海角大神

Since his unveiling Saturday as Mitt Romney鈥檚 running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan has gone from being famous only inside the Beltway 鈥� and in his corner of Wisconsin 鈥� to being a national curiosity.

How else to explain the fact that the second most-searched term Saturday on Google related to Congressman Ryan, after 鈥渧ice president,鈥� was 鈥渟hirtless,鈥� as noted by Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post鈥檚 鈥淔ix鈥� column. Indeed, aside from his focus on all things budgetary, the youthful Ryan is also known on Capitol Hill for his devotion to physical fitness. And despite the fact that he鈥檚 married 鈥� happily, by all indications 鈥� that hasn鈥檛 stopped the return of the 鈥� on Tumblr.

But truth be told, we鈥檙e more interested in Ryan鈥檚 hair 鈥� particularly his widow鈥檚 peak. Having a full head of hair is always a plus in politics, but the way his hair comes down to a little point in the middle of his forehead (think Eddie Munster) gives him an added bonus. It brings to mind no less a Republican figure than the late President Ronald Reagan, the last inhabitant of the White House to have a pronounced widow鈥檚 peak.

For Republicans, ever on the lookout for the next Reagan, this could be a sign.

In fact, a professor at University of California at Irvine did a study in the late 1980s on the facial attributes of politicians, and found that widow鈥檚 peaks were 鈥渁 clear positive鈥� with the public, according to an April piece in the Washington Post鈥檚 鈥淩eliable Source鈥� column.

鈥淚t was associated with being seen as more competent and with greater integrity,鈥� Shawn Rosenberg, a professor of political science and psychology, told the Post. He couldn鈥檛 explain why.

Last year, at a forum at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Ryan referred to his distinctive hairline as he shrugged off talk of his political future, according to the school鈥檚 faculty blog.

鈥淲hen I look in the mirror, I see a broken nose and a widow鈥檚 peak,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see a future president.鈥�

Wonder if that鈥檚 still the case.