In recent days, Cincinnati-based talk radio host Bill Cunningham has repeatedly invoked the biblical prophecy of “the Beast” in reference to Sen. Barack Obama. On the October 10 broadcast of The Big Show with Bill Cunningham, Cunningham said, "[A]round Ohio, the number [of newly registered voters] is 666,000. Six-six-six. The mark of the beast. The great majority, of course, are registered by ACORN. [...] Who conducted ACORN seminars to tell ACORN employees and others how to cheat the system? Barack Hussein Obama. I may declare him to be the beast. Six, six, six. It could be the end of all days." Then, on the October 13 broadcast, Cunningham responded to a caller's assertion that Obama “may be the Antichrist” by asking, “Well, six -- you know how many -- how many new registered voters there are in the state of Ohio?” After the caller answered, “666,000,” Cunningham stated: “Six-six-six.” Later, Cunningham added: “Six-six-six. And then when people like you and I, Roger, say to [Sen. John] McCain, 'You know what, president' -- I'm sorry -- 'Senator McCain, we're scared,' he says, 'Don't be scared.' ” As described in the Bible's Book of Revelation, 666 is the number of “the Beast,” or the Antichrist, whose appearance portends the second coming of Christ and Armageddon in the Christian tradition.
According to an October 8 Associated Press report, “Roughly 666,000 new voters have registered in Ohio since the start of 2008,” but on its website, ACORN reports that it registered 247,335 new voters -- not a “great majority,” as Cunningham claimed.
As Media Matters for America has noted, conservative hosts like Brian Sussman at San Francisco radio station KSFO and Chris Baker of Minneapolis station KTLK have also made references to Obama as the Antichrist.
From the October 10 broadcast of Clear Channel's The Big Show with Bill Cunningham:
CUNNINGHAM: And around Ohio, the number [of newly registered voters] is 666,000. Six-six-six. The mark of the beast. The great majority, of course, are registered by ACORN. The mark of the beast. And who is the beast? Who gave ACORN $800,000 as part of this criminal conspiracy? Who was the lawyer for ACORN? Who conducted ACORN seminars to tell ACORN employees and others how to cheat the system? Barack Hussein Obama. I may declare him to be the beast. Six-six-six. It could be the end of all days.
From the October 13 broadcast of The Big Show with Bill Cunningham:
CALLER: I have gotten phone calls from people that asked -- I debate on the phone with them and argue with them. They have called me. A woman called me from Buffalo, Ohio, and she's going through the phone book picking out names, and she says, “Would you be interested in working a couple hours every night making phone calls?” And I said, “Who for?” And she goes, “Obama.”
CUNNINGHAM: Oh, my.
CALLER: And she -- I end up debating with her, and she's acting like he's the next Camelot.
CUNNINGHAM: Well, according to Louis Farrakhan, his buddy, I have the clip in which Minister Louis Farrakhan has declared Obama is the messiah, that Obama is the son of God.
CALLER: And that's the other thing I wanted to say to you. He claims to be a Christian, and anybody who would let those schoolkids say he's gonna change the world and he's the alpha, the omega -- I'm scared.
CUNNINGHAM: I mean, can you imagine if Ronald Reagan had schoolchildren shouting the name of Reagan, that he had ministers declaring that Ronald Reagan is the messiah? How big of a story would that be?
CALLER: He may be the Antichrist.
CUNNINGHAM: Well, six -- you know how many -- how many new registered voters there are in the state of Ohio?
CALLER: 666,000.
CUNNINGHAM: Six-six-six.
CALLER: It's scary, Bill. I'm scared.
CUNNINGHAM: Six-six-six. And then, when people like you and I, Roger, say to McCain, “You know what, president” -- I'm sorry -- “Senator McCain, we're scared.” He says, “Don't be scared. He'll do a good job as the president. He's fine, he's a good man.”
Lauryn Bruck is an intern with Media Matters for America.
