Hi, my name’s camo16 and I have been guilty of rattling off ill considered and generally negative comments about politicians – red, blue, yellow – on this forum in the very recent past. Damn my over sensitive Send Post clickerage…

Here’s a lighter politics-related question: has there ever been a good politician who didn’t have (a) bundles of outrageous facial hair or (2) a big fat cigar sticking out of his/her mouth?

On the facial hair front it’s got to be Lord Salisbury every time for me (I’d post a pic but I’m so computer illiterate I have no idea how to do it). Stogie wise, Churchill was in a class of his own.

Modern-day politicians all seem to be clean shaven. Hmm….

As for the facial hair point, I believe that Jacqui Smith and Harriet Harman are strong contenders.

Wouldn’t beards/cigars improve all of the above?

As for Smith, Harman and Blair the thought of them lighting a cigar whilst bathing in a flammable liquid is most definitely an improvement.

Are they all in the same bath?

Only asking because I’m imagining the scenario and I want to enjoy it properly!

😀

Beacoup lollage @ pjm1974 😆

what do you mean by a “good” politician ? (consistency, effectiveness, policies you approve of, honesty, longevity, integrity, …) I see many of these as incompatible so can’t work out which you mean

I don’t really do politics but always had a soft spot for Tony Benn (pipe) and for Enoch Powell (‘tache IIRC) – think it was the apparent honesty (bluntness?) that did it. I’ve no idea what either was really like though

scaredypants:

I guess I mean by ‘good’ – an effective, apparently honest politician who genuinely worked for the public good with conviction and success

But ‘good’ can also involve longevity etc etc, or whatever you want really.

How does Tony Benn’s pipe measure up to Harold Wilson’s pipe? Now that was a pipe…

Didn’t Enoch Powell have the Adolf tash thing going on? That’s just worrying.

What about Mo Mowlam and her turban?

She was one of very few whom I had a lot of time for.

enoch’s tache

bit like clark ?

but Joe for the full-set winner

Not quite a politician, but for the sheer quality of tach-age, Friedrich Nietzsche surely beats Uncle Joe?

Again, my incompetence prevents me from posting an image. But believe me, it’s a beast.

Thanks RealMan – wow, it’s even better than I thought!

< head in hands at inability to grow such facial hair >

oooyah ! that’s a beauty

maybe there is something in this “greatness” thing …

Red and silver nipples?

Uncanny resemblance to Rutherford B. Hayes on acid (well known for his red/silver nipples, I believe).