It’s only been one week since Barack Obama has officially been reinstated as a second term president, and already right-wing nuts and haters are going insane!
Although Obama won all the battleground states, except for North Carolina, as well as the popular vote, the country still stands divided. Some people resent Obama for his policies and politics, others use racially charged attacks to denigrate the President, while others are literally going off the deep end to express their hatred for the POTUS.
Here’s our countdown to the craziest reactions we’ve seen thus far to Obama’s re-election!
1. Effigy Assassin
A resident in Alabama found an effigy of President Barack Obama with the sign that reads “Pray 4 Assassin” on their doorstep last week, and reportedly, very few neighbors complained.
According to Matt Elofsen of the Dothan Eagle, the effigy was spotted by photographer Max Oden, who took pictures of it. Eventually, the resident removed it.
2. Woman’s Hate Speech Goes Viral
22-year-old Denise Helms’ reaction to Obama’s election victory got her fired and investigated by the Secret Service. The California woman and former Cold Stone Creamery employee wrote a racially explicit status update on Facebook about President Barack Obama, which went viral, stating:
“Another 4 years of this (N-word), Maybe he will get assassinated this term.”
On top of that, during an interview with Sacramento’s Fox 40 news, Helms unremorsefully denied the severity of her words.
“I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. The assassination part is kind of harsh. I’m not saying like I would go do that or anything like that, by any means, but if it was to happen, I don’t think I’d care one bit.”
According to the Modesto Bee, she defended herself posting on her Facebook once more:
“So apparently my post last night about Obama got onto Twitter and Fox 40 came and interviewed me cause apparently a lot of people in Sacramento think I’m crazy and racist. WOW is all I got to say!! I’m not racist and I’m not crazy. just simply stating my opinion.!!!”
3. Over 30 States Are Trying To Secede
More than 30 states have filed petitions to succeed from the Union to create their own independent governments with the “We the People” program on the White House website. As stated on the website, if a petition garners 25,000 signatures within 30 days, it will be reviewed by the Administration and issued a response.
As of Tuesday, a petition started in Texas has gather 60,000 signatures, however Gov. Rick Perry has rejected ideas of succeeding.
The Declaration of Independence grants the people the right to form a new government when the current one is not respecting the “consent of the governed.”
The petition was created the day after Obama was re-elected by a man named Michael E. in L.A. Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, New York, Kentucky, Colorado and New Jersey have also filed similar petitions.
4. Angry wife told husband to vote or die, literally
28-year-old Holly Solomon took the catch phrase “vote or die” too far last weekend, when she ran her husband over in an SUV because he didn’t vote, blaming him as the reason that Obama was re-elected.
The incident began on Saturday when the couple started loudly arguing in a parking lot, which incited Holly to chase her husband down in their Jeep. Eventually, she hit him and pinned him underneath the car. Daniel was rushed to a hospital and is reported to be in critical condition.
Daniel told police his wife “just hated Obama” and that she “believed her family was going to face hardship as a result of President Obama’s re-election,” said Gilbert police Sergeant Jesse Sanger in a statement.
Holly was arrested on domestic violence aggravated assault charges.
5. CEO’s Punish Their Employees
Before the election, a handful of Republican employers, including the Koch Brothers and billionaire and Westgate Resort head David Siegel, threatened their employees to vote for Mitt Romney because Obama’s re-election would jeopardize their job. Now, a number of unhappy CEOs are taking their frustrations about Obama’s re-election out on their employees.
Murray Energy Co. CEO Robert Murray laid off 150 employees at his coal plant in Ohio, blaming Obama’s win as his reason, despite the fact that the demand for coal has decreased because of the rise of cheap natural gas, environmental regulations and public discourse against dirty energy.
Applebee’s made news headlines when one of their franchise owners, Apple-Metro CEO Zane Tankel, declared that he will stop hiring or cut workers’ hours in spite of Obama’s Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”).
Tankel claims that he is forced to go to that extreme in order to offset the cost of fees due to the law’s mandate that companies provide health insurance for their workers.
A business owner in L.A. also fired 22 of his 114 employees after the presidential election, arguing that he will not be able to afford to pay his workers under Obama’s administration. During an interview with radio host Kevin Wall on 100.5 KXNT, he stated:
“I had to lay off 22 people today to make sure that my business is gonna thrive and I’m gonna be around for years to come. I have to build up that nest egg now for the taxes and regulations that are coming my way.”
6. Man kills himself
Nothing tops the man living in Key West, Florida who literally died when President Obama was re-elected.
Before 64-year-old Henry Hamilton was found dead in his condo on November 8, he told his partner that, “if Barack gets re-elected, I’m not going to be around.” Apparently, he wasn’t joking. Two days after the election, Hamilton was found in his condo nearby two empty prescription bottles and the words “F— Obama!” written on his will. One bottle was filled with Xanax, which is used to treat anxiety, and the other one had Seroquel in it, which treats schizophrenia.
Florida police say an autopsy will determine his cause of death, but have confirmed that there is evidence of foul play.
His partner, Michael Cossey, told police that Hamilton was “very upset about the election results.” We guess he couldn’t stand the thought of living through four more years.
