UPDATE Shameful Missouri State Fair stunt smears Obama

[uhnope]

Last edited Sun Aug 11, 2013, 11:34 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Kansas City Star

The taxpayer-supported Missouri State Fair is getting a lot of negative publicity in social media Sunday following a report of a shameful stunt that occurred Saturday night in Sedalia.

The story is posted to Daily Kos and Show Me Progress. And look for reaction with #MoStateFair on Twitter.

Basically, a clown wearing a mask of President Barack Obama came out during the bull riding event. The crowd was asked if it wanted to see Obama “run down by a bull.”

Things got worse from there, which doesn’t surprise me, given the anti-Obama feeling among many fairgoers from rural Missouri, where Obama lost bigtime to Mitt Romney (at least 60-40 percent in much of outlying parts of state) in 2012 re-election bid.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/11/4403626/shameful-missouri-state-fair-stunt.html#storylink=cpy

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/11/4403626/shameful-missouri-state-fair-stunt.html

---

How far will the continuing backlash go? Obama-hate is getting out of control. Contact the Missouri State Fair:

For more information on how you can partner with us to help preserve the rich heritage and traditions of the Missouri State Fair, please contact us.

Missouri State Fair Foundation
2503 West 16th Street
Sedalia, MO 65301

(660)-530-5620

[e-mail]

UPDATE: The Fair has responded https://www.facebook.com/MissouriStateFair

The performance by one of the rodeo clowns at Saturday’s event was inappropriate and disrespectful, and does not reflect the opinions or standards of the Missouri State Fair. We strive to be a family friendly event and regret that Saturday’s rodeo badly missed that mark.

[BumRushDaShow]

1. "Obama-hate is getting out of control"

Including right here on DU. It's a disgrace.

[Doctor_J]

5. Can you point some of that out?

I haven't seen any hatred. there is some pointed criticism of unwarranted spying on Americans and proposals to cut SS, but I haven't seen any hatred.

[awoke_in_2003]

7. Not waving Pom poms=hate. nt

[Skittles]

9. CORRECT

[BlueManFan]

23. Saying You Are Disgusted & Think You Could Leave=hate

[BainsBane]

66. Saying he is worse than Bush

Calling him a Nazi and creator of a Stasi state strikes me as pretty hateful.

[awoke_in_2003]

70. I never said he was worse than Bush...

or the creator of Stasi.

[BainsBane]

87. You said people asserted that not waving pom poms equals hate

I told you the kind of hatred toward the President expressed on this site all the time. I have no idea what you have said aside from that one post.

[Doctor_J]

97. No one has ever said he's worse than Bush.

Ever. Some have said that he is more disappointing since with Bush we knew we were getting a right winger. Everyone here knows that voting for McCain or Willard was completely unacceptable. I don't understand why the BOG has to lie to try to make their points.

[michreject]

19. Look in here

If you look close, I thing you might find some.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014561074

ETA: Forgot link.

[Doctor_J]

37. nope. don't see any hate there. lots of disappointment that he is again

taking sides with the republicans and against the majority of Americans though.

[Isoldeblue]

46. That is one ugly thread

It look's hardly different from how we used to bash Bush.

[Ash_F]

84. Do you back Christian only prayer at government meetings?

Why do you hate America?

[otohara]

21. Oh Ha, Ha, Ha

there's plenty of hate on other sites and you know it.

[Ash_F]

83. I love your sig Doctor_J

You are a valued member of this community.

[Doctor_J]

98. Getting tired though.

Democratic Underground has turned into Obama Underground. my President - worship him or leave. People are now willing to accept murder, torture, domestic spying, proposed cuts to SS and Medicare, and post bizarre excuses and personal insults whenever someone questions Dear Leader.

Wanna know why our party is dead? The Republicans in government serve their (misguided and metally ill) voters - fundies, racists, 1%ers, Randians, gun nuts, Fox Nation and GlenBeckistan. The Dems in government ignore or piss all over their voters - liberals, organized labor, environmentalists, poor people, progressives, Keynesians. Another onslaught coming next November, unless the leader of the party suddenly wakes up and starts rallying voters.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

12. I agree that "hate" is out of control. And believe it's extremely dangerous.

If the only way to promote your agenda is to express hatred of leadership, I think we're sunk. You put holes in the lifeboat and expect a safe voyage. Idiotic.

[freshwest]

74. Well said.

[WinkyDink]

13. You might want to distinguish between "human being" and "political ideas."

[kardonb]

15. hate

they just can't get over the fact they lost the last two elections ; and if they keep up these hateful shenanigans , they will lose the next two also !

[freshwest]

73. It's an industry. Bill Press wrote a book on it; Infowars and Beck make millions off it.

And it gives freedom for the most extreme RWNJs to do as they please. It's overt intimidation of those who support him and any liberal ideas. Rush's call has come to pass, and they call it all a joke or their first amendment rights, when they call for 'hunting down liberals with or without dogs.' He is the progressive they want to kill, along with all our platform supporting voting, women, gay and minority rights. It's more pervasive than it was when JFK was murdered.

[dbackjon]

105. Disagreeing with policy positions is not hate

I will criticize Obama when needed.
I will praise Obama when needed.
I will defend Obama when needed.

[mia]

2. If you had any respect for Obama you would not have brought this here.

Did you forget where you were?

[Trajan]

3. It's a news story worthy of sharing ....

It would be silly to wish it into the cornfield ....

[jtuck004]

4. Suppressing the negative is often no more than new-fashioned book burning, and that never

helped anyone.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

10. No, it needs to be said

And some people here need to be reminded who they are crawling into bed with.

[freshwest]

76. +100

[heaven05]

89. +

+1000

[WinkyDink]

14. You forgot to add the *sarcasm*.

[greiner3]

17. I do not understand your post.

The OP posted a story from Raw Story, in fact the same story I just received via email.

Can you further explain?

[Cha]

39. I think it's okay to know what

the enemy is up to.

[Isoldeblue]

48. +1 n/m

[appleannie1]

6. They are proving that their hatred is race related and nothing else. Bigots will be bigots.

And sore damn losers to boot. They have made their entire state look bad, disrespectful and just plain stupid. That is unfair to the people there that are honorable.

[jberryhill]

8. "Contact Us"

For more information on how you can partner with us to help preserve the rich heritage and traditions of the Missouri State Fair, please contact us.

Missouri State Fair Foundation
2503 West 16th Street
Sedalia, MO 65301

(660)-530-5620

[e-mail]

[uhnope]

20. awesome post. I will put it in the OP. thanks nt

[Cha]

40. thank you, ,jberryhill

[Dawson Leery]

11. Don't worry.

These people will see change once their pork (farm bill) is eliminated.

[Jerry442]

16. Hear a rumor: to be fair and balanced, next night Rush and a donkey were going to....

.....errrrr...... put on some kind of performance, but the animal cruelty people nixed it.

[another_liberal]

27. The donkey does Rush in private.

But you have to get him looped on oxycontin first, the donkey that is.

[Hulk]

18. Time to hose me down...again.

I need to be reminded that letting my prejudice for the South out into the open is wrong. It's hard to keep inside, and it's a pretty damned big elephant in the room. I see too many posts sharing these sorts of tales in "the South", and I quickly want to jump on the wagon and shout just how ass-backward that part of the country is; and then I either suck it up and say nothing, or I splurt out my insults and am reminded that it's "not productive" on these threads. So I shut up and move on.
I won't drive through the South any more than is absolutely necessary...for many reasons such as this. I could share a zillion stories of how backward many aspects of "the South" are; but I have to remind myself that there are some damn wonderful people - progressive, loving people, who inhabit that portion of the USA. Doesn't do any good to alienate them further.
So, Missouri? I'm not surprised in the least. Here's hoping the good people eventually gain control and shut down such incidents in the near future.

[Art_from_Ark]

51. Sedalia, Missouri, isn't exactly "South"

It's more Midwest, as is most of the state.

It's also home to the annual Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival.

http://www.scottjoplin.org/

[millennialmax]

22. Fuck Missouri. Fuck Obama haters. Fuck anyone that has looked at the man cross-eyed.

They are wearing my patience thin and don't deserve a seat at the table.

Hopefully HEADS WILL ROLL (pink slips) for this.

[RKP5637]

28. K&R! n/t

[olddad56]

56. fuck all those fucking fuckers!

[Raven]

24. When do these things rise to the level of

being threats to the life of the President of the United States? Or are we so inured to this that anyone can say anything. I doubt the Bush administration would have put up with this crap.

[YOHABLO]

25. What is it with people from the rural areas of the U.S. .. are they that disengaged?

[RKP5637]

29. Sadly I think so. I've driven cross-country now several times over the past year or two,

sometimes off the beaten path and I've been amazed at the hostilities. ... certainly not everyone, but there are some areas where one can just feel it in the air.

[freshwest]

75. Rural area media only has a few voices, and they are viciously RW. All others have been shut down.

Garbage In. Garbage Out. And they prosper by their prejudices as well. It gives them permission to run people off, take their jobs and land, or work them for slave wages. That's how large landowners have accumulated land in the past. It still works. They make conditions so unbearable for 'the other' whoever that is going to be that they leave. Or they submit to conditions that city people would not. At least that's been my experience. All things are in the control of a few families and if you ain't one of them, watch out. I'm talking really rural. I also noticed that the law enforcement had turned into more of the old time type that extort money off of travelers. And there isn't much civilization in some areas. So traveling through is not as safe as it is once was at one time; more like no man's land. Certainly not everywhere, but when you're in a place like that, you can feel it in your bones.

[heaven05]

90. America

has, because of the election of Barack Obama, let it's true color(s) be shown to the world, Been going on six years now and the man's skin color is still the major factor that a substantial body of the populace hate him for and judges him on. This country is racially, psychotically sick. No doubt, anymore, in my mind. Never really was doubt, always knew how racially sick a substantial portion of the populace is, this hate is only substantiated and clarified EVERYDAY now.

[another_liberal]

26. This has to be punished.

Those responsible should never work at a State-sponsored event again, period.

[RC]

30. In Missouri? They probably got free tickets for their trouble.

[another_liberal]

33. There are more Democrats in Missouri than you may realize.

The Governor and one Senator are both Democrats. Senator Claire McCaskill has already demanded those responsible be held accountable for what happened. When a U. S. Senator leans on you, you will feel it.

[RC]

64. Does the Name Roy Blunt or Todd Akin ring a bell

Lots of people voted for both of them. Neither one is really sane.

Missouri has 6 Republican Representatives and 2 Democrat Representatives in Congress.

[another_liberal]

65. Last year Todd was defeated by fifty-five percent to thirty-nine percent.

That was Senator McCaskill and Missouri Democrats at their best.

[Ako1915]

116. "TO LEARN WHO RULES OVER YOU, LEARN WHO YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CRITICIZE." --Voltaire

See above

[another_liberal]

117. This was not criticism of the President.

This was cowboy themed Black-Face, no different than staging a Minstrel Show as in the days of Jim Crow. It was an insult and humiliation to every decent American. I suggest next time these "performers" replace the masks with their KKK hoods, so people can see who they really are.

[maindawg]

31. let them get it out

like children who throw fits when they dont get their way. They will eventually tire. I knew that when Obama was elected they would throw fits. I knew the bigots would be emboldened. Its a good thing that they are venting. It is a good thing that they are walking in daylight. They are ugly. And they have hidden their hate for so long , we almost forgot how ugly they are.
We will prevail. Honor and dignity and civilization will ultimately prevail.

[heaven05]

92. six

years of throwing a fit? They'll get tired? Yes on the daylight, all Obama's election has done is show me HOW MANY were in the woodwork. No amount of Raid can eradicate this scourge. We'll get a different race next election and these ........scum, I'm being nice, will for the most part crawl back into the woodwork and wait to be able to cheer another zimmerman.

[bloomington-lib]

32. Even if Rmoney won 60-40, that's still least at 40% that paid for that bs. Why would you offend

almost half of the Missouri population?

[marble falls]

34. Just e-mailed everybody I could. Totally uncalled for and unquestionably racist. This has to be ....

hate speech clearly to anyone.

[uhnope]

38. Good for you, thank you, everybody pls be inspired to spread the word. nt

[Cha]

41. mahalo, marble falls

[marble falls]

44. Hey! How about this latestdevelopment? I've read right wing crapola claiming the left did as bad to

Reagan and Bush. Never ever happened.

'Course Dick Tuck did plant a pregnant Chinese woman at a campaign stop SF's Little China that read in Mandarin "Nixon's the One!" in '68. But this is different. Its hate and racism.

[another_liberal]

72. Too ugly to look at more than once.

There has to be an investigation to find out who was really behind this disgrace.

[Sherman A1]

85. I just blasted them on their FB page

and will be writing my State Senator & State Representative asking that any state funding and support for the fair be ended.

This was revolting and the Fair's response was beyond lame.

[marble falls]

91. Its nice to see them react so quickly, but I agree with you: apology or CYA? More CYA than apology.

[Tx4obama]

35. Senator McCaskill and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder...

-snip-

The fair also drew rebuke from Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who called the event "shameful" and "unacceptable."

"The State Fair is funded by taxpayer dollars, and is supposed to be a place where we can all bring our families and celebrate the state that we love," the senator wrote in a statement.

According to the News Tribune, the fair received about $420,000 from state coffers to fund this year's events.

Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (R) also spoke out against the display on Twitter:

Peter Kinder ✔ @PeterKinder
The @MoStateFair celebrates Missouri and our people. I condemn the actions disrespectful to POTUS the other night. We are better than this.

-snip-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/11/obama-rodeo-clown_n_3741218.html

[Cha]

43. Appreciate the Gov tweeting that!

Peter Kinder ✔ @PeterKinder

The @MoStateFair celebrates Missouri and our people. I condemn the actions disrespectful to POTUS the other night. We are better than this.

thanks Tx

[freshwest]

77. +1

[Boomerproud]

108. Evidently the people that cheered the stupid stunt are not "better than this".

They are not about to apologize for this event.

[tabasco]

106. Cut those fuckers off the government tit!

Let them use their goddamn farm subsidies to fund their fucking fair!

[Loki]

36. I'm from Missouri and this really has me pissed.

The announcer for the rodeo was Booneville School Superintendent Mark Ficken who also happens to be the president of the Missouri Cowboy Association. It has a website and a contact email address. Let them know what you think.

http://politicmo.com/2013/08/11/boonville-superintendent-announcer-during-controversial-rodeo-performance/

http://missourirodeo.com/

[Judi Lynn]

55. Here's the schedule for the people who run these events for the rest of the fall:

http://outlawrodeoproductions.com/rodeo-schedule/

Six more weekends. Should be interesting to see if they keep their violence against the President act in the program. Dirtballs.

The Mike Gillum family seems to be in charge of the operations:




Dirtballs. Hope this won't be something they can just put behind them for a very long time.

Contact Outlaw Rodeo
8104 North Chelsey Drive
Columbia, MO 65202
Email: [e-mail]
Office: Mike & Mary Beth Gillum, 573.875.1348
Ranch: Lance & Joey McCollum, 573.470.6888

[Cha]

79. thanks Judi Lynn!

[heaven05]

88. figures

geez

[Loki]

59. The Missouri Cowboys Association just issued an apology on its website.

http://missourirodeo.com/

The Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association would like to extend a sincere apology for the
inappropriate act during the Bull Riding at the Saturday performance of the MRCA Rodeo.
The MRCA Board of Directors and over 600 members do not condone nor approve of this
sort of activity. The MRCA Board of Directors is dealing with the situation firmly and
quickly as this type of behavior will not be tolerated. The Sport of Rodeo is not meant
to be a political platform. We are taking measures by training and educating our contract
acts to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.
All Members of the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association are very proud of our Country and
our President. Once again our apologies to the Missouri State Fair and the fans who were
in attendance and we hope to see you at another rodeo soon.

Sincerely,
The Missouri Board of Directors

[Judi Lynn]

60. So good to see that, whether it's sincere or not. Thank you. n/t

[Cha]

78. Mahalo, Loki!

[lobodons]

42. Well, to be fair

Well, to be fair, if Bush would have jumped out in an orange jumpsuit 6 years ago, I would have cheered.

[marble falls]

45. There would not have been a racist element if the clown had made a thing about Bush's lips. This....

is different. And I think you would have come to the conclusion at some point that it is over the top to offer a trampling by a bull of anyone let alone a President.

[Judi Lynn]

62. It would have still been an overly familar vulgar act toward a President,

and a human being.

Trashy, slimy, hate-filled idiots.

[bluedigger]

47. meh.

Taken at Mardi Gras Zulu parade, 2008.

[Art_from_Ark]

49. Mardi Gras- New Orleans- Katrina Disaster- "Heckuva Job Brownie"

The people of New Orleans had plenty of good reasons to mock bu$h.

[busterbrown]

50. Conflating Bush hate with Obama hate is absolute bullshit.

One is nothing more than unadulterated racism and the other is about political leadership and policy...

It is absolutely naive to think that these people hate Obama because of his political policy...
They haven’t the slightest idea of the difference between a Socialist and a Fascist. They are just plain dumb fucking idiots....

[bluedigger]

52. I got better things to get outraged about than fucking clowns.

[Scootaloo]

58. Like being outraged at people who are unhappy with this, I suppose

[progressoid]

99. What the fu....???

[heaven05]

94. figures

part of the problem, then.

[Art_from_Ark]

57. Reading the comments under the article, I agree with you

They proudly wear their ignorance on their sleeve. If Obama is a "Marxist-Socialist", then I'm the Prince of Wales

[heaven05]

93. after

Katrina? I'm not surprised at all. Bush was a hateful, neglectful man toward the black race.

[Tx4obama]

53. Kick! n/t

[Pterodactyl]

54. Mocking the president is immoral.

[Cha]

81. they're being held accountable for their asshole racism.

[heaven05]

95. I

truly doubt anything will come of this for the people who perpetrated this act. It has to be remembered Missouri was in sympathy with the south during the first Civil War. No surprised here. Expected.

[alp227]

113. Even mocking Bush?

If you were around DU last decade then you'd get tombstoned for posting this. Let's not be like Thailand where people can go to jail for mocking the king.

[Pterodactyl]

114. Well, I suppose not for Bush. I guess it's only immoral if the target of the mockery is black.

[uhnope]

61. UPDATE: The Fair has responded

UPDATE: The Fair has responded https://www.facebook.com/MissouriStateFair

The performance by one of the rodeo clowns at Saturday’s event was inappropriate and disrespectful, and does not reflect the opinions or standards of the Missouri State Fair. We strive to be a family friendly event and regret that Saturday’s rodeo badly missed that mark.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

63. Can we call this sort of behavior "racism" yet?

I mean, at what point can we just say what junk like this REALLY is?

[KinMd]

67. I saw "Winters Bone" so I know all about people from Missouri..

and I doubt Obama would concern himself with the antic of a rodeo clown

[SCVDem]

68. After reading the comments in their newspaper

I wonder how I'll feel in tornado season.

So much hate from so many so called religious righties.

How many would be laughing at a make believe lynching?

[heaven05]

96. same

amount that laughed and hooted to this 'skit'.

[nobodyspecial]

103. Many of them would CHEER at an actual lynching

especially Obama. Sick, hateful, ignorant fucks.

[bravenak]

69. You won't see this when they need FEMA money and Medicare.

They'll ask his white half for it. See, I can b racist too. Besides my gramps was Irish. Sorry.

[limpyhobbler]

71. This doesn't really bother me much.

I think it's funny and cool to disrespect powerful people - especially those who seem to be self-serving elitists.

It seems racist though. But only because Missouri seems kind of racist to me. Not sure if that's real or imaginary on my part.

If this had been in Vermont it wouldn't bother me at all.

Also I think this article is from the opinion pages.

[Cha]

80. thanks for the update, uhnope!

[silvershadow]

82. Missouri went for Obama in 08 if I'm not mistaken, so I'm not sure some up the stuff mentioned

upthread is entirely true, though I'm totally not surprised this happened there.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

100. IIRC, Obama narrowly won the Democratic primary

in Missouri in 2008. McCain definitely won the state's electoral votes that year, however

[Enthusiast]

86. Righties are assholes?

I didn't know.

[Lint Head]

101. Was it a Sacha Baron Cohen stunt?

[lastlib]

102. The rodeo announcer involved in this is a school superintendent...

name is Mark Fincken. Can you believe that dork is an "educator"??!? WTF is he teaching the kids??

Here is his contact info from the Boonville, MO School District website:

[TruthTeller]

107. IMHO...This is the bigger story. nt

[wordpix]

110. thanks, would love to send him a note

[Dawson Leery]

104. Rural Missouri?!? A natural disaster will demonstrate a country boy will NOT survive without

Last edited Mon Aug 12, 2013, 08:44 PM - Edit history (1)

the Feds intervening.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

109. Remember the election that the dead guy won? Mel Carnahan?

Check out this website:

www.ozarkopathy.org

Ozarkopathy (O-zark-OP-athee) is a neologism that means "sickness of the Ozarks" and refers to the extreme social pathology of the Ozark Mountain Region. This pathology includes bigotry, fraud, drugs, violence, extortion, conspiracy, corruption, and organized crime, especially the Ozark or Dixie Mafia. Unfortunately, this pathology is not well-known and catches many people by surprise, especially since this pathology is carefully camouflaged by a veneer of folksy sincerity and religiosity. The purpose of this website is to publicize the dangers of the Ozarks and the plight of its many, helpless, frightened victims, most of whom are naive outsiders and minorities. The message of this website is: beware of the Ozarks, or avoid them altogether.

[wordpix]

111. "We’re going to smoke Obama, man.” I believe "smoke" is a euphemism for "shoot with a gun"

That is a threat to kill. What are these idiots thinking?

[alp227]

112. FAMILY FRIENDLY? But it's Missouri - a lot of families may actually SUPPORT that clown!

Of course because the clown mocked that LIBERAL, COMMUNIST, ANTI-AMERICAN, ANTI-WHITE, KENYAN president, not a Good, Christian White Man like Mitt Romney. Hell, this state would've voted Todd Akin in the Senate had Akin not opened his mouth about "legitimate rape"!

[warrant46]

115. whipping the audience into a lather

"The announcer wanted to know if anyone would like to see Obama run down by a bull," the posting said. "The crowd went wild. He asked it again and again, louder each time, whipping the audience into a lather."

[geek tragedy]

118. backwards racist redneck losers predominate in rural Missouri? Shocking! nt