Living and breathing in the Second City
In a lot of ways the American electorate, and punditocracy, are fraught with contradictions. One of which is that we want presidential candidates to be role models and to “do the right thing,” but we want them to look cool doing it. I’m no Obama fan, but if he had been caught riding around without a helmet we’d be talking about how irresponsible he is. Instead, we’re making fun of how dorky he looks. And man, does he look dorky.
On a side not, here’s proof that Barack Obama cares.
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
-Carl Sandburg
Eric
June 11th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Most of the biking types I know aren’t making fun of him for the helmet (we’re all used to looking like dorks already) but rather because he’s riding on the sidewalk - which is illegal if you’re over age 12. Of course, I’m sure he’s just doing what the Secret Service told him to do…
Nicky Cheese
June 11th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Helmet on top of the shirt tucked into the stoned-washed jeans. Yikes…