In October 2008 — in the midst of the financial crisis, and as it appeared increasingly likely that Barack Obama would be elected president — a man with a balaclava over his face, dressed in combat fatigues and holding an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, posted a video on YouTube. Using the alias Pale Horse and describing himself as a member of the Ohio Militia, the man warned: “Things are bad. Things are real bad, and it’s going to be a lot worse–our country is in peril,” before encouraging viewers to arm themselves. The video, billed as a “wake-up call” for America, was viewed more than 70,000 times before being removed last spring.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=128616