awesome, right? While we wait for the next one, let's check out the few historical Presidents of the USA who dared to abandon their razors for beards, mustaches, and mutton chops!
The first President who was the son of a President is also our first president with real facial hair sorry, sideburns don't count George Washington.
After he and his mutton chops were not re-elected as President, they were both elected to serve in the House of Representatives until his death, when he had a stroke on the floor of the House. Van Buren was only around 5 feet 6 inches tall, but his mutton chops made him look much larger in stature. The "Little Magician" was not one of our better-known presidents but he did oppose the expansion of slavery, and because of that he blocked the annexation of Texas so that slave territory wouldn't increase.
At least he did something positive during his term other than just looking awesome. Honest Abe was an amazing man with an amazing beard. He grew up with little money and little education, and worked hard to further his education while being a farmhand, splitting logs for fences, and working as a shopkeeper. Even though his assassination was tragic, the words from his second inaugural address should live with us forever "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds.
After the embarrassment to the Union known as the Battle of Shiloh, there were a lot of people calling for the resignation of General Grant. Lincoln defended him by saying "I can't spare this man, he fights. There's no doubt that his beard inspired his soldiers on at least some small scale. Also, he looked like Russell Crowe. You thought the John Kerry - George W.
Bush election was rough? Hayes went to bed thinking he had lost the election, and woke up with a popular vote that showed 4,, votes for his opponent and 4,, for Hayes.
After months of debate over contested electoral votes, Congress created an Electoral Commission to decide who would be president. The commission had eight Republicans and seven Democrats, and Hayes won by a margin of you guessed it eight to seven.
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