Barack Obama, who you might remember is the first black president, once called himself a "blank screen" onto which other people would "project their own views." Today, Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn took a turn gazing at Obama and what does she see? The whitest man in America: Jerry Seinfeld. Known more for her Anna Wintour slams than for her astute political analysis, Horyn writes that casual Obama in a baseball cap and track suit is a fashion statement stolen from a clunky Upper West Side Jew. Citing the displeasure of a Barney's fashion director as hard evidence, she even called Seinfeld to ask if Barack was stealing his slovenly windbreaker and jeans look. Is Horyn crazy, or is a dressed-down Obama a reenactment of Seinfeld's '90s fashion missteps?"I don’t know that I can make a proprietary claim to that look,” Seinfeld told her when she called for comment. After a campaign chock full of gorgeous suits, you can't blame Horyn for having great expectations. Having viewed the post-election Obama wardrobe, we're forced us to agree — he looks more like a stand-up comedian than a president sometimes.

On the show and in his reallife, Jerry made a variety of style statements that now are preferably confined to the Jews of the New York City. Onstage, the actor and the comedian character usually found himself in a suit — in this way, he does resemble Obama, who is either in athletic clothes or dressed to the nines. Horyn describes Obama's new look as jeans belted at the waist with "white sneakers and a windbreaker." You don't have to try to grab the Jewish vote anymore, Barack, you're already president! If you stay this course, there will be talk of the tiny Jewish man inside you, and between between Rahm Emanuel and Robert Reich, you already have enough tiny Jewish men on staff. If you're wondering the reason Obama can't just dress down and still be chic, it's a race issue, duh, according to NYU professor Andrew Ross:

"It remains a fact that white males can dress down much more easily than women and minorities," he said. That’s because, unlike white males, their formal rights have never been secure. Hence they lean toward more formal attire. Referring to casual dress, he added: "There are just too many traps involving black male stereotypes that Obama could fall into. He’s likely to be on guard." Just imagine how easy it would be for a president, who happens to have a model’s coat-hanger body, to suddenly look too cool just by his choice of sunglasses.

Loosening His Tie (Sort Of) [NYT]