What makes a haircut worth $400...

and why his campaign paid for it.

This is the High Definition Television era. Ten years ago American politicians campaigned on televisions with 480 lines of resolution. All you had to do was look good. Now they campaign on televisions with a thousand lines of resolution, and they have to look absolutely perfect if they don't want to look like shit. There are relatively few hairstylists who know how to work for HDTV, and they're expensive. (And if you think THAT'S bad, wait until you find out what an airbrush makeup artist costs.)

Now, why'd he expense it to his campaign? Easy: if he didn't do it, some numbnuts freeper would claim he's not reporting campaign expenses to the FEC. Then the FEC would have to investigate, Edwards would have to pull out all this shit to prove he just got a fucking haircut, the FEC would put out a press release entitled "move along, nothing to see here," and the freepers would be screaming about how the FEC was in collusion with the Edwards campaign. It's just easier to deposit $400 of your own money in the campaign account then write a check on said account for your haircut.

I can see the HD issue for makeup, but hair?

HILLARY GATHERS AN ARMY
By IAN BISHOP
Post Correspondent

July 24, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign army has increased its ranks to 50 staffers and more than 20 consultants, specialists in everything from fund-raising to speech-writing to hairstyling and makeup.

Clinton, the likely 2008 Democratic White House front-runner, ponied up nearly $3,000 in campaign cash for her blond tresses to get some presidential pampering from acclaimed D.C. stylist Isabelle Goetz.

Recently released federal fund-raising records show Clinton shelled out $1,500 in April for Goetz to carefully craft her coiffure and another $1,000 for a camera-ready clip in May.

She passed off both styling sessions as "media production" expenses.

Clinton was so desperate for Goetz to style her gilded mane, she picked up the scissor siren's $405 travel tab in April and a $38 expenses tab in May.

Goetz, a fixture at the swank Cristophe salon and the favored stylist of John Kerry, has been clipping the former first lady's locks for years - she's credited for updating Clinton's coif from country to chic. To complement the touch-up of her tresses, Clinton invested another $3,000 for makeup maestro Barbara Lacy to brush on some blush.

Lacy is a Tinseltown pro who applied the makeup to actors' mugs in movies including "Minority Report," "Runaway Bride," "National Treasure" and "In the Line of Fire."

She can also take credit for working the West Wing - the NBC version. Clinton paid Lacy an eye-popping $1,600 for some eye-lining in mid-May and another mind-boggling $1,300 for some makeup two weeks later.

Again, Clinton justified the makeovers as a media production expense.
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http://www.babalublog.com/archives/003657.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=698126&mesg_id=698126

Edwards Flattens Coif Controversy
April 18, 2007

ABC News' Raelyn Johnson Reports: You can tell it's political season when people are putting a fine tooth comb to, well hair. A report filed with the Federal Election Commission last weekend revealed that former Sen. John Edwards' D-N.C., presidential campaign twice shelled out $400 for haircuts he received from a Beverly Hills salon.

Just as fast as gossip spreads in the fashion salon, ABC News has learned the money will be returned. "As for the haircuts, the bill was sent to the campaign, it was paid in error, and Edwards will be reimbursing the campaign," says campaign spokesperson Eric Schultz.

The hair cut revelation did little to minimize what some call Edwards' 'Breck Girl' image. Earlier this year, YouTube showcased a video of Edwards fixing his hair before a televised interview, demonstrating the unforgiving power of the site.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/04/edwards_flatten.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3224029&mesg_id=3224029

:rofl:

12 dollar cut? 25 where i`m at...

He basically had to pay the stylist for all the haircuts that the stylist couldn't do while away from the shop *and* the travel expenses, plus Edwards's own haircut.

Not because he's rich but the hairdresser has to unfurl about a foot of combover to cut it.

:shrug:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=692415&mesg_id=692415

...and I have to agree, I can see charging a really good haircut to one's campaign.

I have had two great haircuts. One I paid a premium for (about $150, about 15 years ago), and always felt it was worth it; the other I got for free, for being a "model" (letting a student cut my hair -- someone I knew was training at a Vidal Sassoon salon), and it was just as great. In both cases, for a few weeks, I looked soo much better than usual -- it made me realize how much can be done for someone's looks by some serious investment -- hair, makeup, wardrobe, manicure/pedicure, other random pampering. Politicians also need to consider their look carefully, because they are in large part marketing an image. We here at DU want them also to market substance, but I think that Edwards does that too, so the $400 haircut is okay with me, as is charging it to his campaign.

It would probably win over more votes, than any other uses of that $400 dollars.

Image is important, and a bad haircut could hurt the campaign even if it is just a very small amount.

and the work involved. If it's a well-known stylist, it doesn't seem that unreasonable to me. I pay about $100 for mine.

It's the stylist. I go to a woman who has years of experience cutting hair. She's fantastic and she charges $14. I've never had a bad haircut from her.

I don't know why anyone would pay $400 for a haircut, much less a person who is under the kind of public scrutiny that Edwards is. Perhaps there really are two Americas - one that gets $14 haircuts and one that gets $400 haircuts. :eyes:

Mz Pip
:dem:

involve spittle on the comb.