Representation Matters

 

For my entire life, I have never seen someone who looks like me in the White House. People like me felt unseen, invisible.

Now we see a small step in the right direction: J.D. Vance will be the first bearded vice president since Charles Fairbanks, who served under Theodore Roosevelt just after the turn of the 20th Century. And, indeed, the first VP with facial hair of any kind since Charles Curtis and his mustache left office in 1933.

Could the presidency be next? The first presidential beard was the one grown by Abraham Lincoln at the suggestion of eleven-year-old supporter Grace Bedell. But we haven’t seen a beard behind the President’s desk since Benjamin Harrison stepped down in 1887. (I’m not counting Harry Truman, who apparently stopped shaving for a few days while on vacation in 1948.)

It has been too long. I don’t know what the future holds for Vance, but for the first time in more than a century, we Bearded-Americans have a seat at the table.

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There are 11 comments.

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  1. Kevin Schulte Member
    Kevin Schulte
    @KevinSchulte

    There is a spot in your lower right corner of your beard . Breakfast perhaps ? ;) 

    • #1
  2. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.: I don’t know what the future holds for Vance, but for the first time in more than a century, we Bearded-Americans have a seat at the table.

    Amen and amen! Now, if JD goes full mountain man, it will be even better.

    • #2
  3. Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr. Coolidge
    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.
    @BartholomewXerxesOgilvieJr

    Kevin Schulte (View Comment):

    There is a spot in your lower right corner of your beard . Breakfast perhaps ? ;)

    I suppose being unseen wasn’t completely without its advantages.

    • #3
  4. genferei Member
    genferei
    @genferei

    “For my entire life”?

    • #4
  5. Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr. Coolidge
    Bartholomew Xerxes Ogilvie, Jr.
    @BartholomewXerxesOgilvieJr

    genferei (View Comment):

    “For my entire life”?

    Um … I was an early bloomer? OK, my entire adult life. Well, most of it.

    • #5
  6. Bob Armstrong Thatcher
    Bob Armstrong
    @BobArmstrong

    Hirsute Lives Matter!

    • #6
  7. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Are we sure that Kamala didn’t have a moustache?

    • #7
  8. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    If it’s any encouragement, I’ve already ordered my Vance 2028 yard sign.

    • #8
  9. Barfly Member
    Barfly
    @Barfly

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    If it’s any encouragement, I’ve already ordered my Vance 2028 yard sign.

    Now I want a new hat.

    Just to troll the libs for now. I want to see JDV in action first. We have a deep bench, and plenty of time.

    • #9
  10. AMD Texas Coolidge
    AMD Texas
    @DarinJohnson

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    If it’s any encouragement, I’ve already ordered my Vance 2028 yard sign.

    Though I am bearded, I am buying a beardless DeSantis sign for 2028.

    • #10
  11. EJHill Staff
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Beards, schmeards. Vance is historic because he’s the first US Marine ever elected on a national ticket. The E-4 Mafia has arrived in the White House.

    • #11
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