On CNN's "The Situation Room," Jeff Greenfield summons up the courage to be critical of Senator Obama:
JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: Wolf, the political community has gone predictably hysterical over Senator Barack Obama's presidential flirtation.
So, in the spirit of retched excess, let's take a look not at what he's saying, but at another crucially vital matter: what he is wearing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GREENFIELD (voice-over): The senator was in New Hampshire over the weekend, sporting what's getting to be the classic Obama look. Call it business casual, a jacket, a collared shirt, but no tie.
It is a look the senator seems to favor. And why not? It is dressy enough to suggest seriousness of purpose, but without the stuffiness of a tie, much less a suit. There is a comfort level here that reflects one of Obama's strongest political assets, a sense that he is comfortable in his own skin, that he knows who he is.
If you want a striking contrast, check out Senator John Kerry as he campaigned back in 2004. He often appeared without a tie, but clad in a blazer, the kind of casual look you see at country clubs and lawn parties in the Hamptons and other toned (ph) locations.
When President Bush wanted in casual mode, he skipped the jacket entirely. Third-generation Skull and Bones at Yale? Don't be silly. Nobody here but us Texas ranchers.
You can think of Bush's apparel as a kind of homage to Ronald Reagan. He may have spent much of his life in Hollywood, but the brush-cutting ranch hand was the image his followers loved, just as the Kennedy sea ferry look provided a striking contrast with, say, Richard Nixon, who apparently couldn't even set out on a beach walk without that "I wish I had spent more time at the office" look.
But, in the case of Obama, he may be walking around with a sartorial time bomb. Ask yourself, is there any other major public figure who dresses the way he does? Why, yes. It is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who, unlike most of his predecessors, seems to have skipped through enough copies of "GQ" to find the jacket-and-no-tie look agreeable.
And maybe that's not the comparison a possible presidential contender really wants to evoke.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GREENFIELD: Now, it is one thing to have a last name that sounds like Osama and a middle name, Hussein, that is probably less than helpful. But an outfit that reminds people of a charter member of the axis of evil, why, this could leave his presidential hopes hanging by a thread. Or is that threads? -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jeff Greenfield reporting for us -- Jeff, thank you very much.
Greenfield is wrong. Dressing down is consistent with Obama's image of being the fresh face. I give Greenfield credit for being one of the few journalists to join the Chicago Tribune in having the nerve to criticize Obama.
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Comments: 18
the 'cat's meow' in 2008 remains to be seen. He is relatively inexperienced
and untested -- and too liberal for my taste.
Although we (the Dems) may have gained ground in the mid-term election, we must not be cocky and assume we can run any candidate for Prez. We need to be careful not to run somebody too liberal in case the GOP runs a more centrist candidate. I think this country could use some balanced centrist thinking, even though I myself tend to be very liberal.
I have a strange feeling that the winning candidate is not someone who is currently on the national radar. The early and obvious candidates may be too liberal to win the majority of voters.
I completely agree.
It's not that I don't think he could be President someday, it's just that the road to the presidency is paved with the corpses of the "here today, gone tomorrow" candidates. Remember when Dean's "internet" campaign was going to sweep him to victory because of how he supposedly connected with the "young'uns". Well, that is what Obama will be like if he's not careful.
What a waste of air time, satire or no.
Non-whites are generally more pessimistic that an African American could be elected president. While 64% of whites think the country is ready to elect a black president, only 43% of non-whites agree.
We have to mature as a country and stop thinking about people as "African Americans" or "First Woman President". It is so very sad that neither of these things has happened yet. I have often joked that I want to see a Lesbian Pegan African American-Puerto Rican woman win the office, just so we can moved past such issues. Seriously though, I do find it very very sad that we have not had a woman President, nor has anyone other the caucasian held the office. Even the religious beliefs of our President's has been in a fairly narrow scope. I remember thinking that Lieberman, although conservative for my tastes, would help in that regard.
There was some interesting stuff regarding race here in Massachusetts. I noticed that almost all of the critics the newspapers quoted arguing against electing African-American Deval Patrick to Governor were conservative African Americans. Thank goodness we didn't listen to them and elected this impressive man to be our Governor. I campaigned for this man and I believe he will get the state heading in the right (left) direction. Outgoing Gov. Mitt Romney is predending he is a viable contender for the GOP nomination. It is fascinating to contrast his current campaign speeches to his pre-Governor election statements. I hope he is the GOP nominee, since he is a very beatable candidate!