A Texas-based political blog brings news of a North Austin man who shocked some in his neighborhood by putting up a display in his front yard apparently meant to symbolize a lynched President Obama hanging from a tree.

The political statement consists of an empty chair tied to a tree branch and left to hang in the air.

From Burnt Orange Report:

Now, one could easily argue "it's just a chair, what's the big deal? That's not racist!"

However, in light of Clint Eastwood's speech at the Republican National Convention, in which he had a largely one-sided conversation with an empty chair he pretended was Barack Obama, this imagery is now associated with the President.

Katherine Haenschen, the concerned citizen who brought this controversial metaphor to the public's attention, says she reached out to the homeowner, Bud Johnson, to complain, but he was less than forthcoming about addressing her grievances.

"I don't really give a damn whether it disturbs you or not," Johnson reportedly told Haenschen. "You can take [your concerns] and go straight to hell and take Obama with you. I don't give a shit. If you don't like it, don't come down my street."

Burnt Orange Report notes that Johnson isn't just some neighborhood crank — he's the August 2010 winner of the Homeowners Association's "Yard of the Month" [pdf].

[photo via Burnt Orange Report]