Oregon Man Hangs Clinton In Effigy

Okay—so, is this in bad taste, or the sign that Americans are just mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore. Along the Oregon interstate, Billy Pitner decided to hang Clinton in effigy, with a sign that reads, “Vote Trump, Uranium One, Treason? Ask Her?

Folks, I’m all for free speech. Pitner can do what he damn pleases to convey his point, but how does this help Trump? I’m not saying that Pitner should take it down; he’s well within his rights to voice his opinion during this election season. But it gets back to the issue of optics. I’ll defend anyone’s right to protest, even if the cause is terrible.

I think Colin Kaepernick and every NFL player who protests the national anthem is an idiot. Those who burn the flag horrify me, but it’s constitutionally protected free speech. We’re a big country, and there are people with more than a few screws loose. It’s upsetting, but let’s not take the position that liberals often take when they find people they disagree with, which is to run them out of town.

I’m not saying that Pinter is like a flag burner or has a few screws loose, but if he wanted attention, he sure got it—though, again, I’m not so sure this is the best publicity for Trump. Wait—isn’t this a local news story? Yes it is, but the news media often have a field day with these stories, trying to peg them to the wider conservative movement. Usually this happens when Democrats are projected to be shellacked in an upcoming election. The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel calls this the GOP lawmaker principle, writing, “As the national electoral plight of Democrats increases, so does the incidence of stories about obscure state Republican lawmakers.” Yet, could there be a 2016 corollary concerning a flawed Democratic candidate, whose penchant for secrecy continues to plague her and her trustworthy numbers with voters, so they go after the “deplorable” Trump supporters? Maybe.

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At the same time, good on Pitner for highlighting the Uranium One deal, which has sort of died within news circles. In short, the Russians wanted to buy Uranium One, a Canadian-based mining company that has various uranium locations in the U.S. Russia wanted to buy it. The chairman of Uranium One gave over $2 million to the Clinton Foundation from his family nonprofit, Bill got a $500,000 check to deliver a speech to a Russian bank selling Uranium One stock options. Clinton’s State Department, along with other principals in our government (Committee on Foreign Investment), had to approve the sale since it dealt with a national security item. Can you guess what happened next?

So, for me, hanging Lady Macbeth in effigy might be a bit much - but that’s just me. I’m surely not for him being forced to take down the display.

You can debate amongst yourselves.