Mutton Chops of Change?

I think we can all agree that this is the most disappointing moment so far in the Obama transition. Richardson’s beard-cleansing is a clear sign that the team being assembled President-elect has no intention of bringing genuine change to the executive branch; Obama’s expressions of regret are simply not persuasive but are, rather, merely ironic postures of sincerity that reflect poorly on his ability to treat vital issues with the gravity they deserve. The nomination of Eric Holder for AG was, at the time, a step in the right direction, but it was always doomed to be an unmemorable successor to, say, the modified kaiserbart sported by John Bolton. Obama needed a strong follow-up to Holder. Richardson let him, and us, down.

Only Barack Obama can fix the mess now. It’s been nearly a century since an American president sprouted facial hair; the Curse of Taft has hung over the nation like a poisoned miasma since March 4, 1913. President Obama doesn’t necessarily have to revive the French Fork or the Chin Curtain, but an Old Dutch or a Hulihee would make an enormous difference.