▁of ▁Ob ama ' s ▁family , ▁including ▁former ▁First ▁Lady ▁Mich elle ▁Ob ama . ▁Ob ama ▁and ▁his ▁officials ▁generally ▁decl ined ▁to ▁discuss ▁death ▁thre ats ▁against ▁him ▁during ▁the ▁president ial ▁race . ▁Some ▁comment ators ▁suggested ▁the ▁unus ually ▁high ▁number ▁of ▁death ▁thre ats ▁target ing ▁Ob ama ▁are ▁at ▁least ▁partially ▁tied ▁to ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁rac ist ▁imag ery ▁and ▁words ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁Ob ama ' s ▁critics ▁to ▁describe ▁him . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁journalist ▁Ron ald ▁K ess ler ▁reported ▁that ▁Ob ama ▁received ▁ 4 0 0 ▁percent ▁more ▁death ▁thre ats ▁than ▁his ▁prede cess or . ▁However , ▁later ▁that ▁year ▁the ▁Secret ▁Service ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁volume ▁of ▁thre ats ▁against ▁Ob ama ▁was ▁" com par able ▁to ▁that ▁under ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁and ▁Bill ▁Cl inton ." ▁▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁ ▁North ▁Carolina ▁W aff le ▁House ▁thre ats ▁Jerry ▁Bl anch ard , ▁an ▁account ant ▁from ▁Charlotte , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁was ▁ind icted ▁for ▁threaten ing ▁to ▁kill ▁Ob ama ▁during ▁a ▁July ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁breakfast ▁at ▁a ▁Charlotte ▁W aff le ▁House . ▁Two ▁customers ▁said ▁Bl anch ard ▁told ▁them , ▁" Ob ama ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁are ▁never ▁going ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁White ▁House . ▁He ▁needs ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁out ▁and ▁I ▁can ▁do ▁it ▁in ▁a ▁heart be at ." ▁The ▁customers