Obama joker poster

[Updated] Some naughty individual or group may be trying to tarnish President Obama’s healthcare reforms by portraying him as a Joker socialist.  Posters showing Obama with his face painted like Heath Ledger’s Joker have started to appear around L.A. This guerrilla artwork is a lazy but knowing criticism that uses a “trigger” word to illicit its response from Americans. Most Americans want health reform.

It appears that the image first appeared on urban surfaces back April 2009. Are the posters taking a shot at Obama’s health plan or just having fun?

obama-joker-poster-1

obama-joker-poster


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 Reader Comments
 Comment # 1
 Written by Tyler on August 3rd, 2009 @ 9:50 am

Obama doesn’t need any help tarnishing himself.

 Comment # 2
 Written by Tina on August 3rd, 2009 @ 11:19 am

Just curious, how was your data collected to find such a specific statistic that “most [improperly used comma] Americans want health reform?” because I’m pretty sure I have NOT seen this backed up.

 Comment # 3
 Written by Tina on August 3rd, 2009 @ 11:41 am

Who “moderates” these comments. I know that “Ed” is a nobody so I doubt many people read these little stories or care enough to write comments, but I thought there might be a few. I checked a few more of your little stories and they too do not have any comments. Do you not check? Or do you just want to be the only one that writes?

 Comment # 4
 Written by ed on August 3rd, 2009 @ 4:20 pm

Dear “Tina”

Thanks for the input. Generally, it’s a good idea to do your own research but, as a kindness, here’s a place to start:

http://www.pollingreport.com/health.htm

If you’re struggling to interpret that page of information, I can’t help you. For the record, I don’t endorse Obama’s plan. I’d favor something more radical. I only suggested Americans want reform – which is backed up by the polls. I didn’t say 100% of Americans were in love with Obama’s plan.

Thanks for pointing out the typo comma, “Tina.” I found two grammatical errors in your comment. You should probably put down the grammar book and look up “hypocrite” in the dictionary. You’ll probably find one of the errors, one you won’t because it’s no doubt one of your blind spots.

Bon chance! You can give your reply, should you have one, to the dogs.

 Comment # 5
 Written by Tina on August 3rd, 2009 @ 4:59 pm

Okay, I actually will make an apology. I was distracted by your change of subject from “President Obama’s healthcare reforms” to “health reform.” While it is true that most want some sort of reform, it is not true that most Americans support President Obama’s plan for reform. The poster doesn’t even mention healthcare, so I am further curious why you think that the “naughty individual or group is trying to tarnish President Obama’s healthcare reforms.”
Also, what is it in my comments that portrays me as a hypocrite? Was it the grammatical correction along with my alleged grammatical mistakes? Or was it something actually meaningful?

 Comment # 6
 Written by ed on August 3rd, 2009 @ 5:27 pm

If you haven’t heard Obama’s healthcare plan be compared to socialism, you don’t read the US press. If the group are mocking him for something else, I’ll amend the post.

 Comment # 7
 Written by Karen Reynolds on August 4th, 2009 @ 12:28 am

Where are you getting your statistics? This healthcare reform stinks!!! Did you read it?
There are few news people reporting on what his real plans are. It is so hidden that you have to dig deep to find him out. Why is that? Just this weekend there were at least 8,000 people that showed up for a protest against this new healt care plan in Ioah and not one TV news covered it except Fox. Why is that? At town hall meetings, people are outraged!! Why is there no coverage in the news? He is not our Savior. He is a normal guy making hugh mistakes and hiring (czars) like crazy. Has you checked out the resumes of these “czars” it is down right spooky. One is a communist.

 Comment # 8
 Written by michael on August 4th, 2009 @ 8:07 am

Karen, there’s a hyperlink to the stats above.

 Comment # 9
 Written by Dave on August 4th, 2009 @ 12:35 pm

Karen, I agree with you to a certain extent. I think the media should be covering Obama’s health care plan and the nation’s response to it instead of blathering on about his fake birth certificate and beer preference, but that doesn’t mean news outlets are holding back negative coverage, it just means that we live in a base, sensationalist, apathetic society. “Obama smokes cigarettes? Holy Moses!” Hence the Joker-Obama-Socialism poster.

I honestly think the poster artist’s just having a laugh at our expense. If he’s not, he’s an idiot.

As far as the czars go… You know they have no governing power right? They’re advisors. I mean, sure, it was bad politics to pick Van Jones–the guy did say he was a communist once–but he’s the Green Jobs czar. What do you think he’s gonna do? Recommend we build hybrid cars in a gulag?

 Comment # 10
 Written by michael on August 4th, 2009 @ 12:54 pm

@Karen

“At town hall meetings, people are outraged!!”

Are you referring to Fox’s coverage as mocked here:

http://gawker.com/5329525/anatomy-of-a-conservative-political-uprising-starring-fox-news

 Comment # 11
 Written by Dave on August 4th, 2009 @ 1:29 pm

Also, aren’t you supposed to be blindly supporting your president? I got called “un-American” like crazy in 2003 for not “standing behind my president no matter what” when he attacked Iraq. Now those same people are throwing hissy fits about Obama trying to reform health care. Are we only supposed to get behind Republican presidents?

 Comment # 12
 Written by michael on August 4th, 2009 @ 1:40 pm

Yeah Dave but he was born in the U.S…;-) New York, I believe.

 Comment # 13
 Written by Karen on August 4th, 2009 @ 3:52 pm

The Gov. shouldn’t have the privalege of interfering with our personal health if we don’t want them to. It should be up to the individual. Our freedoms are being taking away from us. The town hall meetings aren’t staged. They are regular people like you and me concerned about what is going on. I listened to a lady on the radio today talk about it. She went with her husband and from what she could see no one was there as a group. Just American people voicing their opinion, and upset as they have the right to be. The media is saying this was staged. We still haven’t seen his birth certificate. I wonder why? I have heard that the military are questioning him on this issue also. If he wasn’t born in America that would mean that the military does not have to obey his orders under the constitution. O yeah, thats right, WHAT CONSTITUTION?? Am I upset? Yes, I have never been so involved in politics in my life. Am I getting off of the sofa? Yes! And so are millions of Americans. He is doing exactly what he said he would do and no one was listening. I have to respect him as my President but I don’t have to agree with him. I am only one small voice calling from this wilderness so thick with millions of portholes that it is impossible to keep up with him.

 Comment # 14
 Written by Karen on August 4th, 2009 @ 4:15 pm

I would like to say that I don’t know that it is a fact about the military questioning the President on his Birth Certificate. So I want to retract that comment.

 Comment # 15
 Written by Joseph on August 5th, 2009 @ 12:09 am

You conservatives are hilarious! The alcoholic,coke snorting,flatulence junkie,makes fun of advanced degree holders,uncle of a heroin addict,flew over Katrina victims,delayed Red Cross assistance,hire an ex-horseshow judge as FEMA head,how is that for a good resume?Lined Haliburton’s & Blackwater’s pockets while chopping wood at the ranch in a Village People-Brokeback Montain cowboy costume,reduced taxes for the wealthy, decreased health inspections at food processing plants & had a vp say Katrina was unimportant and a secretary of defense say “you go into war with what you have”. A vp who deferred military service 5 times
while in school.GWB awol from national guard duty.

 Comment # 16
 Written by todd on August 5th, 2009 @ 7:46 pm

joey, lets see here. no birth certificate from nobama? not that it matters, his mother was a citizen. further, hiding his traanscipts from his college days. paid for his college how? never was a professor at chicago school. but claims he was? do we need to go on? evidently so. I’ll serve you all koolaid when I’m finished. blindly supporting the president? why? don’t have to respect him because he won the election with a littlew help from his friends. do respect the office, but not him. he was a scumbag here in illinois, and now is the same in dc. czars and governing power. so, are you saying that he picked these folks for the fun of it? or is he going to listen to what they say? and what happened to HIS campaign promise of smaller, less wasteful government? another lie from the chosen one? and you are right. the posters are silly. they look more like his wife.

 Comment # 17
 Written by Karen on August 5th, 2009 @ 11:55 pm

I don’t think there is a perfect President. Each one does not do what he promised in his campaign but this President is different from any other President we have had in the USA. He is taking away our freedsoms. If the Gov and the President continue to lie to the public we will not be a republic anymore. If you look at the town hall meetings you will see that mostly older folks are there. That is because if this health care bill passes they will not have the freedom to live or die. Everything is bankrupt. These men went to war for us. They have paid into S.S. all their lives. Paid extra for health insurance. These are hard working American people who deserve that choice in their end of days. Why do you think that the Gov. is not going to be on this health plan. Most of them are heading towards retirement. Personally, all the stuff the other Presidents did does not hold a candle to what this President has done in the last 6 months. I don’t care about that stupid poster. They could of put up a pretty picture of him and said- Why are you hiding behind your press and czars? That would of made more common sence to me.

 Comment # 18
 Written by Karen on August 6th, 2009 @ 2:11 am

Well, Today on msn the President said that he will ram through the health care bill in Sept. It will cost Trillions! What is the hurry?

 Comment # 19
 Written by Dave on August 6th, 2009 @ 8:19 am

Just so we’re clear, Karen, you just said this: “all the stuff the other Presidents did does not hold a candle to what this President has done in the last 6 months.” George W. Bush lied to the American people about the existence of nuclear weapons in Iraq, then committed our soldiers to fight and die there. The fact that you don’t like Obama’s health care plan or his bank bailouts does not permit you to align his decisions with lies that lead to massive amounts of death. Shame on you.

 Comment # 20
 Written by Dave on August 6th, 2009 @ 8:35 am

And todd, come on. I was making a point. Personally, I don’t follow anyone blindly, but conservatives claimed we had to in 2003 when our President at the time was driving the country into war and recession, both of which we have right now, by the way. As far as the czars, the main complaint about them is that they’re not “answerable to Congress”. No advisor is answerable to Congress. They advise the guy that’s answerable to Congress. Everyone needs to calm down.

 Comment # 21
 Written by Karen on August 9th, 2009 @ 3:48 am

George Bush made horrible mistakes. But he didn’t take away our freedoms. There are both Dem & Rep worried about where this nation is heading not just conseratives infact I think more Democrates are troubled about him. Now the President is saying he will pass this bill even if he doesn’t get the proper votes. I just don’t see what the hurry is. The bill is way too long and will cost us trillions of dollars. We are already bankrupt in many areas as a Nation. Lets leave the past in the past and focus on what is going on now. He said that he had a health care plan but we have not seen it yet. This plan isn’t his. Do you even know who made up this health care bill? I am almost certain that it was his scars.

 Comment # 22
 Written by Karen on August 9th, 2009 @ 3:51 am

By the way the President picked out these Scars and they are advising him.

 Comment # 23
 Written by Karen on August 9th, 2009 @ 3:56 am

Dave, I believe that these families that have lost loved ones at war are just as concered about our freedoms being taken away. This isn’t the time to calm down. Too many people have died for our Freedoms.

 Comment # 24
 Written by Karen on August 9th, 2009 @ 4:50 pm

Joey why do you assume that I am a conservative? I don’t say that anywhere in my opinions. Just wondering why you seem to dislike them so much. I am pro-life and a Christain. Does that make me a conservative? Anyways, I have calmed down and will listen to what our President has to say when he comes back from his break. I am sorry if I have offended any one.

 Comment # 25
 Written by Dave on August 10th, 2009 @ 10:47 am

Karen, it’s nice to see someone with your opinions saying that you’ll calm down and listen. My problem isn’t at all that people disagree with Barack Obama, it’s that they say things like “he’s taking away our freedoms” without any evidence at all. I kept a very open mind about George W. Bush despite completely disagreeing with him, and I never did anything so utterly disrespectful as to question his United States citizenship. I never railed on him for hiring advisors, which is completely within a President’s rights, and I never attacked his partisan opinions on health care. This is a disagreement, but it’s an issue that needs to be addressed quickly, not because Democrats are in a hurry to spend money, but because millions of people need health care.

And just to clear the air, out of the two, George Bush is the only one to BLATANTLY take away Americans’ freedoms. Karen, please back off a step from your dislike of Obama as a liberal and realize how true that is. Obama is trying to pass a health care bill. He authored along with his staff, he thinks it’s the best option, so of course he’s going to try to get it passed. Nowhere in there are any freedoms being taken from anyone. As a matter of fact, he’s following every single rule and process our forefathers wrote into the Constitution.

George Bush, on the other hand, wrote into law the Patriot Act, which makes it legal for government agencies to spy on United States Citizens for up to a month without informing the person. That is a direct infringement upon our right to privacy. He didn’t try to hide it, he didn’t try mask or sweep it under the rug, he just told us he was going to tap our phones. How is that not taking away our freedoms?

 Comment # 26
 Written by Karen on August 12th, 2009 @ 8:48 am

I am not saying that we don’t need health care for all American Citizens. On the contrary we do! It should be a choice. But this bill is not understandable to the regular folks. Even the Senators needs help with it. I went to the town hall meeting in Lebanon PA. Was the first one there. Not organized. Just regular people. One a retired police officer, several retired vets. I got there about 5:45am sat down on a chair I brought and watched as things unfolded. Some one passed out the constitution, someone gave out free t-shirts. No one knew each other. Just brought their signs and waited in line. About 10 minutes before the doors opened a nice bus showed up. I think it said “Hands off America” those people did not get in. Only 250 were allowed in and in my estimate at least over 1,000 came.. The police were very nice to me and we had several conversations. I would have to say some of the people in the front with me kinda concerned me that they would get out of hand at the meeting but only one guy did and that was because he was told before hand that he would be allowed to ask a question. They only allowed 30 people to ask questions. My question was on Abortion. Will we all have to pay for Abortion in this bill. S. Spector said no, you will have a choice. Another guy got up and quoted part of the bill that to me seemed to say that we would have to. I got up and expressed my concern by saying that I would not pay for this bill, you will have to put me in jail. S. Spector came back to me and said “you will have freedom of choice” He did not come prepared for this meeting. He did not have the bill with him to confirm his statements. The elderly are concerned. Too many loop holes in the bill for them. So yes, I stand up for the unborn and the elderly. Just change the bill so it is fair and every one can understand it.

 Comment # 27
 Written by Karen on August 14th, 2009 @ 7:11 am

Wouldn’t it be great if the bill was readable to a junior higher? Maybe only 5- 10 pages long. The Constitution is in simple language. Please Mr. President if you read this. Don’t you want to go into the History Books and one who listened to the American People? This is complicated to understand and way, way too long. You would get such rave revues and hurrahs from every one!

 Comment # 28
 Written by ed on August 14th, 2009 @ 10:54 am

Yes Karen. I also think the media should make an attempt to do their job and explain the key elements in the bill. I have NEVER seen the main network news stations do this basic task for any important issue. You either get Chris Matthews, Glenn Beck or another BS pundit just telling you their own biased and network-affiliated opinion.

 Comment # 29
 Written by Karen on August 14th, 2009 @ 3:58 pm

Hi Dave, Check out the new scar that President Obama has. He is a communication scar. He wants to get rid of privately owned radio stations by forcing them to pay astronomical fees that they couldn’t possibly pay. He wants to get rid of freedom of speech expecially in the Christian arena and have it monitored. HUMMM watch as his job unfolds in the next 6 months and see if people are not right about their freedoms being taken away. Poeple don’t have to listen to radio stations that they don’t want to. So why do we need a communications scar? Next they will go after TV stations.

 Comment # 30
 Written by Karen on August 14th, 2009 @ 5:51 pm

Yeah! They changed part of the bill that envolves end of life private decisions today. Now they need to let go of the bill that allows meidcal records that every person has that are personal to be gov. property.

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