Reply #8: It's a plan that's shortsighted and underminds their future.

[sybylla]

I agree, signs don't change voter's minds. But they do rally the troops. Grassroots 101. Someone who puts a bumpersticker on their car or a yard sign on their lawn begins to feel they have a stake in the race. Even if it's just getting even with the fundie nutjob who lives across the street and fills their yard with rethug signs, people start to take ownership in the campaign and are more likely to participate in other ways.

And if those yard signs come from local Dem headquarters, where volunteers are needed and from whom the candidates draw them, then the list of possible volunteers can grow. That way we don't have to abuse the usual 6-8 people who show up for everything when they're called on for canvassing, phone banking, rallying, giving rides to polls, staffing the office, dropping lit, walking in parades and acting as ward captains - all of which the K/E has asked local Dems to do.

It's truely not my intent to be argumentative. I just have a personal stake in this. I'd like to see my small county party able to take advantgage of the opportunity this election year presents to grow. And I'd like to see every dime we raise locally go to local candidates, you know, the underdogs who get no help from the DPW, ADCC, SDCC or deep-pocket honchos.

Each time we have to purchase buttons, bumperstickers, and yard signs, the K/E campaign is taking money from the "farm team" and as it goes in baseball it also goes in politics. If the farm team hasn't developed any talent, where will the big leaguers come from?