Sarah Palin

With Halloween drawing near, West Hollywood residents found a unique way to celebrate. Stopping traffic was an effigy of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. The mannequin in front of the house had a noose around its neck, as part of a Halloween decoration. In addition, was an effigy of Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, popping out of a chimney surrounded by fake flames.

One might guess the owners of the home had some strong anti-republican motive in their decorating, but Chad Michael Morisette, who lives at the house, also considered possible ramifications of a Barack Obama effigy, which he said would have lead to more outrage and maybe even vandalism to the home, according to an article in the Daily Bulletin. The Halloween display seemed most likely created after an urge of silliness, as Morisette said, "It's Halloween, it's time to be scary, it's time to be spooky."

While it is understandable that die hard Republicans might take offense to the Palin and McCain dummies, public response was an overreaction. Some concerned callers complained that the display was a hate crime. Not surprisingly, the Los Angeles County Police Department's hate crime unit, did not concur, saying it didn't rise to the level of a hate crime. A McCain supporter who hung a Halloween effigy of a lynched Barrak Obama in Redondo Beach, took down the bloody Obama Wednesday night, after a talk with police officers and Republican representatives.

It is unlikely that the Halloween display will make a large enough dent to influence personal presidential votes, but a mob scene of onlookers, as well as a talk with the West Hollywood mayor, Jeff Prang, on Wednesday, prompted Morisette to take down the Sarah Palin effigy.