Oct 27, 2008 11:30pm
West Hollywood Haunted House Features Effigy of Palin Hanging From a Noose
EmailAn effigy of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hanging from a noose.
The First Amendment tester who came up with the idea says it’s in the spirit of Halloween.
Chad Michael Morisette says "it should be seen as art, and as within the month of October. It’s Halloween, it’s time to be scary it’s time to be spooky."
I can think of a few other words. "Vile" comes to mind.
Who are these people? Why do they think this is acceptable behavior?
- jpt
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Mr Tapper,
Will it hurt your career to ask Bill Burton or Robert Gibbs for a straight Yes or No answer to the question: “Did Barack Obama have Indonesian citizenship as a child?”
I suppose it’s a silly question. But you can redeem your journalistic integrity in my eyes by asking it after he’s inaugurated. By then there would no repercussions and your peers wouldn’t vilify you so much.
Tell Robert Gibbs I think Obama is intelligent and has great leadership skills, yet I just can’t get over feeling betrayed when I learned that he lied in his memoirs and left out so much pertinent information (e.g., Pakistan trip). If his own FightTheSmears website doesn’t address widespread Internet allegations, I can’t but assume he has no defense to refute them.
Your colleague Linda Douglass may get a position in his administration. I wish you the same opportunity down the road. Take a month off after Election Day and catch up on some sleep.
:)
Posted by: Sam | October 27, 2008, 11:38 pm 11:38 pm
ahh…more from the “open-tent” party of love!
Aren’t the ‘Pubbies suppose to be the hateful ones?
Posted by: Michelle | October 27, 2008, 11:41 pm 11:41 pm
This is just awful!
Posted by: Shelley | October 27, 2008, 11:44 pm 11:44 pm
As an Obama voter who truly dislikes Palin I totally reject this. It shows very, very poor taste.
To call it art is another lame joke.
I think neighbors should demand that they immediately remove it. Or else the police.
Image an effigy of Obama hanging from a noose. An image with a particularly sinister history. “Strange Fruit”. So don’t apply anything like it to anyone, even for “fun”. What could be funny about it?
Posted by: reeves | October 27, 2008, 11:45 pm 11:45 pm
I think this is vile and disgusting and to call it art is outrageous. This is pure and simply a crime!
Enjoy your interview with the secret service, Chad.
Posted by: Marie | October 27, 2008, 11:47 pm 11:47 pm
This kind of crap needs to stop. No effigies of Obama, Palin, or any political figure. We need to end the mutual dehumanization of each other.
Posted by: thorfinn | October 27, 2008, 11:50 pm 11:50 pm
Sam,
from the “Fight the Smears” site:
“When Barack Obama Jr. was born on Aug. 4,1961, in Honolulu, Kenya was a British colony, still part of the United Kingdom’s dwindling empire. As a Kenyan native, Barack Obama Sr. was a British subject whose citizenship status was governed by The British Nationality Act of 1948. That same act governed the status of Obama Sr.‘s children.
Since Sen. Obama has neither renounced his U.S. citizenship nor sworn an oath of allegiance to Kenya, his Kenyan citizenship automatically expired on Aug. 4,1982.”
So, your question IS already answered.
Posted by: hint | October 27, 2008, 11:53 pm 11:53 pm
neither spooky nor scary…repulsive might be more appropriate.
and for those of you who are jumping on the ‘typical hateful democrats’ bandwagon, nowhere in the article is mr. morisette identified as either a democrat or a supporter of sen. obama. i think the only thing we can say about him for certain is that he’s a pathetic excuse for a human being.
Posted by: antijake | October 27, 2008, 11:57 pm 11:57 pm
Morons abound apparently. Why would hanging a political figure ever be considered acceptable, even in jest?
Posted by: MIguy | October 28, 2008, 12:00 am 12:00 am
Hanging a specific human being in effigy is not “all in good Halloween fun”.Disgusting. Just the thing that children need to see don’t you agree? How proud the homeowners mother, sister, aunt, grandmother or daughter must be of this “art”.
Posted by: CrystalD | October 28, 2008, 12:13 am 12:13 am
This is B.S. regardless of who is hanging from the noose. we don’t need any negative and potentially violent displays such as this on both sides. The Obama Biden campaign is about coming together in unity as Americans!
Posted by: jpeezus | October 28, 2008, 12:13 am 12:13 am
Jake, you delete my posts and you put this up? Everyone knows what would happen if the same was done for Obama.
Posted by: RL in Illinois | October 28, 2008, 12:18 am 12:18 am
I’ve seen an CNN item on an Obama effigy hanging from a tree in some wacko’s garden, to the great dismay of all neighbors. And that was NOT for fun. They say that this IS for fun, but it’s just as horrible. I can’t imagine that anyone would find such a thing funny.
Posted by: herta | October 28, 2008, 12:22 am 12:22 am
Kudos to Keith Olbermann who named Chad today’s worst person in the world.
Posted by: cincyr | October 28, 2008, 12:28 am 12:28 am
Just another example of liberal tolerance.
Posted by: Al | October 28, 2008, 12:31 am 12:31 am
this is just sick,
and these little guys should be put right in the catagoy with ashley todd.
there is nothing artistic about this
at halloween or any other time
i voted for obama,
and these guys are just looking for their 15min of fame.
sickos
i hope the media and people will deny them soon what they were looking for
so attention.
and the guy that didn’t see anything wrong with it.
he’s a nut too.
Posted by: cheer up, smile, nertz! | October 28, 2008, 12:38 am 12:38 am
Jake, would it help you if the guy added a sign saying “No on Proposition 8″ to his yard display? Jaysis. We’re talkin’ WeHo here. Get a grip.
Posted by: dada | October 28, 2008, 12:42 am 12:42 am
That’s awful.
Posted by: just curious | October 28, 2008, 12:55 am 12:55 am
Disgusting!!
Posted by: kim | October 28, 2008, 1:06 am 1:06 am
Have to say that I was worried for granny. But I breathed a sigh of relief when Surrick did the sane thing and punted. I knew right then and there that granny was out of danger and the world would be a better place in the morrow.
Posted by: jcarob | October 28, 2008, 1:19 am 1:19 am
lets see it is racist if the effigy is of obama-but in the spirit of halloween when it features sarah.
reminds me of why i have officially left the democrat party and registered independent- especially after hillary and the way she was treated.
Posted by: nevada | October 28, 2008, 1:25 am 1:25 am
To answer your question, Jake. The “folks” (as the O-man is wont to say) who hung Governor Palin in effigy are members of a minority who believe themselves to be persecuted and need someone to blame for their self-inflicted wounds.
Posted by: jcarob | October 28, 2008, 1:26 am 1:26 am
I have to admit, this is in poor taste. I admit I am 99% sure I will not vote for McCain/Palin, and consider this wrong on all accounts….
Posted by: Richard | October 28, 2008, 1:27 am 1:27 am
Tapper,
Good on ya, mate!
Nice to see the media are not _completely_ in the tank.
Seriously, good to see that even political opponents can draw some lines.
Posted by: happy happy | October 28, 2008, 1:31 am 1:31 am
i heard that new guns are being purchased at an alarmingly fast rate/along with home safes as people withdraw their money from the bank. change is coming indeed, and it don’t look friendly.
i suspect the ugliness of this campaign will continue to fester long after this election is over, and for generations to come.
Posted by: nevada 2 | October 28, 2008, 1:39 am 1:39 am
In addition to his lame assertion that this be considered art, Chad Michael Morisette also explained: “I know if we had done Barack Obama, people would have probably thrown things through our windows … the image of a hanged black man is a lot more intense than the image of a hanged white woman for our country, the history of our country.” It’s certainly puts my mind at ease to know that this was not a thoughtless display … after all, he DID think about his own windows.
Posted by: brightav | October 28, 2008, 1:57 am 1:57 am
america might not be rich as far as oil reserves but it is wealth beyond measure in DUMB.
Obama in 08
Posted by: Blue | October 28, 2008, 2:10 am 2:10 am
I a sick of hollywood wooing the low-minded with such sick, slimy, tricks.
Why don’t we do to Strisand, Oprah, Serandon,(don’t know how to spell her name and don’t care) what smelly Hollywood does to Palin. Actors are nothing but court justers with a mike shoved in front of their face so they get free air time to voice their political views, always with a smug, self-serving smirch, making them uglier than their sick views.
I hope beyond hope that we never put up with the bias and crooked campaigning we have had to endure from the double-speaking media we have this election. It ruins lives.
Lets ruin these idiots lives….boycot CNN, ABC, TIME, CNBC, THE SAME OLD HOLLYWOOD GOONS THAT BLAB THEIR JERK OPINIONS FOR FREE, AND ALL THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS POURING IN ILLEGALLY FOR OBAMA PLUS HIS ACORN CLUB FOR ILLEGAL VOTERS THAT IS SWEPT UNDER THE RUG.
And to all you Democrats that think we are just desperate, think again. If Obama smears McCain its ok, if McCain smears Obama it is broadcast as not working…..well yes it, it shows how scary Obama really is……did someone mention Hitler?
Posted by: mike4545 | October 28, 2008, 3:08 am 3:08 am
I’m an Obama supporter. The effigy is in extreme poor taste, and inexcusable. I don’t find anything funny about that at all.
There have been two Obama effigy hangings. One on a college campus, and one in private citizen’s tree.
All three are beyond the pale.
Posted by: Camille | October 28, 2008, 5:01 am 5:01 am
It is beyond poor taste to hang an effigy of anyone. Take it down and grow up.
Obama/Biden
Posted by: jeni | October 28, 2008, 5:52 am 5:52 am
Ahh… if only I lived on the west coast. Maybe it’s time for a road trip to West Hollywood. Anyone catch the address? Never mind, I will find it.
Posted by: Alexandra | October 28, 2008, 6:18 am 6:18 am
What if it had been BO hanging from a noose?
Posted by: a reader in ga | October 28, 2008, 7:03 am 7:03 am
He sounds like a nut.
Just like the two neo-Nazi skinheads who were arrested for planning to kill Obama and 88 random African Americans.
Sick people.
This all brings us back to the dangers of trying to stir up hatred by spewing inflamatory language.
Posted by: Bud | October 28, 2008, 7:04 am 7:04 am
This needs to be investigated as a “hate crime” as it would be if it were an effigy of Obama.
Posted by: Dennis | October 28, 2008, 7:29 am 7:29 am
To the poster known as “hint”
Was he or was he not legally adopted by his stepfather?
I mean, the media reported that Joe the Plumber was distantly related to Bob Schaffer’s father-in-law, though they did not know each other and have never met. But we don’t even know if our next president was legally adopted by his stepfather and received Indonesian citizenship that way?
Posted by: Sa | October 28, 2008, 7:38 am 7:38 am
I am supporting Obama, but these types of actions should not be tolerated. I don’t care which party is involved needs to stop.
Posted by: Sharonklim | October 28, 2008, 8:04 am 8:04 am
This isn’t “hate” It’s “passion” and “commitment”. Right? Right?
Posted by: Mesquito | October 28, 2008, 8:06 am 8:06 am
Christians do not behave in such a manner. Halloween got no place in Christian worship. Halloween is demonic satanic , pagan festival.
Christianity condemns all such pagan festivals. Errol Smythe.
Posted by: Errol Smythe | October 28, 2008, 8:35 am 8:35 am
The tolerance exhibited by liberals never ceases to amaze me.
Posted by: Evan | October 28, 2008, 9:10 am 9:10 am
First amendment rights don’t give someone the right to hang someone in effigy. That is disgusting and wrong!
OBAMA/BIDEN ’08
Posted by: Ann | October 28, 2008, 9:11 am 9:11 am
I want Palin to go back to Alaska but there’s no way that this is funny. I hope this creep has taken it down.
Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | October 28, 2008, 9:14 am 9:14 am
All of this hate, in any form, from any side, is disgusting. Politics, is an ugly name. No disputing that, but this goes beyond ugly, into psychotic. My God, aren’t children living in this neighborhood? What kind of message are they getting? Isn’t society violent enough?
More people have been killed so far this year, in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, than in Iraq. It’s sick.
On another note: Christians do not behave in such a manner. Halloween got no place in Christian worship. Halloween is demonic satanic , pagan festival.
Christianity condemns all such pagan festivals. Errol Smythe.
Most all Christian holidays, Christmas, Easter etc…are formerly pagan holidays. Halloween is only evil, if you make it evil.
It became a state policy to force all non-Christians to accept the orthodox faith. The conquered pagans had a profound influence on the affairs of the church. These pagans brought with them many pagan practices and celebrations. Halloween was merely one of many. The pagans were fervent in clinging to their past ceremonies and observed them openly, yet they were supposed to have been converted to Christianity.
Posted by: Jeanie | October 28, 2008, 10:52 am 10:52 am
Other words come to mind, also, like “stupid,” “tacky,” “smarmy,” “vulgar,” and “crass.” This is no different from the shouts of “terrorist” or “kill him” at political rallies!
Posted by: chuck | October 28, 2008, 11:25 am 11:25 am
And yet, if he hangs an Obama effigy from a noose, it’s a hate crime, and he gets condemned by every news station in the country as an ass backwards cracker.
But if it’s Palin hanging from a noose, it’s art.
Hypocritical reverse racism at it’s finest.
Posted by: David | October 28, 2008, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm
Why? Because the media sanctioned the pounding of Palin and the Obama campaign paid them to do it. The MSM became part of the Obama rage machine and as predicted last winter, it has become a fire they can’t put out even as they try to distance themselves from it for plausible deniability.
Palin, on the other hand, keeps getting stronger both publicly and privately.
Posted by: len | October 28, 2008, 12:23 pm 12:23 pm
To answer your questions:
Who are these people?
Answer: Democrats supporting Obama/Biden.
Why do they think this is acceptable behavior?
Answer: Because the media has created a “coolness” about putting down McCain and Palin. A Democrats is always right in his or her actions and anything can be justified. Welcome to the world of Obama.
Posted by: Thelma | October 28, 2008, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm
Unfortunately we live in a country where it is OK to trash women.
Posted by: Tina | October 28, 2008, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
I think Vile hits the mark.
Want to be political in your Halloween scene? Fine.
But simulating death for any candidate is beyond pale.
Posted by: Ryan C (That One) | October 28, 2008, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
They probably think it’s acceptable behavior because this woman is in favor of denying basic human rights to a large chunk of our population. Boy, that sure is crazy.
Posted by: policywank | October 28, 2008, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
Hang an empty noose from a tree in Louisiana and Jesse Jackson will be all over it along with his race-mongering posse and the liberal media. But hang a white woman in effigy and it’s called art :P
Hypocrites and their double standards— gotta love ‘em.
Where is the all-wise and ever-compassionate Obamessiah? Why hasn’t “The One” denounced this sick display and extended apologies on behalf of his mentally disturbed and more mean-spirited constituents?
Posted by: Wolfie | October 29, 2008, 4:35 am 4:35 am
I don’t know about the “legal” rights of this. It isn’t art it’s just being rude.
I do know that Sarah Palin has children and other relatives that have to endure this type of disgusting hatred.
Imagine if your kids had to see an effigy of you swinging in the wind…..
Posted by: J | October 29, 2008, 3:38 pm 3:38 pm