Will the Black Panthers, encouraged by Eric Holders’ decision to dismiss charges against them, go to new levels of intimidation?

During the November 2008 election, Black Panthers appeared on video standing in front of polling places with billy clubs:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94b78rnWMP4[/youtube]

Eric Holder, however, was unconcerned, and dropped the voter intimidation case against the Black Panthers.  Having learned that they get a free pass for egregious behavior antithetical to democratic government gets a free pass, I wonder if, in 2010, the Panthers will take the whole thing to the next level.  In Afghanistan, for example, the Taliban has voter intimidation down to an art:

Lal Mohammad was determined to stand against Taliban threats and exercise his right to vote in Afghanistan’s presidential election.

But he now regrets his defiance.

These horrifying pictures show a fearful Mohammad recovering after he was ambushed by Taliban fighters as he walked to a polling station last week.

The 40-year-old farmer was beaten and mutilated. The Taliban cut off his ears and part of his nose in the shocking attack.

To date, the Panthers have been pikers.  With the Obama wind at their back, though, who knows how far they’ll go?