Two reports out today give us a picture of what is facing Senator Obama in parts of the country and it is not a pretty picture. First the Washington Post reports on incidents of racism that have plagued Obama staffers while campaigning.

For all the hope and excitement Obama’s candidacy is generating, some of his field workers, phone-bank volunteers and campaign surrogates are encountering a raw racism and hostility that have gone largely unnoticed — and unreported — this election season. Doors have been slammed in their faces. They’ve been called racially derogatory names (including the white volunteers). And they’ve endured malicious rants and ugly stereotyping from people who can’t fathom that the senator from Illinois could become the first African American president.

The contrast between the large, adoring crowds Obama draws at public events and the gritty street-level work to win votes is stark. The candidate is largely insulated from the mean-spiritedness that some of his foot soldiers deal with away from the media spotlight.

The second thing is a rather provacative T-shirt being sold at Marietta Tavern in Atlanta. The shirt shows the character Curious George eating a banana with the words ‘Obama in ‘08′ written below. Beyond the obvious copyright violation many see a very racist tone.

My take on all this? Welcome to the United States of America. For all the talk of racial harmony, much of the country still lives in segregated communities and in those that are not, racial tensions are very strong.