Local Elections

It is quite interesting to compare the different expressions politicians or/and their consultants think will endear them to the general public. Some smiles are friendly and warm, some are inane and irritating, some border on the lunatic fringe. It also seems to be quite important to have proper Japanese black hair, preferably a lot of it.
Hair in politics might be an interesting topic. I remember the female Thai candidate who ran for local office in Ayuthaya and whose campaign seemed to rely entirely on a huge majestic hairdo that was prominently displayed even in local tuk-tuks. As if Margret Thatcher and her hairstyle, described by Alan Hollinghurst as 'a fine if improbable fusion of the Vorticist and the Baroque' (in 'The Line of Beauty'), were the embodiment of some mythical 'hair of power'. It is true that the Prime Minister's hairdo grew over the years out of all proportions and rumour has it that the Baroness was determined to outdo the Queen, in the absence of a crown with pure hair, it seems. The rivalry between the two female heads of state in the 80's is often remarked upon: Apparently the Queen wouldn't let the PM sit during the weekly audiences. There was a brief but telling newsclip on telly when Baroness Thatcher celebrated her 80th birthday two years ago. When her car drove up to the Mandarin Oriental, she had to use a walking stick and was supported on one side. The Queen, sitting in her Bentley behind her obviously saw this display of frailty and as if to make a point of it, she burst out of her car, literally 'jumped' out of it with a victorious smile.....