DES MOINES, IA – A new billboard featuring our president has stirred up some serious controversy!
The tea party continues to cross lines and raise some eyebrows. A new billboard created by the Iowa branch compares President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin. The move is receiving steep criticism – even from fellow tea party activists who have condemned it as offensive and a waste of money.
The Associated Press reports that the North Iowa Tea Party began displaying the billboard in downtown Mason City last week. The sign shows large photos of Obama, Nazi leader Hitler and communist leader Lenin beneath the labels “Democrat Socialism,” “National Socialism,” and “Marxist Socialism.”
Beneath the photos is the phrase, “Radical leaders prey on the fearful & naive.”
The co-founder of the roughly 200-person group said the billboard was intended to send an anti-socialist message. But Bob Johnson admitted Tuesday that the message may have gotten lost amid the images of fascist and communist leaders.
“The purpose of the billboard was to draw attention to the socialism. It seems to have been lost in the visuals,” Johnson said. “The pictures overwhelmed the message. The message is socialism.” He said he didn’t know of any plans to remove the sign.
But others in the tea party movement criticized the sign.
“That’s just a waste of money, time, resources and it’s not going to further our cause,” said Shelby Blakely, a leader of the Tea Party Patriots, a national group. “It’s not going to help our cause. It’s going to make people think that the tea party is full of a bunch of right-wing fringe people, and that’s not true.”
Blakely also expressed outrage at linking Obama to Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany who oversaw the killing of 6 million Jews and whose invasions of neighboring countries led to World War II.
“When you compare Obama to Hitler, that to me does a disservice to the Jews who both survived and died in the Holocaust and to the Germans who lived under Nazi regime rule,” she added.
This was brought to my attention on Welt Branding's segment Ad Fail. Obviously this is a fail. Why would anyone compare our President to Hitler? Seems like the people who paid for the billboard think we are naive. Weigh in your thoughts at http://www.weltbranding.com/blog/ . There are too many supporters of this there at the moment. Help me diffuse the situation with worthy fails.
I have no problem with that.
Since when is it okay to publicly defame our President in the public media? I am young and have lived through four Presidents, and I have never seen so many billboards that disrespect our president in such a foul and untruthful way. Even though our last President took this company in a downward spiral, I do not recall a single time when I was driving on the highway and saw our President ridiculed and mocked in such an awful way.
I thought Obama was just an ass, not a socialist piggy.
True, Very True!
BASHING IS WHAT THEY DO BUT DOWN RIGHT DISRESPECT FOR THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY NO MATTER WHO IS IN THIS POSITION IS THE ISSUE HERE. WE HAVE PROBLEMS WHEN SOME ONE TALK AGAINST THE U.S. BUT WHEN THE PEOPLE HERE BELIEVE THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY CAN CALL THIS PRESIDENT A "LIAR" PUT OUT BILLBOARDS AND MARCH WITH POSTERS THAT THEY WOULD NOT WANT OTHERS TO DO ABOUT THEM THEN I THINK THEY ARE HYPOCIRTES AND FOOLS. NOBODY IS SO STUPID NOT TO SEE THAT THIS MAN'S COLOR IS THE ONE PROBLEM THAT WHITE PEOPLE ESPECIALLY CAN'T DEAL WITH. WE ARE NOT BLIND OR STUPID. IT IS CLEAR THAT IF THIS PRESIDENT WOULD GIVE EVERYTHING TO EVERYBODY THAT THEY ALL WANT THERE WILL STILL BE THOSE WHO WOULD NOT WANT HIM TO GIVE THEM ANYTHING. THAT IS WHERE THE "STUPIDITY" COMES IN.
Lets face it, its all corporate driven. The Koch brothers and Koch Industries (oil/gas/timber) are pouring money in to the Tea Parties, fund their trips, their buses, their billboards, and actually pay the indivual leaders of the chapters. Some salaries in the 100K range. They support most of the sites like Americans for Properity etc. Follow the money, look at who the sponsors are. Its not a secret, but you have to look at the source, and what their motivation is. Koch Industries is one of the largest poluters, has paid millions in fines, they want to be completely unregulated, and be able to pollute to their hearts content. Money is the key. If George Bush is willing to have Osama Bin Ladens brother as a partner in his oil company, its about the money. Check the Mosque in NY. Funded by Prince Al Waleed of the Saudi Royal Family. A partner of Ruport Murdock, owner of FOX News. Those who watch Fox, are actually putting money into the pockets of the Saudi Royal Family, and are indirectly funding the Mosque. Follow the money….don't believe it? Look it up….lots of pictures of the Prince with Murdock.
Are you serious or are you crazy?
What's so wrong with that? It's about time that moslem darkie was exposed for the traitor he is.