Are Republicans More Well-Groomed Than Democrats?

After many years of writing about politics, I have finally determined the difference between Republicans and Democrats: It all comes down to grooming.

Republicans have neater hair.

I realized this while looking at a photo of last week’s GOP presidential debate in Iowa. On that entire stage, there wasn’t a hair out of place. And that was before Texas Gov. Rick Perry, known in his state as "Governor Goodhair," entered the race.

If you look through a congressional directory, many Republican members resemble Lego characters of members of Devo.

When Mitt Romney went on Late Night with David Letterman, he joked that a man who attacked him on an airplane “broke my hair.”

Ward Room makes many superficial observations, but this is not one. The grooming habits of politicians reflect their deeper psychological motivations. Republicans value order and conformity. They expect their hair to behave the same way.

If Rod Blagojevich had been a Republican, he would have tamed that disco thatch on his head with gel or pomade. It was Blago’s hair that made him a pop-culture satire figure, and landed him on Saturday Night Live and Celebrity Apprentice.

Does the Republican obsession with combs, sprays and gels also apply on the local level? You be the judge. We've compiled photos of several prominent Illinois politicians. Does the hair match the party?

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