as that was, it would have been cheered and lauded by fans of the erstwhile Obama. Nor was it a matter of any other sage or seditious significance. President Obama was not selected for his substance; he was elected for his style. Until recently, Obama spoke, taught, and presumed with impunity. He was nearly unassailable, so long as he acted and reacted within the parameters of his celebrity -- the patented Obama style. His palavering proclivity betokened his commitment to the Obama image. But on July 14, 2009, Obama left style on a hanger and tossed out the first pitch at Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, dressed in an unfortunate pair of "frumpy" jeans. "For those of you who want your president to look great in his tight jeans," he explained, "I'm sorry, I'm not the guy." Not the guy is right. The tragic truth of those trousers is that they confirmed the critique of the Obama election. The marginal shift to Obama from the previous Republican administration occurred not because of Obama's substance or the intricacy of his ideas; people voted for Obama's persona . They hoped and changed for a different style . The Nation -- 53 percent of them -- wanted some slick repackaging. Obama had it; McCain did not. The Obama mystique convinced just enough voters that Obama's style would clothe his rhetoric with materiality. As long as his style was impeccable, his message -- whatever it purported to be -- would resonate. But when style