I think the hype over Edwards’ expensive haircuts is a bit over done. He’s a salesman for himself, politicians need to care about the appearance, etc. The original haircut scandal story was the Bill Clinton tale where he allegedly held up a plane at LAX while he got his curls trimmed. That was outrageous not because of the expensive haircut, but because of Clinton’s self-indulgence (and, if memory serves the story wasn’t entirely true either).

Still, videos like this don’t help Edwards who may have a vanity problem that exceeds mere haircuts.

Update: Reader dissents:

Jonah-
I have to disagree about Edwards and the $400 haircut. Isn’t he
supposed to be the “working man’s candidate?” This just shows how
separated he is from the very constituency he claims to represent. If
he were smart he would be getting his haircut at the $8.99 wash and cut
place on the corner. Keep up the good work.

And:

Jonah:
I would agree with you except that the stories I’ve read seem to
indicate that the haircuts were paid for with campaign
cash. Sheesh, the guy just built a 28K sf house. Can’t he pay for
his own damn haircuts?