I Had My First Obama Yard Sign Stolen Today...

[JimGinPA]

My house is on the main street of my town and about a 1/2 mile from the highway, so we get a lot of traffic going by. I've had two signs in my yard for a few weeks now and we bring them in at night because they seem to last longer that way.

In 2004 I had signs for Kerry/Edwards stolen a couple of times a week until I rubbed poison ivy leaves on them.



In 2006 I had signs for Casey, Rendell and some local Democrats that were never messed with. I guess they just go after the presidential signs.

Today my wife was out planting her flowers around the house and she ran in and told me someone took one of them while she was in the back and that she had seen them just minutes before. They were doing some roadwork down the street and traffic was stop and go at different times, so somebody must just jumped out while they were stopped and grabbed it. My son and I are doing some canvassing tomorrow so I won't need to make a special trip to pick up extras since I'll be at headquarters anyway.

On a side note, my son is on the varsity tennis team and he had a match tonight (he plays singles & doubles) and when he got home he made over 50 calls for the campaign, made 30 contacts and only one said she was for Mrs. Clinton. Some still claim to be undecided but most of the people were Obama voters.

GOBAMA!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Too bad the poison ivy hasn't sprouted yet.

Sounds like you could use some more.

[Hawkeye-X]

4. Cayenne pepper or mace sprayed around the sign might help?

[stellanoir]

6. It promises to be a long season.

Some know that salt water is the antidote for poison ivy. Some don't.

[Blue-Jay]

2. We don't take kindly to cultists around these parts!

[AllentownJake]

3. It might be

An Obama supporter that stole it. Yard signs are a hot commodity and they saw you had 2.

[Barack_America]

7. Yep. I completely agree.

They are springing up in my neighborhood like daffodils! There are dozens of them!

I did see two Hillary signs though. Ack! But one of the ladies is at least 90.

[AllentownJake]

9. You think

This was a campaign tactic...hold the yard signs to the end to keep getting people to come back to the office

[Barack_America]

15. Of course they do.

Not sure if you saw this post I wrote to you a couple of days back.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[AllentownJake]

18. :-)

I saw it.

If one thing the national campaign staff people are focused and good sales people

Things sound like they are going real well in Philly and the burbs...

[kevinmc]

5. Did she happen to hear any Pots and Pans banging ........ n/t

[grantcart]

8. have fun tomorrow we look forward to your report

[wndycty]

10. Here is the sort of good news. . .the thief may have not been a hater. . .

. . .a friend of mine called me today and was complaining that he can't get his hands on one and was contemplating stealing one. Now he is in Arizona so I doubt he took yours.

[AllentownJake]

12. They saw you had 2

Decided that you should share without asking. Its probably 50/50 your sign is in someone elses yard.

[wndycty]

14. LOL instead of someone else trunk. . .

[Zachstar]

11. Wow!!! Tho I think your signs were stolen by people desperate to get one.

From what I am reading they are having an extremely difficult time keeping up with demand.

BTW Thank your son for phonebanking!! It is wonderful to hear about people phonebanking and their results!! It is wonderful to hear he talked to many Obama voters!!

Again if anybody has not phonebanked yet. You can do so at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/phonebankmap /

Lets win PA!!!! WOOT!!

[peace13]

13. We had Kerry signs burned on two occasions.

Sheriff said he needed a license number to be of any help so we laced the next signs with firecrackers. I was so glad that these remained because I was sure that we would be sued for something if the arsonist came back. Sorry for your signs. Keep up the good work. We still have ours up in Ohio even though is is against the zoning rule. Go Obama. peace, Kim

[RazBerryBeret]

16. hey, fellow Ohioan!

I had 4 Kerry/Edwards signs stolen in 04...but I didn't hear anything about burning--that's pretty serious!
my hubby and I were discussing what to do to the signs (that we couldn't be sued for) but still be unpleasant...
Our big idea was some doggy doo-doo on the edges...but we didn't get to try it out! maybe this year!
(gross!)

[peace13]

21. I am sure that it will be wild this fall.

It might be worth one of those little cameras in the front yard. How fun would it be to know who is messing with us. We have a memorial to the soldiers in our front yard. Orange marker flags marking the official death count in Iraq. The memorial is to all of our soldiers, the number is simply symbolic. On the very first night, December 12, 2005 when we were putting 1250 flags up this guy stops his car on the road and asks, 'What are those, all the people Kerry would have killed?' We were pretty spooked but that didn't stop us. We are up to 4000 and the prospect is bleak. Peace, Kim

[RazBerryBeret]

25. wow...

"all the people Kerry would have killed"? wow...
THAT is crazy. 4000 orange flags is a definite statement, good for you, do you get many comments on that?

and yes, I think the camera in the yard would be entertaining. I live on a busy street, not very wide w/a speed limit of 45, so the people stealing my signs weren't pulling over easily...I was convinced it was one of my neighbors. and yes, we were surrounded by Bush/Cheney signs. I'm sure there will be more crap this fall--I can't wait!!

[peace13]

31. We do get comments.

Sometimes people leave notes in the door. We pull the flags to mow so we do get some honks when we are out working. In the beginning we did get some publicity, TV and newspaper, mostly at mile markers such as 2000 or on Memorial Day the first year. Now the comments come mostly from people who know us. As the war touches the people personally they can relate. Funny how that it is. Peace, Kim

[mackdaddy]

30. Smear Vaseline around the edges.

It is transparent on the sign edges, but very disgusting if you are not expecting it -without being truly harmful. I keep a box of latex gloves in the garage for changing oil so it is easy to apply.
Maybe there is something about Ohio that draws the sign thieves. I am outside of Logan in SE Ohio, and had several Kerry-Edwards signs stolen, at least until I greased them up with the vaseline.

[peace13]

32. We will try this.

Gross is good. Plus it really is safer. Thanks! Peace, Kim

[RememberWellstone]

17. Are you bitter?

And who would steal an Obama sign? Seriously?

[AllentownJake]

19. OH

The same type of people that demand the head of Keith O.

Or an Obama supporter who doesn't have one.

[JBoy]

20. That's a good sign.

[Barack_America]

22. Obama stuff is like gold here in Philly...

People are willing to volunteer hours of their time just for a button.

And you know what, good on the Obama campaign for making them do this. It goes right along with the idea of not giving out "street money". No more old politics. No more supporting your candidate only by pinning a button to your chest or a sign to your lawn. You want to support your candidate? Hit the streets. Get involved in politics again.

I'm finally starting to get it. Even if it annoys the hell out of me to have to tell people that, "No I don't have a button for you" and "No, you'll have to go to the office for a lawn sign" when I'm out canvassing.

Okay, sometimes I have a button. I sat next to the sweetest little old lady on the bus today and she asked about my button. I didn't have an extra, so I gave her mine. And it was my favorite too. Oh well, I couldn't resist!

[blogslut]

23. What's the plan this year?

Pepper oil? More poison ivy? What kind of fresh hell will you cook up for them this time?

[newmajority]

24. How about placing the sign post in the hole of an underground bees' nest?

Since the sign will plug the hole, your risk of being stung is minimized. But not so lucky for the Repuke asshole who takes the sign out.

[blogslut]

26. That's bit too Rube Goldberg for me

I wanna know JimGinPA's plan.

Me, I can't put signs up at all. Rednecks around here would burn my house down.

[EmilyAnne]

27. Where in PA do you live, may I ask?

[JimGinPA]

29. Beautiful Lancaster County

[newmajority]

34. There should be bumper stickers for sale in Lancaster County

and they should say "I'm Obamish and proud of it"! Their buggys have bumpers, right?

[JimGinPA]

36. We Did See A Buggy With An Obama Sticker...

Unfortunately most of the Plain Folk around here vote Repub because they are very pro-life and our entrenched asshole congressman Pitts panders to them.

[Cha]

28. Good on your son, Jim!

I remember back in 2004 on DU hearing all kinds of ways to discourage stolen signage.

Poison Ivy was one..there were all kinds of ideas but since I live in an apartment & don't have a sign out I didn't retain the methods. But, it was like an epidemic so measures had to be taken.

[celophan012]

33. Bill Clinton did it!

He would shoot kittens and steal signs to get elected.

[GoneOffShore]

35. Nice post

Hitler...

Enjoy your stay, I'm sure it won't be long.

[AllentownJake]

37. I smell

A troll