2012 November 08 « The Gentlemen's Standard

Stylishly inconspicuous. Fashionably unobtrusive. Quietly entering the room, its presence is announced by its reserved elegance. Sometimes in a gentleman’s life, he is required to exude a sober & restrained presentation. The solid wool necktie is there for his assistance. Set against the background of an immaculate white dress shirt, the gentleman displays great grace and aplomb in his excellent execution of elegance. And given the eventual transition into autumn and winter, neckties arriving in wool are an intelligent choice. Wool provides some serious visual depth to the usual dress shirt & necktie combination. Don’t worry about any difficulty knotting your necktie either. Given wool has exceptional resilience, knotting a perfect four-in-hand is quite easy. And the fabric returns to its original shape just fine. Opt for dark hues such as navy, brown, or gray. Pair with a fine merino sweater or tweed sport coat for a discreetly handsome ensemble. Every gentleman’s closet should maintain a few in circulation. You won’t be sorry.

The sloppy handling of the of the Auto Bailout, for which he never stated, “Let Detroit go bankrupt.” Maybe it was the less than eloquent description of 47 percent of the population. Perhaps it was Hurricane Sandy and her momentum halting influence? And surely the healthy helping of adoration Chris Christie heaped on President Obama didn’t help matters. All factors spelled possible defeat for Governor Mitt Romney. Nevertheless, there was but one path to 270 electoral votes for the Romney Campaign. However, that would mean betraying and departing from a far right, radical ideology that had previously positioned Mitt at the coveted big dance – the 2012 Presidential Election. Alas, his pivot towards middle was perhaps too late, and his positions during the Republican Primaries rendered him defenseless against an expanding electorate. He had been handcuffed to an ideology that has his party on the cusp of political impotence. The electorate expanded – more Latino voters and more young voters. Plus – more women in the Obama column. And the Republican given, white male voters, had shrunk. So, going forward, where does the Republican party go from here? With a fiscal cliff looming, we shall soon see.