February 7, 2013

How to tell look-alike politicans apart.

There are various techniques reporters employ:
I used to make notes next to the names of members I was looking for — intentionally sloppy so they wouldn't be legible to the member as we huddled over my notebook off the floor of the House chamber — of their distinguishing characteristics. "Bald. Bald with glasses. Combover. Close-talker." And there is this classic method, offered by a former colleague on the beat: "My trick is, when you're talking to a member and you don't remember who they are, you ask at the end of the conversation — even if you couldn’t give a shit — 'And how will this affect your district?' So that way it narrows it down, and you can return to the picture book to look them up."
Several great examples of look-alikes at the link, including:



Freaky! I'd scribble the illegible note that Yoder is the one with the slightly devilish eyebrows. 

15 comments:

ricpic said...

Why are these two sleek young men, both obviously on the make, going into government service? There's no money in that ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...

Nonapod said...

Everyone knows that Politicians are grown in tubes in secret government facilities. Certain successful models are duplicated with minor variations.

Ann Althouse said...

I typo'd "eyeboys" for "eyebrows."

I was thinking about Meade. He has devilish eyebrows. It's the first thing I noticed about him, the first time I saw a photo.

Original Mike said...

"The politician posing with the flag" wouldn't narrow it down much.

shirley elizabeth said...

The writer used the phrase "schizophrenic electorate."

I have sort of the same problem. My husband always nags on me for thinking "all white (or color of choice) cars are the same."

Known Unknown said...

Journalisming is hard.

Known Unknown said...

I always though Meade looks a bit like Ray Wise (sans collar.)

edutcher said...

Are they saying all Micks and black guys look alike?

Isn't that RRRAAACCCIISSTTT?

Anonymous said...

At quick glance, I thought the guy on the right was the actor Chris Noth.

Robert Cook said...

They're all just variants of Bob Forehead, the JFK-clone and protagonist of the comic strip "Washingtoon" by the wonderful Mark Alan Stamaty.

(I thought his previous strip, "MacDoodle Street," was great!)

MarkD said...

Why? It's about as much use telling ants apart.

MarkD said...

Why? It's about as much use telling ants apart.

MarkD said...

Why? It's about as much use telling ants apart.

Ann Althouse said...

I'm just trying to tell MarkD posts apart.

Paco Wové said...

Fry: These are the candidates? They sound like clones. [He looks a little harder.] Wait a minute. They are clones!

Leela: Don't let their identical DNA fool you. They differ on some key issues.

Johnson: [on TV] I say your three cent titanium tax goes too far.

Jackson: [on TV] And I say your three cent titanium tax doesn't go too far enough!

[Via.]