By Mike Pound

Globe columnist

mpound@joplinglobe.com



Well, it hasn’t even been two weeks yet but the attack dogs have already been set lose.

I knew it was coming but I was surprised it happened so quickly. Most new presidents are given a few weeks, at least, before folks start harping on him, before they start criticizing and second guessing. But not this time. This time the honeymoon for Barack Obama ended almost before it actually begun. Already, in a story in The New York Times (Motto: Go ahead. Do our crossword puzzle in ink. We dare you.), Obama’s choices have been labeled “a bit of a disappointment.”

Can you believe that? A bit of a disappointment. And he hasn’t even taken office yet. I think that’s a bit harsh. A bit unfair. But that’s the way things go in this 24-hour news cycle that we live in now. I guess I understand that, but still, I was disappointed. I mean, the guy is new ... Shouldn’t he be given a chance to learn on the job? A chance to grow into his position? I think so. But apparently The New York Times doesn’t agree. The New York Times thinks that President-elect Obama should already know how to dress causally.

What?

Oh, you thought I was talking about his presidential policies. Please. Who cares about that stuff?

Nope, according to at least one reporter for The New York Times, what’s important right now is what President-elect Obama wears when he’s not doing president stuff. According the reporter, Obama has been seen wearing “a baseball cap with a North Face warm-up jacket, jeans and white sneakers, and a black windbreaker that some observers assumed was leather, but, more likely, was nothing fancier than cotton.”

When I read that a couple of thoughts occurred to me.

Thought No. 1: What the heck is a North Face warm-up jacket?

And, thought No. B: Observers? Really? There are observers who watch presidential windbreakers?

Wow.

What’s even more fascinating to me is that the windbreaker observers apparently want to remain anonymous. Sort of like “well placed White House sources” or “key officials” or “sources close to the President.”

Times reporter: Tell me about the President-elect’s windbreaker.

Observer: It appears to be leather.

Times reporter: Great. I’m going with that. Can I get your name?

Observer: No. This is on deep background.

Times reporter: Your secret’s safe with me.

Apparently, Obama’s choice of attire is not going over well with people in the know. Some guy named Tom Kalenderian (and they thought Obama had a funny name), who is the menswear fashion director at Barneys New York, is the one who said that Obama’s casual clothes were a “bit of a disappointment.” Although he didn’t say why the clothes were a disappointment. I guess that sort of stuff is released on “a need to know basis” only.

Obama’s choice of blue jeans has also come under question. The New York Times reporter wrote this about a pair of jeans Obama wore at a rally in late October: “His jeans are the loose, jingle-the-change-in-your-pocket type. He belts them at the waist ...”

Again, a couple of thoughts.

Thought No. 1: Do they actually make a style of jean that they call loose-jingle-the-change-in-your-pocket type?

And thought No. II: Of course he belts his jeans at the waist. Where else would he belt his jeans? At the knee?

As part of the story, The New York Times reporter contacted a woman named Stephanie Cutter, who according to the Times is a member of Obama’s transition team. Stephanie said, I’m assuming in response to a question, that she didn’t think Obama has relaxed his look since the election and that what he wears usually depends on what he’s doing.

I thought that made sense. But I’m a little disappointed in Stephanie’s statement. What I would have preferred Stephanie say was something like this: WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I GOT CALLED OUT OF A MEETING ON NATIONAL SECURITY TO TALK ABOUT JEANS? HOLY *&%$. HE WAS TAKING HIS KIDS TO SCHOOL. HE WASN’T ADDRESSING THE UNITED NATIONS. HE WORE JEANS. AND A WINDBREAKER.. IT WAS COTTON. NOT LEATHER. NOW LEAVE ME THE *&%^ ALONE. OH, AND GUESS WHAT? I DO YOUR *&^$% CROSSWORD PUZZLE WITH A PEN.”

I mean, if the honeymoon’s over, there’s no sense in being nice.