Bad old days ... racist leaflets and photos are just the beginning when it comes to sickening racist stunts against US presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
Racists take aim at Barack Obama as camapign heats up
Cut-out figure hung from tree with fishing line
Racist leaflets, photos also circulating
SIGNS of strength in the polls for Barack Obama yesterday were tempered by news of sickening racist taunts aimed at the Illinois senator, including a likeness of him found hanging from a tree at a university in Oregon.
Along with the cut-out of Senator Obama, hanging on fishing line at the Quaker-founded George Fox University outside Portland, there was graffiti alluding to "Act 6" - a reference to black recipients of the scholarship programs at the university, The Australian reports.
And in New Jersey, leaflets started appearing with darkened photos of Senator Obama asking, "Do you want a black president?", and saying that countries run by blacks were "the most unstable in the world".
One of the photos is doctored, featuring Senator Obama with a long beard and turban.
The racist taunts, while isolated, could be a harbinger of an escalating fear campaign.
Anette Foglio, whose son attends George Fox University as part of a scholarship program, was stunned to learn of the racial incident in a state located in the northwest of the US and not usually associated with the nation`s troubled civil rights history.
"We are not in Georgia, Mississippi or Louisiana," Ms Foglio told The Oregonian.
"We are in Oregon. We are an hour and a half outside Portland, and to have this happen is really disappointing."
It came as a Washington Post/ABC poll indicated a surge in support for Senator Obama to 52 per cent compared with 43 per cent for his Republican rival, John McCain.
Just two weeks ago, in the days immediately following the Republican national convention, the race was almost even, with Senator McCain at 49per cent and Senator Obama at 47per cent.
Bad old days ... racist leaflets and photos are just the beginning when it comes to sickening racist stunts against US presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
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