WWE in the White House, James Ellsworth and More from the Presidential Mailbag

For the first time in American history, a former WWE Hall of Famer has been elected President of the United States of America. Think about that for a second. People were already comparing this season's hotly contested election to elements of WWE; now remnants of the sports entertainment promotion are in the White House and have access to security briefings.

This isn't the first time somebody with ties to pro wrestling upset the apple cart by getting elected into office, but will it be the last?

Presidency on a Poll Match?

American politics has basically morphed into another extension of reality television, so nothing can be ruled out. Hulk Hogan once declared his intentions to run for president. If he does so again, many will assume his recent racist comments will keep him from being taken seriously as a presidential candidate. Sound familiar?

But if I had to pick a current WWE Hall of Famer with potential to be president, I'd have to go with Jesse Ventura. A member of the Independent Party, Ventura is a maverick in the political arena, and that type of outsider appeal is exactly what helped Trump galvanize large segments of the population who felt disenfranchised by the establishment. In a prescient piece listing five reasons Trump was going to win, filmmaker Michael Moore's fifth and final reason was the "Jesse Ventura effect."

Said Moore:

"

Remember back in the ‘90s when the people of Minnesota elected a professional wrestler as their governor? They didn’t do this because they’re stupid or thought that Jesse Ventura was some sort of statesman or political intellectual. They did so just because they could.

"

Charlotte over Bayley?

The next face of the WWE could very much be a woman, but I don't think it's going to be Charlotte. Bayley has the most potential as a transcendent talent who can easily book appearances outside of the WWE. Bayley's largely unprecedented marketability to young girls—a demographic that is traditionally nonexistent to WWE—in addition to the internet street cred she possesses through her wrestling ability and an underdog appeal make her a universally beloved talent.

The endless chanting for Bayley in Glasgow was more evidence of fans trying to entertain themselves. But it's hard to overlook the fact they refused to stop showering her with the "hey Bayley!" serenades throughout the women's segment on Raw.

From a wrestling standpoint, Charlotte could be the more accomplished of the two in the world of WWE, just based on ability and the fact she is booked as a pedigreed athlete who rises to the occasion on pay-per-view. But I just don't see as much mainstream potential in Charlotte as I do with Bayley.

Underdog or Overdone?

The James Ellsworth storyline is not getting old, but it will as the combination of oversaturation and a whiny fanbase dooms every WWE angle. The case can be made for Ellsworth as the MVP of SmackDown Live. He has a unique quirkiness that allows SmackDown to stand out as a distinct brand. When I heard he was going to be featured as the team mascot I laughed out loud.

WWE has used Ellsworth perfectly as he doesn't wrestle too much, yet he is still featured in a main event program, sometimes as a peacemaker. I don't know where his landing spot will be, but once this ironic main event run ends, I can see Ellsworth making a decent living as a jobber who puts over promising heels like Baron Corbin.

Ellsworth's palpable likability makes him the perfect target for current heels, or babyfaces turning heel, to get the right kind of heat. Similar to how Jim Ross was constantly a beat-up doll used to get heels over, Ellsworth can do the same. Clean wins, if any, should be few and far between for the Ellsworth character. WWE needs to remember that his appeal is as a supreme underdog, more in the vein of Colin Delaney than Rocky Balboa.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.