Sorting out the facts in Obama-Joker 'socialist' posters around L.A.

Los Angeles residents voted for Barack Obama is large numbers last November (69% compared to 29% for John McCain). So it's somewhat surprising that a controversy over a public critique of the president would start on the streets of L.A.

But that's what happened today. Details are sketchy, but there is apparently at least one street poster in L.A. showing the president as the "Joker" character with white face, red lipstick with the word "socialist" under it.

There has been a lot of commentary on the poster but little detail about where it is and who put it up.

According to KTLA News, Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson is calling the depiction politically mean-spirited and dangerous. Hutchinson is challenging the group to come forward.

American Thinker claims the posters "are spreading across" the city and has a photo of one on a freeway onramp. Says the site: "It is starting. Open mockery of Barack Obama, as disillusionment sets in with the man, his policies, and the phony image of a race-healing, brilliant, scholarly, middle-of-the-roader."

Bloggers found that first reports of the poster in L.A. surfaced in April -- so it's unclear why it became such a Web sensation today.

 In any case, now there are photos of the post in Atlanta.

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: KTLA News

Comments

[Pat]

I think it's fantastic commentary, especially after the financial/social disasters of the porkulus bill, government takeover of the auto industry, and soon healthcare.

I love the fact that it's going viral and driving the left nuts - of course pics of Bush as the devil were ok, but "hands off" Dear Leader! Tshirts and stickers are showing up everywhere - hooray capitalism! www.cafepress.com/PalsyClown

[mark k]

anyone questioning this Joker is labeled a right wing nut? What is going on here? Obama is giving trillions to the banks, banks are giving millions in bonus and salaries, the people get doggy doo and he cares about you? When will you ignorant ranters realized Obama is nothing but another Bush? Have you wondered why Obama is sending another 30k of our boys to Afghanistan and to fight for what? Democracy? Capture Bin Laden? Oil pipelines? There's a Change you can believe in?

[Jokester]

This is a caricature that is biased and racist...... You fools have allowed the Republican money to get you again and now you holler socialism.

You deseve the screwing that Bush Cheney and all his thugs gave you, they ought to ship all the jobs overseas and take healthcare away from you and all of Republican congress. Be sure and document that Cheney, Bush, Condi, all have free health care and all the fools that are crying against healthcare are you idle stupid rich..... keep whining.. I don't think America is going to sit by and ley you swiftboat President Barack Obama..... the times when we retreat from a good fight are long gone.....

[tonyE]

Funny about "liberals" in this country. When the wind blows their way they are happy, but when the wind blows on their face they immediately get all riled up and call it dangerous and what not. I mean, we put up with eight years of Bush jokes, huh? As the old saying goes, "if the shoe fits" should be applied to here. Whereas "conservatives" pretty much put with up crap, the "liberals" just can't . I think it's time for people like Hutchinson to grow up and smell the roses. The only thing that is dangerous here are people like Hutchinson, true fascists, who will forget about the First Amendment the second it won't fit their world view. And, yes, I think Obama and his policies are a joke, but it's a tragic joke, IMHO.

[brad chisholm]

I actually think "The Emperor's New Clothes" is a more accurate concept for The Chosen One -- but this will do for now :)

Wonder why the artist is afraid to come forward? He's terrified he'll be sent to a re-education camp. We can expect to see those springing up shortly under the excuse of re-training the unemployed. Probably in Riverside.

[Randy]

The lunatic left is all too eager to defend posters of Bush with a Hitler moustache ("But it's true!", they decree.) but thou shalt not make a graven image of their god, nor take the name of the Chosen One in vain. ("That's mean!", they will again proclaim.) Typical liberals. Rules & standards don't apply to them. Bush lies, Obama "re-assesses"; Bush flip-flops, Obama "shifts his paradigm". Bush can't admit he made a mistake, Obama "refines his statements", Bush sticks to his base, Obama "keeps yet another campaign promise",..... A delusional mix of rose-colored glasses and blinders.

[John]

Why are people assuming right-wing Republicans are behind this? Is it because if you're not Left you're Right? If you're not a Democrat you're a Republican? That's funny, because to me you're all the same, whether you're a Republocrat or a Demopublican. Being critical of the President doesn't mean you're a Republican, it means you're a patriot.

[svivar9087]

I don't always agree with the Prez, but now is not the time to segregate but to support him, after all he is "the man" whether we like it or not.

[wordcutter]

Like all things, if it is true you cannot silence it. If it is not true it will become the stuff political speeches are made of. This man so many of you defend has done nothing for you but take advantage of your trust. To those who despise him he has lost the trust it takes to be their president. This poster should show Mr. Obama as Joesph Smith. The two are peas of the same pod, dont you think? Both have magical writings that only he can see. Both have had others make statements on their behalf that what they say is true, yet neither have ever shown everyone the proof. Golden tablets, birth certificates, college transcripts, whats the difference? Cartoonists have lampooned everyone from Jesus to the Pope, Nixon to Bush, Kennedy to Carter and no one cares! Why is no one outraged at this site " Muhammad Dressup" www.muhammaddressup.com or Dress up Jesus, www.jesusdressup.com ? There is no Republican outrage against Obama, that is the myth. There is no political outrage against Obama, that too is a myth. There is however a growing American outrage against the blatant attempt to destroy America by the Patriots of this nation!
It will come first with posters and banners, then with rallies and marches, then with riots and real news coverage. It wasn't until Americans were being killed by National Guard troops that the news took the Viet Nam protests serious. It wasnt until the protests grew to the 10s of thousands the Government listened. Those days are coming, and this "Joker" or "Savior" will fall.

[mikel]

Well if you dont like the Poster you need to go to Obama Dress up over at www.DressupObama.com . I am sure all you koolaid drinkers will really come unglued at this site, perhaps it too is mean and dangerous... but you will have to admit it is a lot of fun..

[amanslaughter]

who cares 'who's behind it'? I applaud whoever it is for having the courage to come out and say what they want.

After all, if it's considered dangerous by those it attacks then it must be hitting it pretty close to home.

[wordcutter]

Ok, lets cut to the chase, there is no race card being played here, Obama is the race card! He is a open and shut case of racial schizophrenia. As Jesus said a house set against itself cannot stand. So it is with America. We cannot have a President saying he is African-American and claim to be our president. He is either American or he needs to get out! Racism will never end as long as we keep worshiping it. African-Americans, Mexican-American, what is all this CRAP? Either we are Americans or we are NOTHING! All this hypenated American B.S. is not ever going to work. Now we have Joker-Americans, whats next? So why not get all your bleeding liberal and pseudo patriot asses off the couches and march? Demonstrate, stand up on the corners and scream if you are all so unhappy. You why you wont, your all a bunch of cowards, lazy, fat, stupid cowards who type moronic responses to people who dont care, run by papers who despise you and are too lazy to do their job! Todays newsertainment sources would have never run Watergate! Nixon would still be king and God only knows about Viet Nam. Obama is the Joker! He is whatever the newsertainment machine wants him to be that day to keep you distracted and from asking question. America is screwed, the world is screwed and we have only ourselves to blame....

[Paul A]

I live in Atlanta, GA. In fact I live approx. 2 miles from the KFC (we call it the Big Chicken) restaurant that now displays the Obama Joker poster.

Fantastic. I can't wait to see the Nancy Pelosi version.

Waterloo, Waterloo, Waterloo !!!

[Paul A]

john 8/4/09 @ 5:17pm

Already done - see Mad magazine cover February 2009.

[MadameThereseDefarge]

I think everyone a.k.a sheep and the "MEDIA" missed the message. First, under the poster it says' " Socialism" not Socialist. Second, a republician could not have made this up, they lack an artistic apporach, plain and simple; aren't that clever! And third, the Joker in the psychological respect, was an idealist! yes and anarchist. That role that Heath Ledger portrayed- no one will ever be able to do again or come close. So is the same for Obama, no one else can do what he has begun to do; better! I smell a revolution brewin' so skip Starbucks and take a hit of that revo-brew straight to tha head!!!!!! You might truly wake up! The Joker's reason for destroying the hospital was because in essence they are the TRUE MURDERS in this society! Hence Obama's health care reform- no one should be told we don't treat pre-exsisting conditions, in other words DIE! This poster advocate active resistance against terrorism from within the state like Banks, CEO's, Coroprate America, etc.

[Soliel]

Those who are angry about this...you must tolerate. Why?

Because those who hated George Bush expressed themselves in much more mean, vulgar and even violent ways. There is no comparison. If you approved of that then you must be OK with this, even if you disagree. It's part of free speech.

Obama has done big things with our country. He could make permanent changes...and many feel they will be negative. They have a right to express this...it's part of politics.

Don't be so thin skinned.

[Roger]

The poster idea originated here:

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/

it used to be a pretty good forum.

[Infowars]

Ive seen the poster around town.
I even also noticed T-shirts selling on a website:
INFOWARS.com.
They also had an article of the posters.

[thecanimalshusband]

Any criticism of Obama is racially motivated.

[DigitalBishop]

Oh I just love it when liberals pull out the "Race" card when Obama receives some criticism. Why not just come out and say we're not allowed to have an opinion? That's what you want us to do right? Simply not say anything? Shut up? No, not going to happen.

Truth hurt much?

@MadameThereseDefarge What?! The fact that Republicans can be creative and resourceful too, too much for you to handle? Or did the poster hit a nerve because it's true?

A wonderful thing happened the other day, my fiancee apologized to me for voting for Obama. Gets me right here :: taps heart ::

[E.R.W.]

the only thing I can get out of the dipiction is its a payback to Al Jolson. It could be that the white capitilist of the properties in and around the area are screaming racist because they don't want to have watts destroyed again. the racist card is out again, STUPID I quote.

[nmoore6676]

Nobody whined about all of the cartoons ridiculing George Bush (43) or Bill Clinton for that matter. If you are President it goes with the job. How about all of the rude and inappropriate jokes about Sarah Palin, and she was only Governor of Alaska and a former vice presidential candidate. Also I have know idea why anyone is listening to Mr. Hutchinson whose so called “roundtable” is only him and his reflection in the mirror.

[Josh T.]

He is the originator of the photoshopped pic... not of the Poster circulating L.A. only of the Obama pic.
...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/khateeb88/

[Brian]

What we love about Obama
Can we state what we like about Obama? We love his lies, it makes us feel like we have a president, for which president hasn't lied, Obama is just been more good at it. We all love his Spending, this way we get stuff now and have our grandchildren pay for it when we're dead, after all we'll be dead, plus we don't care about our children anyway since we love to have them murdered. What about racism, Racism is only good if it is against white, and what do you know, Obama has that going for him too, but if Obama was white we wouldn't like him that much, but thank someone he's Black. Another thing we love about Obama is his ability to redefine words such as transparency and Capitalism, it makes feel like we have Clinton in office.
The truth is we don't got a good president, and we haven't had a real good President for a while, but we need to start playing our cards for what they really are worth and not the color of the card, in this case a joker. I am not saying McCain was a good Canaidate either, but we had others we could have voted for in the primaries that would have been better. If you are on the side the loves Liars and thieves, then you will love the Joker Card, but if you want a genuinely good card you will go for the Ace.

[truthfromBerlinGermany]

We aren't putting these posters up for racial reasons what-so-ever. this is political... he could just as easily be a green martian, and we'd still be doing it. This is our right to protest when our leaders, and our government are making moves we think people should be looking into, and be more aware of. Until people worldwide began putting up these images, the President seemed to have this fanatical fan support system, he was going to fix everything, he could do no wrong... but all politicians are capable of corruption. It's important to remember, Obama, IS a politician. Also important to remember: Obama isn't the devil himself, but the pretty packaging marketed to us by the worst of the worst, the most corrupt of corrupt, & most evil of evil to sell us so easily on their own plans so there's no protest. Important for American's to research all unelected, newly appointed Czars in the U.S. These people will be deciding your fates on so many issues. Also point to bring up, We have a social health care system in Europe... but what so many die-hard American social health care supporters need to research is the major drawbacks invovled... it isn't free... not at all. We pay loads in taxes each pay period that equal, or surpass what most Americans pay to insurance companies for monthly co-pays or premiums (depending on whether your employer matches the payment), plus we pay co-pays between 10-50 euro each doctor visit, and another 10-50 euro for our meds... great not seeing a doctor bill later for sure... but not free, and completely mandatory that we must pay into it. (no longer a choice) you also have to factor in that the government will now control what type of health care you'll receive. I went to my doctor with pneumonia (mild) last February, and he gave me one ibuprofen for my fever (you can't get anything not homeopathic over-the-counter here) and told me to sleep it off. It would have been very nice during those two painful weeks to have had some anitbiotics. Then of course, there's the taxing the "rich" issue, where regular small business owners get totally screwed, (like a family member of me who has a post-construction company in the U.S.) and he already only made for himself around $10-12 per hour worth of pay, paying all his employees and business expenses first...but with the economy what it is, and what he will be having to pay on his "Rich" tax next year, he will surely lose his business completely, and all 9 of his employees will lose their jobs with him.
Graffiti-style, pictures are always made for politicians & leaders, it's our way to make people walking by on the street, stop, and think, and not always believe what the media tells you, but to research the facts for yourself. People were making these protests in ancient Rome, and we'll be making them until the world ends. I wish the point weren't getting lost in the pathetic attempts to make it a race issue.
Check infowars.com for good info.start