Neon cowboy in Vegas spouts political jabs
LAS VEGAS — Vegas Vic hewed close to the strong, silent cowboy types with little regard for a mess of extra words.
He’d wave to city folk wandering down Las Vegas’ Fremont Street, and the wink of his right eye suggested he held a secret or two. For about 15 years after settling in his spot in 1951, all he ever said via a loudspeaker was, “Howdy, pardner!” By the late 1960s, the towering neon casino sign had mostly gone quiet.
However, two years ago, Vegas Vic found Twitter. And, seemingly, his voice.
Vegas Vic on Twitter is a hyper-partisan, right-wing cowboy who bills himself as someone who loves “Liberty, America and Las Vegas.”
“I am transitioning from Neon Sign to Real Cowboy.”
Using a flurry of hashtags, Vegas Vic spent much of 2016 eviscerating Hillary Clinton. He ripped Democrats regularly and linked to a website that featured articles, pictures and videos with an antiDemocratic bent.
With more than 46,000 followers, Vegas Vic on Twitter was — sometimes crudely — mocking Clinton throughout the election cycle. He also ripped Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., by calling him “an angry old man” and has spent considerable time backing conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama wiretapping President Donald Trump.
Now, the owners of Pioneer Hotel Inc. — a subsidiary of Archon Corp. — are trying to shut down the Twitter feed as a violation of the trademarked image without permission. That, even though the majority shareholders in the company are Paul and Sue Lowden — the latter of whom ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for a U.S. Senate seat. million. million. million. million. million.
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