Political Hairdos

Jackie Kennedy wasn't the first First Lady to spawn copycats. Dolley Madison had armies of 19th century women sticking plumes in their hair; Mamie Eisenhower set off a stampede for short bangs. But ever since Jackie and her trademark flip (and pillbox hat), Washington women have been forced to measure up. Hillary's back-sweep; Sarah Palin's beehive; Michelle Obama's bob -- it's too soon to separate this year's icons from the footnotes, but here's a look at some modern White House hairstyles that, for the last few generations, have been creating buzz.

Her up-do is the work of the Beehive beauty parlor in tiny Wasilla, Alaska, not some tony salon in New York, but you couldn't tell that by the frenzy over Sarah Palin's twist. For those whose hair won't do the 'do, there's always the Palin wig which are selling like hotcakes for $75 each. From the moment she was chosen to be on the GOP ticket Palin's sexy librarian look has gotten nearly as much press as Posh Spice's bob.

Robyn Beck, AFP / Getty Images

When Bill Clinton landed on the national stage, Hillary was at a loss to define her role, and, for eight years, her hairstyles reflected her confusion. Was she a policy wonk? Cookie-baker-in-chief? Defender against the "vast Right Wing conspiracy"? As she tried to sort it out, Hillary became a Rorschach tress-test, morphing from Yuppie lawyer in a headband (shown here during the '92 campaign) to sexy Gennifer Flowers wannabe, prim Rosalynn Carter helpmate and helmet-haired anchor-woman lookalike.

John Mottern, AFP / Getty Images

It's hard to know which has been discussed more, Hillary's hair or her pantsuits. What is clear, though, is that, by simplifying both when she ran for the U.S. Senate -- hair, short, blond and swept back; pantsuits, crisp, comfy and monotone -- she finally switched attention from her looks to her words. Well, not entirely. This summer, Presidential candidate Hillary sparked headlines when she moved her part from left to right. Some pundits saw it as ceding her claim to the Democratic nomination. Others said it was nothing more than a (brush) stroke for healthy hair.

Rich Pedroncelli, AP

Which twin has the Toni? First Lady Hillary Clinton and Second Tipper Gore may have graduated from the out-of-the-box home perms that were so popular when they were girls, but they sure sported similar big blond bobs (or are they blond blobs?) for the 1994 Summit of the Americas in Florida. Still, their cookie-cutter poufs -- along with broad-shouldered suits, red lips and nearly-invisible gold jewelry -- proved that the wrong look can make even dynamic women dowdy.

Cynthia Johnson, Getty Images

Though critics have tried to portray Michelle Obama as a radical in an Angela Davis Afro, her hair owes more to the other end of the '60s -- the non-threatening flip that Mr. Kenneth whipped up for Jackie Kennedy. But if Obama's day-to-day 'dos are brush-and-go, for high-profile events, like the Democratic National Convention, she's enlisted the blow-gun of Frederic Fekkai stylist Johnny Wright, who created a sleek bob.

Stan Honda, AFP / Getty Images

In the three decades since she married Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Jill Biden has worn her hair soft, blond and shoulder-length, a look that seems to work effortlessly for a life split between being a Senator's wife and a college professor. She must be doing something right: She earned a 6.0 on her RateMyProfessors.com "hotness total."

Ted S. Warren, AP

Cindy McCain long ago abandoned the short pixie crop she sported in 2000, when her husband first ran for President. But her long hair has generated almost as much buzz as the $3,000 Oscar de la Renta dress (shown here) that she wore to the Republican National Convention. To fans, the long wispy bangs give the 54-year-old a youthful air. Detractors, however, say it's time for Cindy to shake off the standard-issue Republican 'do for something more chic than cliche.

Alex Wong, Getty Images

No one is ever going to confuse Laura Bush with a fashion queen, but that's not to say that she's the same drab librarian who came onto the political scene when her father-in-law was in the White House. Gone is the helmet-head that she admits her daughters cajoled her out of. In its place, a style that is softer with more highlights. Still, hers is an iconic look. Asked recently for the secret to playing a believable Republican first lady, Elizabeth Banks, who portrays Mrs. Bush in "W," the new Oliver Stone film, said, "It's all about the hair."

Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

Americans first got to know Chelsea Clinton in 1992 as the awkward 12-year-old with untamed strawberry blond curls, the first First Daughter to go through adolescence in the unforgiving eye of modern media.

Denis Paquin, AP