Billboard Frightens Old People
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Liberals in Florida are scared. This should come as no surprise to anyone, as it was highly publicized during the election that all liberal Floridians are ancient and senile. Following in the footsteps of leaders such as Saddam Hussein and Kim Jung-Il, a billboard has gone up in Orlando, Florida. The billboard features a picture of George W. Bush, with the words, “George W. Bush Our Leader.” The billboard then states that it is “A political public service message brought to you by Clear Channel Outdoor." These have joined other Clear Channel billboards that have been causing a stir among liberals with slogans such as, “One Nation Under God: A reminder from Clear Channel Outdoors.” and “All dirty hippies must die, a message from your friends at Clear Channel Outdoors.”
how much damage could a company that controls a large amount of America’s media really do?
Clear channel always seems to be at the center on controversy, but is this just the cost of being number one? Clear channel owns, operates, programs or sells airtime on 1270 radio stations, owns more than 787,000 billboards and manages 39 US TV stations. While conspiracy theories about Clear Channel abound, how much damage could a company that controls a large amount of America’s media really do?
While some might be scared of the connotations of the message, it is unlikely that Clear Channel is trying to inspire any type Stalinesque worship of George W. Bush. It is more likely that George W. Bush has been asked to operate a part of the Clear Channel conglomerate. The reason for Clear Channel’s alliance with George W. Bush is not clear, especially considering that Clear Channel’s stock has taken hard hits since President Bush went into office, and the President is not known for his business savvy. It is also not clear whether GWB is now the leader of Clear Channel Communications, Clear Channel Outdoor, or merely the Orlando branch of Clear Channel Outdoor, as no one within Clear Channel seemed willing to claim responsibility. But whichever branch his is now affiliated with, his position is “Clear”.
