It seems to me that the stories of signs being stolen this year are more numerous than in the past. Maybe it is my imagination, but then I don’t recall The Virginian Pilot reporting on such in prior elections. (Or maybe it’s a slow news day?) What I wonder, though, is why waste the effort to steal a sign?
Does the perpetrator somehow think that stealing the sign will change the mind of the person in whose yard the sign was displayed? I somehow think that is unlikely.
Or, perhaps, the perpetrator thinks that by removing the sign, fewer people will vote for that candidate? While signs are great visibility, at the end of the day, signs don’t vote.
Or maybe the perpetrator wants the sign for himself/herself? Given the lack of availability of signs on both sides, I’d like to think that’s the reason that signs are stolen. My own neighborhood, normally awash in signs by now, has only a few.
(One of my neighbors has a sign posted close to his door, not down in the yard where it is easily visible. As I was driving through the neighborhood, I stopped to inquire. He said that the sign was there to keep the canvassers away, which I thought was a relatively unique reason for it š Another neighbor has placed a Mark Warner sign strategically between a McCain/Palin sign and a Drake sign.)
The reports of stolen signs are an indication of the public’s interest in this race. And that isn’t a bad thing.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
This isn’t a local problem. It’s occuring in the Ft. Myers FL area and several other area. Almost all the thefts or disappearances have been McCain signs. It isn’t a bad thing? A differing opinion. Politics have become so polarized, right and left, that this country is spiraling downward. Respectfully, we are dividing our country so deeply and bitterly we will be lucky to survive. Another question: Do you care?
Check out this “humorous look at yard signs that you all might enjoy:
http://www.jrrl.com/2008/10/16/the-yard-sign-feud/
Six signs stolen from my street (all Obama or Warner – McCain’s are left alone). I duct taped a letter to one McCain sign that was left by the thief in place of the Obama sign he stole, pointing out that no one was stealing McCain signs, and to please leave the Obama sign that I’d just placed next to it alone. Stolen the next day, of course.
Here’s one solution š
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Drove down 29/211 through Shenandoah over the weekend. In a place that has been previously filled with the giant 6×8′ McCain signs, I saw a good number of big *hand painted* Obama signs. Gotta love that.
And amusingly enough, someone stole the Obama sign out of my front yard today. Left the Warner sign.
Same thing happened to me. First day I had an Obama sign it didn’t last 24 hours. Left the Warner sign however. Second sign has stayed in for over two weeks now.
I live in a pretty hardcore Dem neighborhood, so I’m hoping it was someone that really just wanted an Obama sign in their yard too.
In Richmond today, a large 4×8 Obama- Change sign that is on Monument Avenue (one of the nicer Richmond neighborhoods) was altered with spray paint to read, “Hang’em.”
Some of our neighbors and I, talked with a local TV reporter in order to condemn the act of vandalism. We have a nice collection of neighbors around here, with a wide variety of political views. One thing we are united on, is the sanctity of our freedom of speech, especially with regard to political speech.
Folks on all parts of the political spectrum need to unite to publicly denounce campaign sign vandalism and all forms of voter intimidation. The people who destroy the signs in other citizens’ yards are guilty of criminal trespassing and vandalism. Anyone who attempts such vandalism with the intent to intimidate voters, has also violated Civil Rights laws and could receive a felony conviction.
One affirmative step that Republican and Democratic political leaders can do to help restore and promote civilized behavior, is to openly discuss and condemn vandalism. Aside from the obvious criminal penalties, people who engage in such acts bring shame upon themselves and their families.
Let’s all promote rigorous campaigning, but also promote the fact that we here in Virginia have a long history of “blended politics” where today’s opponent is often tomorrow’s ally. Our tradition and common decency behooves us to maintain civility while we actively support our issues and our respective candidates.
This thread seems like a good one to ask this question: Where can I obtain a Glenn Nye yard sign?
In traveling through my neighborhood I have noticed quite a few Presidential race signs (McCain leads), just about as many Senate race signs (Warner leads), but only a couple House race signs and both of them were for Thelma. I want to even up the race a little bit.
I still have to convince my wife to go along with advertising our support. She is sure to vote for Glenn, but seems to be motivated to keep her politics private. Once I find out where I can get a sign I’ll start working on that if Glenn is going to be successful, he is going to need more people like us to take a stand and advertise it is OK to be for him.
From this thread I think I have learned I better try and get at least a couple of them. The first one might disappear as soon as I place it out there. Perhaps that would explain the absence of his signs in my neighborhood?
Here’s our solution.
http://vagreatblueheron.wordpress.com/2008/10/23/obama-signs-of-the-times/
While searching for yard signs (on the internet) I noticed that Thelma’s campaign website will point you towards how to get one while Glenn’s does not.
In most ways Glenn’s website is head and shoulders superior to Thelma’s, but at least here is one area Thelma’s site bests him.