Bush Rodeo Clown Mask Fine, But Obama Rodeo Clown Mask Banned

A Bush rodeo clown mask worn in the mid-1990s is shedding light on the politically incorrect nature of rodeo clowns and standing out to some as an example as a double standard.

The story stems from a controversy that arose last week at the Missouri State Fair when a clown performing wore an Obama mask. An announcer asked the crowd if they wanted to see the “Obama run down by a bull,” eliciting cheers and excitement.

A spectator said the announcer mentioned the mask dozens of times, drawing the crowd into a frenzy that he compared to a KKK rally.

The comments and the mask drew an outcry, and even Lt. Governor Peter Kinder spoke out, calling the incident disrespectful and saying “we are better than this.”

Officials at the state fair admitted that the Obama rodeo mask was inappropriate.

“We strive to be a family friendly event and regret that Saturday’s rodeo badly missed that mark,” a spokesperson said.

But the Washington Examiner dug up another case of political incorrectness that didn’t generate so much controversy. In 1994, a George H.W. Bush rodeo clown mask showed up at a rodeo, poking fun at the 41st President of the United States.

The account, which came from Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Douglas A. Campbell, described a Bush rodeo clown mask on the human target that drew bulls away from thrown riders.

The story read:

“The crowd cheered. Then the bull saw the George Bush dummy. He tore into it, sending the rubber mask flying halfway across the sand as he turned toward the fence, sending cowboys scrambling up the fence rails, hooking one with his horn and tossing him off the fence.”

Not everyone is buying into the current controversy. Texas Congressman Steve Stockman invited the Obama rodeo clown to perform anywhere in his state.

“Liberals want to bronco-bust dissent. But Texans value speech, even if it’s speech they don’t agree with,” Stockman said. “From Molly Ivins to Louie Gohmert and every opinion between, Texans value free and open political speech.”

Stockman had no comment on the Bush rodeo clown mask.