Are the GOP rivals prepared for the style spotlight?

In 2009, when President Obama took the mound at an All-Star baseball game, he displayed an embarrassing lapse in sartorial judgment, donning baggy, high-waisted “mom jeans.” He later appeared on NBC’s “Today” and acknowledged the faux pas: “I’m a little frumpy. … I hate to shop.” But all aspiring presidents struggle with the balance between seeming too slick and dressing like a Midwestern high-school principal. Here, we see how the 2012 GOP candidates stack up in the eternal style debate. - Katherine Boyle, Lori Kelley (Express)

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President Obama throws out the first pitch to St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, not pictured, before the MLB All-Star baseball game in St. Louis on July 14, 2009. Asked in an NBC "Today" show interview about the well-worn bluejeans he wore to the pitcher's mound, Obama said, "I hate to shop."

Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP

Republican presidential candidates pose for a photo before the start of the Iowa GOP/Fox News Debate at the CY Stephens Auditorium in Ames, Iowa, on Aug. 11, 2011. Pictured from left to right: former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum; businessman Herman Cain; Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney; Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.); former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty; former Utah governor Jon Huntsman; and former House speaker Newt Gingrich.

Charlie Neibergall / AP

Rick Santorum is not a heavyset fellow, but the camera (and his suit) add about 30 pounds to his frame. At 53, the former senator is young enough to rock a slim-fitted suit, and needs to start, please, wearing pants without pleats!

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Old-school cool:Double-breasted jackets were once the signature of bankers and skippers. But with Prince William and Ryan Gosling reviving this trad style, Herman Cain looks confident and trendy. But perhaps he should buy a tie that’s not bright yellow.

Paul Connors/AP / Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Pants Pants Revolution: Hoping for a Ron Paul victory? Polls indicate it probably won’t happen this election cycle. Instead, root for this Texas congressman to find a tailor who can hem those long pants.

Jim Cole / AP

The Chameleon: Forget Romneycare flip-flopping. This candidate’s look morphs fast! Didn’t we see this front-runner as Gaston in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”? And didn’t he run for president with the help of Ryan Gosling in "The Ides of March"?

Left to right: Sony PicturesAP

Michele Bachmann seems to take cues from a popular duchess. From pantyhose to sleek blowouts, Bachmann’s the boldest dresser of this political bunch. But her Sgt. Pepper blazer fell flat at the most recent debate.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images / Isaac Brekken/AP

Everything’s bigger in Texas — or when Gov. Rick Perry dons it. Wearing a large-enough-to-club-a-coyote signet ring, monogrammed shirt cuffs and — are those sparkly embellished cuff links? — Perry’s loud style fits his feisty, oversize personality. This candidate also seems mighty comfortable wielding a revolver.

Scott Eells / Bloomberg

Most improved! Before Newt Gingrich became speaker of the House in 1995, he was a history professor. These hideous ties from his early career were more faculty lounge than bully pulpit. Although his suit hasn’t changed, his ties have improved greatly.

/ Reuters

The Tie Whisperer: Jon Huntsman makes his moderate stance on evolution and global warming known. In case you doubt his bipartisan credentials — he used to be ambassador to China under Obama — the purple tie proves he likes to combine the best of red and blue.

Daniel Acker / Bloomberg

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