On Thursday, the New York Times reported on the efforts of a new super-PAC, backed by TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, dedicated to exposing President Obama as a radical, no-good “metrosexual, black Abraham Lincoln.”
But Barack Obama isn’t our first metrosexual president. He’s not even our first metrosexual Abraham Lincoln. Here’s our quick guide to the 43* most metrosexual presidents of all time.
1.) Chester A. Arthur: The “A” is short for Argyle. (It isn’t, really.) C-Span notes that our nation’s 21st president “was nicknamed ‘Elegant Arthur’ because of his ‘dandy’ dressing.” One biographer argued that Arthur’s “happiest years” came during his stint as New York City customs collector, because the “increased income permitted Arthur to spend excessive amounts at his tailor.”
Chester A. Arthur: Smithsonian Institution
2.) Thomas Jefferson: Accentuated by the fact that he was a contemporary of John Adams:
Thomas Jefferson: Wikimedia Commons3.) Franklin Pierce: Pierce sported what historians have classified as a post-powdered antefauxhawk. He was also a terrible president.
Franklin Pierce: White House4.) Abraham Lincoln: The original metrosexual Abraham Lincoln:
Abraham Lincoln: Library of Congress
5–42.) Miscellaneous.
43.) Bill Clinton:
Bill Clinton: Clinton Presidential Library
Update: Reader @ThugloniusCrunk points out that: “Young Teddy Roosevelt was called “Jane-Dandy” & “Oscar Wilde” by his elders in the New York Senate.” This is true. We’ve arbitrarily designated him the 17th most metrosexual president of all time:
Theodore Roosevelt
Update 2: Bravo to the Photoshop wizards at TNR behind Metrosexual Abraham Lincoln, Hipster Rutherford B. Hayes, and Freegan Chester A. Arthur. We’re all richer for their contribution.
*Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the number of people who have served as president. Although some observers felt that Grover Cleveland was a different man in his second term, only 43 people have held the office.
