  In leading twist deep inelastic $ep$ scattering, the virtual photon
interaction is fast compared to the time scale of soft color rearrangement. We
compare the Pomeron exchange model, in which a neutral cluster is preformed,
with a gluon exchange model, in which color is exchanged after the hard
interaction. We find several features of the DIS data and of data on exclusive
hard processes that favor a gluon exchange scenario. If correct, the postulate
of soft color interactions between the produced ($q\bar q$) system and the
target has important implications for other processes. In particular, this may
explain the puzzles of charmonium hadroproduction.
