Lots of people have good luck talismans, and President Obama has the hair on his aides' faces. White House staffers Jon Favreau, Ben Rhodes, and Bobby Schmuck are all wearing beards now, according to a White House pool report in a bid to keep their jobs. "A source said it was superstition ritual for the election and they won't shave until after the election is over." We think we've spotted two of these beards in the Associated Press photo above, taken at Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay, Wisconsin November 1. At left, you can see the guys way back in in the photo. Close up:

A clean-shaven Favreau looks like the guy facing the camera, maybe?

And a clean-shaven Rhodes looks like the guy turned toward him:

We don't get have evidence of Schmuck's beard.

A lot of facial hair is on the line in Obama's reelection campaign -- strategist David Axelrod promised to shave off his mustache on TV if Obama loses Pennsylvania, Minnesota, or Michigan. But Obama himself has admitted, "I can't grow facial hair." He told People his lucky election trick is a game of pick-up basketball.

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Elspeth Reeve