Hanging Obama Halloween Effigy Immediately Draws Cries of Racism

For several days an effigy of Sarah Palin hung on a house in West Hollywood. The gay "couple" that owned the house admitted they were making a political statement and refused to take it down until their "statement" was complete. Yesterday protesters opposing the effigy finally came out in force, and combined with a request from the city's mayor and Sheriff's department, the effigy came down. They still have an effigy of John McCain shown emerging from the fireplace with flames all around him. No one accused the homeowners of being racist, sexist, ageist, heterophobic or anything else.

Another effigy went up in Redondo Beach yesterday, but of course, this one was racist:

REDONDO BEACH -- Apparently the traditional ghost and goblin decorations just aren't enough for the Southland this Halloween season. Political displays are all the rage -- and they're causing rage in some neighborhoods.

Residents in Redondo Beach were appalled Wednesday when Lisa Castaneda hung an effigy of Senator Barack Obama from her balcony.

The display showed a likeness of the Democratic presidential candidate with a meat cleaver slashed through his neck along with fake blood and a sign that reads "Nobama".

Castaneda, a mother of two young children, said the Halloween display was part of her larger exhibit that includes the Grim Reaper, a graveyard and the attacker from the "Scream" movies.

Castaneda says she supports Republican candidate Sen. John McCain and wanted to show her distaste for Obama.

I disapprove of him, period," she said. "I am appalled by a man who is so close to being our president who won't put his hand on the Bible, who won't wear a flag pin."

Here's where the story gets very interesting. Although not included in the written story, I saw the broadcast story this morning and the Obama effigy has now come down. Why? Representatives from the local McCain-Palin office came to the homeowner and asked her to take it down. They didn't want that kind of political statement. She refused at first, but changed her mind and now the Obama head is gone from the display. It was an honorable thing for the McCain campaign staff to do.

There is no record of anyone from the Obama campaign going to West Hollywood to persuade those people to take down their effigies of Palin and McCain.