Let’s say someone created an effigy of a certain national political candidate and placed a noose around its neck, and then put the effigy on display for the neighbors to see this Halloween.  What kind of reaction would you expect to see?  People would start screaming about the Jena 6 and the latent racism of the American voter, and would assume that the neighborhood was located in a red state where people bitterly cling to their guns and religion.

But wait: the national candidate in question isn’t Barack Obama, and it’s no red-state neighborhood — not by a long shot:

Sarah Palin is not considered to be a friend of the gay community, but the Republican vice presidential candidate seems to be looming over the West Hollywood Halloween Carnival.

First, a rumor got started that city officials were going to ban Sarah Palin drag queens at its upcoming costumed street party, which draws some 500,000 people annually.

The rumor turned out to be false, but tonight comes word that a mannequin has been outfitted to look like Palin — with glasses, a beehive wig and a red business suit — and is hanging from a noose outside a WeHo residence. …

[Chad] Morrisette said his display might be unacceptable any other month, but his subjects are fair game during the Halloween season.  “It should be seen as art and it should be seen within the month of October. It is Halloween. It’s time to be scary. It’s time to be spooky,” Morrisette said.

Hanging an effigy should be seen as art, as long as the target is acceptable to the community, it seems.  It’s not a political statement at all!  It’s just good, clean Halloween fun from our oh-so-tolerant friends in West Hollywood.  Others in the neighborhood see the double standard:

“I know it’s Halloween, but when you’re using a vice presidential candidate with a noose around her neck, that to me has gone too far,” a man identified only as “George” stated. “Whether I’m Republican or Democrat, it’s not about that. It’s about this and a noose, and it’s just wrong.”

You know who else sees a double standard?  The artist:

“I know if we had done it with Barack Obama, people would’ve probably thrown things through our windows,” Morrisette said.

Gee, you think?  Instead, when it’s a Republican woman getting lynched in effigy, it suddenly becomes art and good, clean fun.  Maybe we should start talking about the latent misogyny of the Left, and the drooling bigots of their enclaves.  After all, if this had been an effigy of Obama in, say, Alabama, we’d certainly not be hearing about Halloween and spooky art, but instead how racist Obama’s opponents are.