John Kennedy famously killed off the tophat by refusing to wear one to his inauguration. Is Barack Obama helping kill off the necktie?
John Derbyshire has a touching ode to the necktie, which he notes “was a key item in gents’ attire all through the 20th century, having condensed out of a more varied menu of cravats & neckwear in the 19th” but seems to be passing out of fashion. (See Jon Stronger’s “The Why of the Tie” for an argument for why this can’t come fast enough.)
This, naturally, prompts Andy McCarthy to chime in: “I’ve noticed that President Obama frequently forgoes the necktie — lately, even in public appearances. That reminded me — I have no idea why — that the Iranian regime has shunned the necktie ever since Khomeini pronounced it a symbol of Western decadence.”
QED: Obama hates America.
(Either that or he’s adopting the faux populism long common among presidents and other politicians of both parties, especially in outdoor events in hot weather.)
via Conor Clarke
About James Joyner
James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of a DC think tank. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor. He has a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama.
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