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Hillary Clinton and the Hair Part Theory

July 16, 2008 6:43 PM

The New York Daily News reports that Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, has changed the part of her hair from the left side to the right side.

Clinton's change in part is an embarrassingly irrelevant fact, especially in light of the wars and economic blight preoccupying our nation's leaders.

Except that in Washington, D.C., as we've all learned, a cigar is never just a cigar.

And there is a whole school of thought about leadership and hair parts. Believe it or not.

**

Perhaps the most infamous hair part switch in modern political history took place in 1979, when then-President Jimmy Carter switched from right to left.

TIME's Hugh Sidey noted that White House barber Milton Pitts was "aghast" after Carter's shift in do, "confiding to friends, 'That guy is not going to last.' One Pitts theory was that untested leaders could, with seemingly innocent things, set off a slide into oblivion. In Pitts' view, Carter's hair change was too dramatic, suggesting self-adulation."

The headline of the Washington Post feature story covering Carter's new hair part: "A Shift at the Top: President Changes Hair Style, Triggers Speculation."

Carter's press secretary Jody Powell told writer Henry Mitchell: "I can't tell you anything about the new haircut. because frankly I didn't think to ask him about it. I've been busy, with the Holocaust victim ceremonies and oil and the windfall profit tax and so on, and I didn't think to ask about the haircut."

Hypothesized Mitchell: "The best writers, eggheads and artists tend to part their hair on the right.  The president's switch may foretell a resurgence of his populist image, a moving away from anything suggesting an elite."

**

It has long been rumored that Carter's new part came was rooted (sorry) in the work of siblings John and Catherine Walter, whom Cullen Murphy in The Atlantic reported were creators of the "Hair Part Theory, an exploration of psycho-behavioral dynamics."

The Hair Part Theory states that the way a person parts his or her hair has a subconscious impact on others.

A left part "calls subliminal attention to left-hemisphere brain processes -- associated with logic, verbal acuity, and 'activities traditionally attributed to masculinity in our culture' -- and tends to be regarded as natural for men," Murphy wrote. "Similarly, parting one's hair on the right evokes right-hemisphere processes -- associated with visual, artistic, and musical skills, and 'nonlinear tasks traditionally attributed to femininity in our culture' -- and tends to be regarded as natural for women."

Murphy noted that "Margaret Thatcher's left-side part supposedly enhanced her aura of strength and will; Hillary Clinton's left-side part seems to produce a more brittle version of the same effect...Jimmy Carter's right-side part may have reinforced perceptions of inadequacy; he didn't switch hair-part side to the left until halfway through his presidency -- too late. Overall, six American Presidents maintained right-side parts throughout their term in office; three of them (James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Warren G. Harding) are deemed by historians to be among our worst, and two others (John Tyler and Chester Arthur) are deemed to be inconsequential. (The sixth was Ronald Reagan.)"

The New Yorker, in a 2001 piece called “Al Gore’s Hair Problem,” looked into the work of the Walters as well, noting that the pair generally feel that "in most cases, a right part sends a gender-confused message and saps a man of his mojo. They like to point out that Clark Kent has a right part and Superman has a left part (at least in the 1978 movie)….Several years ago, they communicated this information to Al Gore, who wears a right part. He failed to take action. Now the Walters believe that Gore was beaten by George W. Bush because of the way he parts his hair."

Uh….right.

So what does this all mean for Hillary Clinton? She has made the reverse switch -- from left to right -- but then again, she is a woman, and the Walters' theory would seem to indicate that this makes more sense for her.

Her new do will evoke visual, artistic, and musical skills, nonlinear tasks traditionally culturally attributed to femininity, right-hemisphere stuff.

On the other hand, it is just a hair part, for the love of Pete.

- jpt

July 16, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary | Permalink | Share | User Comments (35)

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Hilary's hair may not seem like a worthwhile story except that the Hair Part Theory holds a lot of water when it works...its one of those things that can give great insight...such as Al Gore perhaps being the better candidate, but often people just said "but there is somthing about him I just don't get"...even among Democrats. Very typical response to right parting men. Same with H...how often is she accused of not being feminine enough? Or look at Jimmy Carter...he lost the election, but has been a very effective past president (latest dust ups notithstanding). One of the points of the HPT is that having no part at all is actually stronger, since we are all right and left brained...parting on one side emphasizes that side at the expense of the other. Much less balance. Obama is one of the few candidates with no part that has been able to rise up to the top...lets see how he does matched up against McCain, who wears the atypical right part (maverick anyone?). finally, there are many times the HPT doesn't predict correctly, or doesn't have a strong effect. Just take it for what it is - another detrminant of personality that mixes up with all the other dterminants...but also one you can change!

Posted by: John Walter | Jul 19, 2008 7:02:09 PM

The part in her hair isn't at all as curious as the CRACK IN THE HEADS OF CLINTON HATERS.

Posted by: irma | Jul 17, 2008 9:55:09 PM

hillary clothes maker is a persian lady from arkansas, and has been since she was the first lady of ark.
and anyway, debby and rodney, you hate sen. clinton so much you need to tell yourselves her clothes come from walmart.
if you all are so rich, where do you clothes come from?

Posted by: the patriot | Jul 17, 2008 2:51:49 PM

debby
she is still wearing wallmart clothes yikes

Posted by: rodney | Jul 17, 2008 7:56:36 AM

GUESS OBAMA IS RIGHT ON WITH FOREIGN AFFAIRS SINCE BUSHY AND MCCOPY ARE IMITATING HIM-----HE IS ALREADY LEADING THE REPUB DUMMIES

Posted by: rodney | Jul 17, 2008 7:55:17 AM

WOW IS THIS HILLARY COMING OUT OF CLOSET ???????????????????

Posted by: rodney | Jul 17, 2008 7:47:31 AM

Now, if she'd just change her wardrobe and get rid of those tacky, polyester pantsuits!

And they call this crap news...It's amazing what qualifies as news.

Why are they even mentioning this woman? Let her continue to fade away. Let her R.I.P.

Posted by: Debbie, Columbia, SC | Jul 17, 2008 7:26:43 AM

Well, the media got what they wanted, Hillary out of the race. Now they have nothing to write about.

Fools!

Posted by: Mark | Jul 17, 2008 4:36:53 AM

What's really pathetic is when the public is waiting with baited breath to hear the next installment of T. Boone Pickens plan to move the country past the oil crisis. He's a private citizen whose plain speaking style carries more honesty than either of the two candidates in this presidential race.

Hillary, we miss you.

Posted by: s. valenti | Jul 17, 2008 12:35:01 AM

Hillary supporter here signing in. I am not supporting mccain, but barack doesn't have my vote yet, my question is is Hillary's hair more exciting than the two guys running for POTUS? looks like it is. the primaries were sure more fun that it looks like the GE will be.

Posted by: rachel | Jul 17, 2008 12:09:38 AM

Or maybe her hairdresser told her it would good for her hair to change the part occasionally. Gosh - what a concept!

Posted by: Tom J | Jul 16, 2008 11:25:57 PM

so obama being slow about the debatting decision, is him being kind to mccain,
and he was being gracious to hillary, and didn't really want to show his grand debating skills. what a crock.
obama cannot debate, because he cannot think on his feet. he has been coached and has memorized his notes, that is part of why he will not debate.
he was not being gracious and taking it easy on hillary during the debates.
and he is not quick witted so he will show mccain up.

he cannot debate. because he has to be coached.

actually, mccain and obama debating each other will be a wretched thing for thinking people to watch. about like bush debating, or giving a speech.

if obama is all that, there is no need for you to make excuses for him.
besides, we all see what we are seeing of him, and who he is.

Posted by: the patriot | Jul 16, 2008 10:53:45 PM

Hair-part talk is complete nonesense like talking about Obama's ears and teeth. Must be a slow day for real news.

Posted by: Mary | Jul 16, 2008 10:29:31 PM

Obama's debating skills should not be underestimated, and he's been kind and diplomatic in keeping his severity in check with Hillary--although her campaign certainly tests his patience. People might consider that out of respect for McCain and the American people who are at McCain's pace, Obama is avoiding an embarrassing U.S. moment far more significant than Miss USA's falling down. There is no way that the discrepancy between Obama's quick-wittedness and McCain's heavy and ponderous approach should be starkly contrasted in debate; it would be unnecessarily embarrassing to McCain, and would be an undignified way to win.

Posted by: Ambrosius | Jul 16, 2008 10:24:08 PM

JUST SAY NO DEAL...
PUMA

Posted by: tr | Jul 16, 2008 10:20:12 PM


Linda:
"Eyes wide open" What is this secret that Obama is so afraid of getting out?"
____

The secret is one most of us have already discerned.

B O can't D E B A T E!

He gets progressively more flustered when he isn't following a script on the teleprompter and starts to stutter and falter.....

We've seen this in every debate he's shared with Hillary.

And that's why he's so "chicken" about setting up a date with McCain.

Oh well.

HILLARY OR MCCAIN
but always,

COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY!!!

Posted by: eyes extremely wide open | Jul 16, 2008 10:05:55 PM

Eyes wide open" What is this secret that Obama is so afraid of getting out?Oh I am doing something for my country...I'm voting for the one who will get us out Iraq before we're bankrupt...we don't need another 4 years of Bush.

Posted by: linda n carolina | Jul 16, 2008 9:55:15 PM

You know, ever since her change-to-gracious, Hillary has been becoming Lemonade for the American Summer. This article proves my point. Using generalization very cautiously, it could be said that both sexes have overall respective strengths; this right/left hemisphere thing is a modern way of coming to grips with the reality of yin and yang in all of us. Hillary seems far more effective as a motivator when she is feminine, and yet it must be emphasized that for some women this would go against their grain--Margaret Thatcher, for example. Feminism may evolve into something grand if it allows those women who do excel at femininity to be affirmed as well as those who instil a more masculine sense. All this may seem trivial, but articulating these issues so that neither gender lose their dignity in the discussion is important to us all.

Posted by: Ambrosius | Jul 16, 2008 9:44:29 PM

Obama can't wear a part, it might show his lobotomy scar...

PUMA!
A Proud, Black Hillary Supporter
Hillary/McCain/Anyone BUT Obama!

Posted by: LeeLee07 | Jul 16, 2008 9:41:18 PM

Linda"

B O N E V E R debates... before, after, during..... He surrounds himself with reasons, establishes new traditions as he goes.....

He is A F R A I D that his big secret... will soon "out", and that will be the end of him!

Don't blame it on Hillary.... or those democrats who have come to "see the light(weight suit) for what it is"

Blame the broken down dnc for force-feeding this newbie up the political track.....

And do something for your COUNTRY!

Vote for the most trustworthy of the candidates.....

and, in the tongues of Jeremiah.:

"PARTY BE DAMNED"!!!

Posted by: eyes extremely wide open | Jul 16, 2008 9:36:20 PM

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