Andrew Card has the gall to say of Obama’s dress code:
“The Oval Office symbolizes…the Constitution, the hopes and dreams, and I’m going to say democracy. And when you have a dress code in the Supreme Court and a dress code on the floor of the Senate, floor of the House, I think it’s appropriate to have an expectation that there will be a dress code that respects the office of the President.”
Card continued, “I don’t criticize Obama for his appearance, I do expect him to send the message that people who are going to be in the Oval Office should treat the office with the respect that it has earned over history.”
The asswipe you worked for, the one that stunk up the place for 8 years, found it impossible to actually respect and honor the the history, the office and the Constitution in any way whatsoever…except by dressing up. So I guess that’s why you think it’s all that matters.
I personally love the fact that Obama dresses down so much. I avoid wearing a suit or tie whenever I can and I think a lot of of other Americans can connect with that, too. Makes him a more personable guy.
During the Super Bowl, there was a Matt Lauer interview with President Obama. The first thing that I noticed was that the President was not wearing a jacket OR tie. It was slightly jarring. Not enough to spew hate and vitriol, but it kind of caught me off guard.
While not even close to the flabbergastinly ridiculous “flag pin” thing popular with neo-cons last year, I gotta say that there is a grain of this complaint from Andrew Card that I agree with.
I understand the populist notions that might cause Obama to roll up his sleeves and kick back like the working man, but he isn’t the “working man”. He’s a man in a very prestigious position and, old fashioned as it may be, needs to project himself as such.
But maybe we’ll get used to it. Did people have conniptions when JFK stopped wearing hats in public?
People who wear shirts and ties throughout the day – Rush Limbaugh audiences, Jehovah Witnesses and Mormon missionaries, and unemployed people looking for McJobs.
I’ll go out on a limb and risk being labeled as a flaming liberal wackjob and suggest that I can’t get behind Card’s complaint at all. Quite frankly, I don’t give a shit if Obama strolls into the Oval Office wearing his boxers and a Snuggie; he’s going to do the same job either way.
I care more about what comes out of the Oval Office than what’s in it.
The only way you can wear a suit jacket all day long is if you aren’t actually working. Card is obviously unacquainted with what a person who gets things done looks and dresses. Lazy layabouts who cruise along doing absolutely nothing all day don’t work up a sweat–of course it looks weird to Bushies! :rolleyes:
No, but when they have to make a presentation to the boss and his boss, they’ll probably put it on for awhile.
I’m not saying that the guy should have to wear a pressed, impeccably tailored suit with silk tie around the office. He could work out of his underwear, like atomicbadgerrace suggests, and that would be wonderful! Whatever makes the man more efficient and productive. But when the situation calls for it (meeting foreign leaders, or speaking to millions over television) I think that he should make a point to dress for the occasion.
It’s the same way that one should dress respectfully for a funeral or job interview.
Also, I DNRTFA, so I don’t know if Andrew Card is bitching about his dress in public or in the office. If he is referring to his everyday dress, then he is a douchebag for saying so. The man is the boss in the White House. But, if he is referring to his dress on national tv, I happen to agree.
Like I said, it’s no big deal. Just an observation and opinion.
I’d rather have a real wonk who showed up in his jogging gear (WJC) than an all-about-appearances putz who insisted on everyone dressing up (GWB). W thought he was in a pageant, Clinton tried to do the work.