(FORTUNE Magazine) – Heard the one about Jimmy Hoffa becoming president of the Teamsters in 1991? It might not be a joke. Jimmy P. Hoffa, 49, whose dad Jimmy R. did a stretch as union president and prison inmate before he disappeared mysteriously in 1975, has what the pollsters call name recognition. Though Hoffa hasn't committed himself yet, Teamster officials in his home state of Michigan want him on the ballot next year. And folks like actor Danny DeVito are sporting satin ''Friends of Hoffa'' jackets. (DeVito is making a movie about Jimmy R.) Coos Micheal Bane, a Hoffa supporter in Pontiac: ''Every time you mention the name, it's like magic.'' Magic would be helpful because there is a trifling difficulty. Hoffa, a lawyer who once worked on his father's appeals, is almost certainly not eligible to run. Though he is a union member, he does not meet a requirement in the Teamster constitution that officers have to be working Teamsters or on the union staff for two years before the election. Also, they cannot be licensed professionals, like lawyers acting as such. Constitutions are written to be amended, of course, but the U.S. Attorney's office, which is supervising the election, would have to go along. One thing is for sure: If he declares, this Jimmy Hoffa won't have to run in cement shoes.