That's what you get for leaving the house dressed like a Christian.

Senator, Michelle and the kids are totally embarassed by the attire as well.

whatever. i thought it was cute.

That was Obama? I thought it was Curious George.

Awww.

Hey, remember when Alex Alben ran in the primary in Washington's 8th CD? He had that campaign ad showing him riding his bike, wearing biker shorts, and his junk was prominently featured. He had great issues to run on, but unfortunately that image was seared into voters minds, and Dave Ross went on to lose to Reichert in the general.

The lesson here: sometimes it's OK to look like Urkel when you consider the alternative.

That is hilariously self-deprecating. Man, this guy better win.

It's interesting to me that the idea of a black nerd is so oxymoronic in popular culture that there's actually a single iconic figure associated with it. I mean, Family Matters went off the air 10 years ago, but I imagine the word Urkel will probably be in use until people have forgotten what it originally meant.

WTF? Urkel?

Do all black people look the same to these people?

I now officially have a man-crush on Barack Obama. As opposed to my actual crush on my boyfriend...

I love that guy.

@8. I'm black and 29 years old. I grew up being ridiculed being called Urkel and white because I was that black kid in honor classes always on the honor roll. And this was in the South. I actually hated Urkel because he made my life at school hell in middle school when Family Matters aired in the early 90s. When I got to high school, people stopped making fun of me after they either realized good grades help you get into college or they were out trying to get laid. Probably the latter.

So yeah, when I read Obama's book back in 2006, parts of his childhood and his early adulthood were like mine. Trying to discover your blackness while being ridiculed for not falling under the stereotypes.

Being a good dad means looking like a dork sometimes, telling corny jokes, and wearing a helmet when you're riding with your kids. Obama is a good dad. Good for him.

You have to love a Presidential candidate who can name-check Urkel!

Ironically, this is also John McCain's nickname for Cindy's rosebud...

Who wears jeans on a bike? Me! And fuck anyone who has a problem with it. Jeans are comfortable and I use my bike to get around. Sometime I commute to work in dress pants, dress shoes and a dress shirt. Would you rather me go out and buy a hummer to get to work?

So, who wears jeans on a bike? Someone who's wearing jeans, has someplace to go and doesn't want to waste gas.

@8: Apparently someone has never watched The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Hmm. I guess I never thought about Urkel being a "black nerd". He is like the epitome of nerd-dom for someone who was my age when that show aired.

I can't think of another TV character, regardless of race, that I would associate with being the ultimate nerd. I'm sure someone has another example, but if I was playing Family Feud and the category was TV Nerd, Urkel would be my first answer.

Arvid from Head of the Class. I had to go to wikipedia to get the name though, could only remember the face and mannerisms.

Another TV nerd? Slightly before that, Eugene on Happy Days. I got called that by some jerks before I finally got contacts. How I hated that fucker and that show.

Mayhaps this makes me a sad, sad, pathetic American, but I am suddenly inspired to vote by a man on a bicycle in jeans who references bloggers and Urkel.

Jeans are wonderful for bike riding (can we say ew to short shorts now, please?) unless you have the flare kind that get stuck in the gears. True story.

Please make a note of it: if u think wearing polo shirts and jeans is "weird" or "ultra conservative" or something, you are out of touch w/ mainstream dress all over the USA.

Is Michelle's dress weird too? Dresses and pearls?

Like, um, a "white" person?

Purple hair/nose rings/Goretex because it's drizzling a bit/spandex for a bike ride with your daughter for an hour/ are not what most Americans wear.

Critical commenters are out of touch. Hmmm, suspicious -- terrorists?

the real issue was that his polo shirt was tucked in.

I say pass Barack the rock and make all the fools who called him Urkel step onto the court with him and see who looks like the dork afterwards.

I'm quite confident that the bike-riding, the clothes, and the ensuing "controversy", including the Urkel reference, are carefully orchestrated by his campaign to ease the minds of people who associate "black" with people like 50 Cent. Not all of those people are white, either. Good for them; it's about time the reality of black life (i.e., not gangsta, but middle class and ordinary) moved into mainstream view. It's not surprising for anyone who's lived in a place with a lot of black people, but for many Americans (and definitely many Seattleites) it's perhaps a bit of an eye-opener.

Just another reason why Barack Obama's campaign is one of the best things ever to happen to my country.

Urkel! Ha! Heelarious!

Dude, WHO'S BEEN TALKING SHIT ABOUT URKEL?!!! You fools better look out - I've got a TI-84 and a compass.