The media’s interest in Democrats’ attire continues unabated

December 12, 2006

A month ago, the AP took an odd interest in Nancy Pelosi’s attire. Yesterday, CNN’s [tag]Jeff Greenfield[/tag] continued in this vein by critiquing Barack Obama’s clothing in New Hampshire on Sunday, and comparing it to the style choices of Bush, Kerry, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“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.

“But, in the case of [tag]Obama[/tag], 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 [tag]Ahmadinejad[/tag], 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…. [I]t’s 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?”

I vaguely recall a time when Jeff Greenfield was a serious, credible political analyst. He’s been an award-winning news media professional for three decades, was the chief speechwriter for New York Mayor John Lindsay (R), and was a top aide to Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D).

And now he’s on [tag]CNN[/tag] doing an entire segment on Barack Obama’s decision to wear a sports jacket without a necktie — and arguing that it’s reminiscent of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Oh my.

Josh Marshall, who brought this to the world’s attention and apparently had to suffer through watching Greenfield’s segment, was floored.

Eric Kleefeld noticed a couple weeks ago that your cheesier run of GOP chat-hound was starting to make a big deal out of the fact that Barack Obama’s middle name is “Hussein”. Pretty lame. But given what’s been going on in this country for the last few years and the GOP’s track record I really can’t say it surprises me.

But if Barack Obama goes around wearing a jacket, collared shirt and no tie, do I figure he’s trying to look like a happening dude from a GQ spread (maybe, ok, check), trying to appeal to the youth vote (sure, check), looks like your average tech executive (sure), just likes to dress that way (sounds right)?

Do I think he reminds me Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Wow. I’ve got to say I really didn’t see that coming.

I’m not saying I’m outraged exactly. It’s more like curiosity. Kind of like I want to sit down with Jeff and a few Rorschach cards. Bizarre. No tie is the Ahmadinejad look?

Indeed, does everyone who wears a sports jacket with a collared shirt and no tie remind Greenfield of Ahmadinejad? Donald Rumsfeld wore just such an outfit on Fox News last night. As far as Greenfield is concerned, we’re supposed to see this and be reminded of “a charter member of the axis of evil.”

One, this is exactly why I no longer watch television news.

Two, if this is any indication of the political coverage we can expect from the national media of the 2008 presidential election, news outlets shouldn’t be at all surprised when they drive millions more Americans to the blogs — where our occasionally off-beat and quirky analysis is far more engaging.

The comparison to Ahmadinejad is indeed egregious, but reporting on fashion choices of presidential candidates goes at least back to the 1960 election, with all the twittering over JFK’s haircut.

  • Greenfield is grasping at straws to try to find something to bash away at Obama’s popularity. In his next column he will point out that Hugh Heffner wears collared shirts and jackets — without a tie — so out there somewhere must be a white Playboy bunny asking, “Hey Barack .. call me.” Greenfield, you’re pathetic.

  • So the fact the Bush walks around with his sleeves rolled up—a style adopted by many Sunni suicide bombers—makes him a terrorist. Right?

  • Ok, then. Let’s talk about our Chucklehead In Chief. Anyone who saw the recent photo of Bush sitting with outgoing UN president Kofi Annan must have been struck by the sartorial difference between them.

    Annan was the picture of refinement. Impeccably tailored and crisp, posture straight and body positioning elegant.

    Bush, on the other hand, looked positively rumpled. His jacket was open, tie askew, legs splayed wide and back slumped over like he didn’t even know where he was.

    What about that, Jeffy-Boy? Eh? Speak up. I can’t hear you!

  • As opposed to liberal bloggers comments on Coach Hastert’s tent like suits (not that I should talk) ?

    Petorado gets it in one. Tie Obama to Islam and scare the morons.

    This of course from the people who can’t tell Sunni from Shi’a.

  • This is a preview of what’s coming: Osama Hussein Ahmadinejad. This is how the repug’s are going to tear Sen. Obama down in the run up to 2008. The sad thing is there is a block of voters who will not vote for him because of this. And, let’s not forget the people who won’t vote for him because he’s an African American.

  • Fox News insta-poll:

    Whose skin-tone does Barack Husein Osama match?

    (1) O.J. Simpson
    (2) Ahmadenijad
    (3) Jesus
    (4) Illegal mexican

  • Maureen Dowd’s column on the “Hussein” topic mentioned the “John Kerry looks French” nonsense from 2004, apparently unfavorably. But… didn’t MoDo play that game herself? Someone will have to refresh my memory. Or maybe she leaned into Al Gore for his “earth tones” in 2000. It’s so easy to forget such minutiae.

  • If Gore does run for President I’d like to see him hold a press conference designed to talk directly to the press and MSM. I would love to see him outline the problems with such petty “reporting”. And I’d like him to call them out on their stupidity and cupidty and ask them to cover the issues instead. It won’t work but it will make people more aware of what they’re doing.

    As #1 points out the press has always covered the appearance and dress of celebrity politicos, but now they read deep psychological meaning into it. Comparing Obama to the Iranian wingnut based on something so common as no tie is just the worst kind of pseudo-reporting.

  • I think the reason Ahmadinejad wears his collar open is that strict Shia do not wear ties. Rather than making some sort of fashion statement, he is merely observing the teachings of his faith. Greenfield should know this and drop the subject.

  • The smear machine is beginning to engage.
    First it sends out feelers…. and tests themes with trial balloons to find the best weapons to hammer home on the Fox talking point express to destroy a person with untruth.
    cut and run
    Flip flop
    Fancy Ford
    Swift Boat
    Call Me

    You’ll know the attack is refined when it comes at Barak in two oft repeated words of nasty slime.

  • This crap about politicians clothes is similar to movie fans looking at the weekend grosses of pictures and who gets paid what. It’s a semblance of the insiderism that they lack. Pundidiots spend so much time on the subtleties of campaigning they forget to notice they’re pimping for a-holes with bad policies.

  • It’s yet another rerun of the Al Gore “earthtones clothing” nonsense that Bob Somerby had reported on a few years ago, where much of the so-called media coverage Gore received from the MSM consisted of sheer crap, including choice of clothes. Get used to it, it’s about all we can expect from these people.

  • Has anyone in the fundamentalist world declared that Obama’s the anti-Christ yet? Seems to me it’s just a matter of time.

  • It’s required for any political analyst to draw comparisons between Democrats and terrorists. Frank Luntz and Karl Rove must be satisfied.

    As the Washington Post’s hiring of John Solomon shows, new orgs aren’t looking for journalists, but folks who please the right people. John Solomon was hired BECAUSE he falsely accuses Democrats, based on evidence that is faulty to nonexitent. Running a factual story that embarrasses Democrats doesn’t count; if you want to earn your stripes you have to peddle absolute nonsense, and then refuse to back down when you’ve been exposed. Then you’re a member of the club.

    Jeff Greenfield is another one who splits the difference between left and right: he does factual reporting that embarrasses Democrats, to please the people on the left who want journalism, and fabricated stories that embarrass Democrats to please the right because he’s shown his willingness to sell his soul for the cause. We call it objectivity.

  • The Greenfield / Obama / Ahmadinejad fashion business presents an opportunity for the enterprising media reporter.

    First, I assume that this notion was shopped around by somebody working the R side of the street, much like the Plame story was shopped. And, eventually, somebody (in this case, Jeff Greenfield) bit.

    There are two instructive lines of inquiry that might be pursued. First, did this operative shop it elsewhere, and if so, to whom? They’re unlikely to have obtained formal source secrecy for something like this, to do so would tip off the recipient that he/she was being played. So it shouldn’t be ‘shielded’.

    Second, it would be reasonable to inquire directly of Greenfield as to whether this sprung from his own imagination and observation, or from ‘conversation’ with someone else. As the one who has actually written the story, he may well claim source secrecy, but as to whether there was a source at all? It’s just dishonest reporting if he won’t answer that question. Even Greenfield’s refusal to answer would be noteworthy.

  • His middle name is Hussein. His first name sounds like Osama. He dresses like Ahmadinejad. He has no foreign policy experience. Welcome to the world of presidential hopefuls, Mr. Obama. Um, democratic party hopefuls, that is.

    [ I still think W looks like Alfred E. Neuman and walks like he has a load in his pants. ]

  • I keep hearing how people like Greenfield and even Larry King used to be these great reporters and such, and it makes me wonder if their age and/or selling out has morphed them or if the estimations of who they were before are just slightly overblown. King I think is pretty harmless and a tad senile and comes across so often as just incredibly stupid and ignorant. Greenfield: I suspect he’s sold his soul like Punkinhead and Tweety, with a common beltway shallowness to spice up the mix.

  • …news outlets shouldn’t be at all surprised when they drive millions more Americans to the blogs — where our occasionally off-beat and quirky analysis is far more engaging.

    No they shouldn’t. And we’ll be happy to quit sticking the fork in Big Media’s ass just as soon as they go back to presenting the news instead of serving as whores for the multi-billion dollar corporations they are owned by.

    But I’m dreaming again.

    • Comments are closed.