Obama and Hitler: the odd couple billboard

I’m all for hyperbole, but trying to draw a connection between Barack Obama and evil incarnate, Adolf Hitler, is quite absurd.

In May, anti-war protesters in San Francisco held up the above posters. Then the northern Iowa Tea Party put up a billboard that depicted Obama with the word “Change” below and “Democrat Socialism” above. On his left was Lenin and on his right Hitler. “Radical Leaders Prey on the Fearful and Naive,” the billboard proclaimed.

Now it’s been taken down, reflected on by Tea Party members as a poor decision. Uh, duh.

From the Associated Press:

After the billboard drew sharp criticism by other state and national tea party leaders, members of the local group sought the change.

North Iowa Tea Party co-founder Bob Johnson said he and other leaders agreed with critics that the image of Obama between Hitler and Lenin was offensive. He said the images overwhelmed the intended message of anti-socialism.

“They are absolutely right in their criticism because the image of Hitler just totally wiped everything else and it misrepresents the tea party movement,” Johnson said. “They were right from the standpoint that the image was not a positive reflection on the tea people.”

Johnson said Hitler images are usually not allowed at North Iowa Tea Party gatherings.

Usually not allowed—that’s an odd qualification.

This isn’t a First Amendment issue. It’s a PR nightmare. If you’re the Tea Party, you want to appear to be as mainstream as possible. This billboard wreaked of LaRouchees.