The American Mustache Institute (AMI) has announced the 19 finalists and opened voting for the "Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year," which has been likened to the Nobel Prize for Peace by Time magazine, astro-physicist Stephen Hawking, and High Times magazine.
The "Goulet" recognizes the person who best-represents or contributes to the Mustached American community over the past year. And this year there are a robust crop of finalists including former NBA star and current Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, North Dakota Governor and U.S. Senate hopeful John Hoeven, Minnesota Twins pitcher Carl Pavano, UTEP mascot "Paydirt Pete," Oscar-nominated documentary director Morgan Spurlock, media personality Pat O'Brien, and a handful of regular Americans who have gone above and beyhond the call of Mustached American greatness in 2010.
Pitcher Clay Zavada of the Arizona Diamondbacks won the 2009 Goulet award, and retired New York City police detective Tim Galvin took home the inaugural award in 2008.
Indeed, the rich tapestry of the Mustached American community in 2010 has offered a compelling and rich selection of finalists. And for better or for worse, the voting is now in the hands of the American public, which of course includes non-Mustached Americans who have proven to have lesser intellect.
For the sake of American and all that is good and pure -- CAST YOUR VOTE HERE -- and may the best man behind the mustache win.