How about unfortunate names? New Hampshire has a representative (I think it’s NH and I dunno if he’s a senator or what) named Dick Sweatt. IIRC, he pronounces it “sweet”.
Actually, it isn’t the names that do if for me. What I like is the incredibly bad hair of British Labour Party leaders. The fact that Tony Blair doesn’t have incredibly bad hair only shores up my argument that he shouldn’t be in Labour at all.
Golda Meier
Konstantin Chernyenko
Yuri Andropov (can you tell a guy by that name used to head the KGB or what?)
And, the grandaddy of all tough-guy-former-military-right-wingers…
Bo Gritz!
Lon Nol – The most palandromic leader.
Senator Reed Smoot – Immortalized by Ogden Nash:
“Senator Smoot
Republican, Ut.
Is waging a war on Smut.”
Matthew Coon Come, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations in Canada.
George Stephanopoulos – always makes me think of Big Bird’s ‘invisible’ friend.
Monica Monica – candidate for congress in Louisiana
John WorldPeace – candidate for gov. of Texas
Jesse “The Mind” Ventura
Bob Stump
Byron “Low Tax” Looper
Rahm Emanuel – Oh Rahm, oh Rahm, Emanuel shall run for
thee, Chicago I-L (sung to the tune of "Oh Come,
Emmanuel)
“Grandpa Al” Lewis
Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (almost a candidate for congress in CA)
George Stephanopolis (might be your next president!)
Dale Bumpers
Al Quie (“what’s it all about, Al Quie?”)
George McGovern (inspired Newt Gingrich to coin the phrase
“counterculture McGovernics”)
Gunn McKay
Ronald “Red” Dellums
Lenora Fulani (not to be confused with Lola Falana)
Hattie Caraway
Barry Goldwater (a.k.a. AuH20)
Richard J. Daley
Dixy Lee Ray
I liked this thread so much, I had to post again (call me a political junkie)
John Sununu (and John Sununu, Jr.)
George Condodemetraky
Fred Tuttle
Maurice Hinchey
Alphonse D’Amato
Hale Boggs
Roman Hruska
Michela Alioto – nice ring to it
Jim Florio
Romano Mazzoli
Henry Hyde
John Dingell
Tom DeLay
Birch Bayh
Jim Traficant (possessor of the worst hair in politics)
Kweisi Mfume
Zell Miller
John Waihee
Larry EchoHawk
Paul Laxalt
Roberto Mondragon
Mike Synar
Jesse’s real name is James Janos, and he signed his oath under both names. IIRC, he never formally changed his name to Jesse Ventura.
My vote is for W. Lee O’Daniel, governor of Texas. Not notable for his real name, but his nickname was “Pass the Biscuits Pappy” O’Daniel. He owned a flour mill in Ft. Worth. He was the only man to beat LBJ.
Robin
matt_mcl, I’m surprised you missed my favourite, and personal friend:
Hunter Tootoo
(tootoo is also a word used in our family for a girl’s pink parts)
Not to mention the candidates in the election prior to the one who elected him: Ovide Mercredi and Odelia Opikakiw.
We’ve got a bloke in Aussie politics called Denver Beanland.
Finnish parliamentarian (and influential man in National Coalition party), Ben Zyscowicz. There’s a name that just rolls off your tongue.
What, not one of you could think of Dan Quayle?
OK, I guess he was pretty forgettable. We shouldn’t forget Bishop Desmond Tutu, who, while not a politician, was at least a very political figure.
b.
There is (was?) and Irish politician named Dick Spring.