Obama's quandary: Wear a helmet, look dumb or be a role model?

Sure, there's world wars and toxic pollution and corruption and Social Security reform and a few other things like trillions of dollars in debt to worry about.

But before getting to those easy issues, politicians who want to be chief executives must first get elected. And to do that they must decide if they're going to wear funny hats.

It's the bane of most big-time campaigns. And why you don't see candidates so often visiting construction sites; hard-hat zones, where they must don those funny-looking helmets that sit so high on their head. They may save lives, but they scare image-conscious campaigns.

Remember in 1988 Gov. Mike Dukakis driving that tank? It's a lot of fun. Looked good on paper to associate him with defense issues, a traditional Democratic weak spot. But you gotta wear the XL helmet. So he did. He looked like a pretender. And the rest is doofus history.

Long before him, there was the classic headgear disaster, Calvin Coolidge in the Indian headdress. Scroll down for that baby.

So, even though he's a freshman senator and a rookie national campaigner, Sen. Barack Obama faced a quandary last weekend.

Should he wear one of those stupid-looking bicycle helmets that legislators say we must wear but only look good on Tour de France racers? And get mocked? Or should he go without the hapless headgear and get criticized for defying the law? Who does he think he is? Above the rules that apply to everyone else?

These are everyday decisions now. Obama opted for the hat. At one of two lucrative campaign fund-raisers in Chicago Thursday night, at the home of a businessman who donates bicycles to charities, Obama couldn't resist a little boasting. He explained that he faced a tossup: Risking ridicule or sending children the right message about bike gear.

"I had an internal debate," Obama admitted when a supporter thanked him for wearing a helmet. "Because I knew that the AP was going to take a picture, and they were trying to portray it like Dukakis wearing that tank helmet.

"But I wanted to make sure that the children who saw that picture knew that even the Democratic nominee for president wears a helmet when he goes biking," he said to applause.

"Now, obviously the rest of my apparel was apparently not up to snuff, because I got a hard time from all sorts of blogs ... who said I looked like Urkel."

There's more on this story here.

--Andrew Malcolm

Frame grab from 1988 Bush "Tank Ride" commercial. Image courtesy of the American Museum of the Moving Image.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

And now the classic of classic politician headgear photos, Calvin Coolidge becomes an honorary Sioux chief.

Comments

[Mitchell in NY]

Okay, you guys can have fun regarding Obama's head gear, but he has resources that you aren't aware of. I will mention two here, his name and the Federation. McCain followers and cynical MSM types, read and weep....

Obama, Spock, and the New Star Trek Nation"
http://msa4.wordpress.com/

"Obama: It's the Name, Stupid"
http://msa4.wordpress.com/

[Carolyn Grace]

What the photo of Senator Obama does not show, is that his youngest daughter is right behind him on the bike. He did the right thing by wearing the helmet. He is setting a good example and he does not look dumb or nerdy. I think he looks quite good. Is this all the press has to talk about is wearing a helmet when riding a bike? What about how dumb George Bush looks when riding his bike and his tight little biker shorts?

[Johhny Canuck]

Looks like he's riding in a crosswalk and about to mount the sidewalk. Isn't it illegal to ride in crosswalks and on sidewalks?

[Ken]

Too bad the writer didn't notice the back tire is flat.

Gee, think that was a staged photo or what? LOL

[David Adams]

Why don't you get the entire story? Why not ask him if the bike belongs to his family? Why not ask him what he was towing, if anything, behind him? Why not ask why he was riding on the pavement instead of in the street?
Gid he know the back tire was going flat? And last but not least, is that his personal bike helmet?

[jggrimm]

two words pop into my head whenever I see an adult wearing a bicycle helment... sissy and stupid. Nothing personal, Senator, but please, if you have a choice between riding a bike and wearing that thing or walking, you should walk.

[Tim Moloney]

Dukakis moment? How about anytime W. steps in front of a camera. Bow legged and arms all flexed out like its the first time he has been to the gym all year. Please.

[Nicole]

Jesus on toast points, THIS is what passes for political news and commentary? Whether or not Obama looks dorky in a bike helmet?

Is it any wonder Americans are furious at the state of things today? Gas prices are averaging $4 a gallon while oil executives rake in billions; the war in Iraq is endless; the housing crisis gets worse; the Midwest is ravaged by floods and tornadoes; Bush embarrasses himself yet again on a foreign trip...

And the L.A. Times, which USED to be a serious paper, has a column about Obama and the Bike Helmet. Pathetic.

But hey, in the spirit of this column, I'd like to point out that I haven't seen similar analysis of George W. Bush's fancy bike outfits--complete with aerodynamic helmet--and whether or not he looks like a wuss.

Fair is fair, L.A. Times. If you're going to waste time on BS, at least make it bipartisan BS.

[Hoosier]

What about the turban photo?

[Fred X]

Obama looks like Erkel in the photo. Libs are so feminine. They do not realize how being so wordy they give this away. The libs only care if their president has perfect diction in their mouths. If they were real men they would like Bush except for allowing congress the excessive spending. ( which is a huge neg ). If you want to complain about oil at 4$ per gallon your finger points at unDemocrats that do not allow the USA to drill where we have oil. We are now under danger of economic collapse due to their green religions.