Obama's Style Shift Working for Voters

It’s no wardrobe malfunction: Barack Obama has ditched his trademark casual look for buttoned-up Washington style, Politico reports. As Hillary Clinton carped about his lack of experience, the Illinois senator began donning suits and ties. Aides shrug off the switch, saying it was prompted by weather, but political consultants insist it’s no accident.

There’s “nothing that isn’t calculated,” one said. “Everything is strategy, especially image.” Another added that Obama’s everyman style needed a revision: “He had to look the part.” A reporter noticed his new attire when Obama stumped through small Iowa towns "where ties are few and far between." Two weeks later, he had matched Hillary in state polls and stuck with the new style. (More Barack Obama stories.)