Complaint about Obama yard signs

I live in the Chico, CA area. I noticed that McCain / Palin yard signs were outnumbering Obama / Biden yard signs by at least 2 to 1, so I went to the Democratic headquarters to get some yard signs for my yard. While Chico tends towards the conservative side, it certainly isn't 2:1 Republican! (Probably more like 55:45 Republican). More Obama yard signs are definitely needed.

But the signs were $9.00 each! (Includes wire stand.) That seems very excessive to me, especially when the purpose of the yard signs should be to make a visual impact, not to make money.

Not only that, but the yard signs were one-sided. This means that if you wanted the message to get out to traffic going both ways on a road, you have to buy two signs. I know two-sided signs are possible, because most of the other Democratic candidate signs were two-sided.

To add insult to injury, there is apparently a very high rate of theft of Obama / Biden yard signs in Chico. And because the Democrats tend to be in the poorer demographics, they tend not to get replaced. In fact, I was told by the people at the Democratic headquarters that Obama / Biden signs were not just stolen, they were REPLACED with McCain / Palin signs! Apparently the opposition has signs to virtually give away, although I don't know this for a fact -- just speculation. But if you saw the number of McCain / Palin signs around here, you'd think the area was at least 2/3 Republican.

The final straw was when I stopped by the Oroville Democratic Headquarters to see if they also charged $9.00 per yard sign. Oroville is in the same county as Chico -- about 20 miles from Chico. Well, they didn't have Obama yard signs. In fact, they hadn't had them for quite awhile. In fact, they had NO Obama material at all -- no yard signs, no bumper stickers, no buttons.

I sure hope that the 50 state strategy doesn't involve giving up on states that are already blue, because those states may have very red pockets, and a full Democratic push is needed in these pockets also, for the same reason it is needed in red states as a whole.

the campaign feels their money can be better utilized elsewhere. Signs don't garner many, if any votes. Tv ads do.

And if you are worried about them being stolen, there have been many ideas here about how to minimize it.

In terms of spending money "more wisely elsewhere" that is fine -- but according to another poster in this thread, they could be going for $3.00 a sign, not $9.00, without costing the campaign anything.

Am I a cheapo? Sorry, yes -- I'm running on SSI disability right now. Best I can do.

Has the topic been "hashed to death"? Sorry -- but a lot of topics are "hashed to death" on DU.

where the headquarters got the signs they are selling? Obama has had his signs, etc. made exclusively by union manufacturers. Perhaps they, like our headquarters, paid to get those signs made locally because nobody is getting enough stuff and if they do get it, it takes a long time and it's gone almost as soon as it comes in.

Personally, signs do nothing for me. It's just a "look over here, we support Obama". Obama would prefer that YOU be his sign - go talk to your neighbors and friends. YOUR opinion would be more likely to make a difference than a big piece of paper.

If you can't do that, consider the $9 to be a contribution to the people who are out there working their tails off to have individual contact with folks who may still be undecided. Headquarters usually provide food and drinks and goodies,etc. for their workers.

It was $8 per sign, or $7 per sign if you order 5 or more. I ordered 5 to give to family & friends.

I agree - they're expensive.. but Obama is spending his money more wisely on other forms of advertising (TV, Internet, and even the new virtual reality online-gaming) that gets more bang for the buck.

I know if you get the signs off of the official website, all of the money goes right to the campaign. I figure $6 of the $7 is going to help fund additional ads.

When one camp can sell signs for $8.. and the other camp has to run around and steal those signs and replace them for FREE with their own signs.. frankly - that's a GREAT SIGN (no pun intended) that our camp is doing much, much better then they are. McCain only WISHES that his rich wealthy republicans would shell out $8 for a sign... he's practically having to pay them to put them up in thier yards. And, McCain doesn't even understand new media.. to him, if he sees more of his own yard signs.. he thinks he's doing great. :eyes:

I think they're from Demstore.com. I'm not sure of the shipping costs, but they charge $3/each. Some of the precinct committeeman, like myself, picked up batches and paid for them there. Then we give them away, to encourage people to put them out.

We'd placed an order through DemStore (which we still haven't received) when the state committee finally woke up and got us some signs.

When I donated to the campaign.

This campaign can't run on "free" you know. I'd much rather they have people pay for signs and be able to pay for ads to turn red states blue, than give out free signs and not be able to. If you ask me, it's a sign of a well-run campaign.

If you can't afford the $9 then you can find good instructions on the Internet for making your own.

had any at all. I've tried to get one for over two weeks and they even put my name on a phone list so they could call me when signs came in. So far, no sign. I donated to the campaign through DU so I didn't get a sign that way. I wound up printing my own from a website that someone here on DU linked to a few days ago.

I don't know if the presence of signs wins any votes or not, but I like to see my candidates signs around town and there are none to be seen this year.

That's how confident I am that it won't happen.

Makes the masturbator feel good, but doesn't really affect anyone else.

As said above, money is way better spent in other ways for politickin'.

upstate NY are $5 if you can get any. We tried to get some for our Dem committee and they gave us 5. They are also being stolen very quickly. Everyone knows he will win NY but we have down ticket candidates that he could help by grouping those signs together. We spent half of our account on donations to candidates and we just don't have the $ to spend on signs.

A McCain supporter in my neighborhood posted an online message that they had signs and would deliver them. I decided to see what I could do to counter that offer with one of my own. I had to go to three places before I found an office that had signs (not an Obama office, but the local party HQ). All I could convince them to give me was four or five. I offered them online and got requests from around 30 of my neighors. I went back with copies of the emails and a check for $100 and persuaded them to waive their "four signs per person" policy (which was actually posted at the office) and give me around 15 signs, which I distributed. Fortuantely, some of the people that had contacted me had managed to get their own signs, so only I only ended up being one or two signs short. I plan to go back and get some more signs this weekend.

They actually seemed to have a lot of signs and my first reaction was that in three weeks those signs are going to be worthless, so its better to get them out now, rather than sit on them. But as I've thought about it, they may be holding them back with the plan of putting a lot of them in public spaces in the week before the election (if they put them in public spaces now, the odds of them being stolen before election day are pretty good, I fear).

the Obama campaign has had poor advice and has handled the shipping/promises/availability poorly.
I know, because I am a sign maker, and people come to me wailing.

The only good thing about it is that of all the critical things he/they could have mishandled, this is not such an important one.

I put a big "This one" sign in my own yard, with little flags on top. I gave my other Obama sign to a neighbor who was still waiting after having ordered one on line.

In my town there is a bookstore in a black neighborhood that has signs, buttons and shirts.
You might want to investigate.

On August 6th, I ordered a State shirt - Missouri for Obama - on the Obama site. It's still on backorder more than two months later and now probably won't get here before the election. I've done a ton of canvassing since I ordered it but gee, I'm out of luck. They're also out of some of their buttons and backordered - again, I doubt I'll get the one I ordered before the election.

Whoever their supplier is they've done a piss-poor job.

But still, they could have hired me, and I would crank them out.....

We don't plan to get anymore. It would be nice to have some more but not that important.

Same thing here in MA. There's a real paucity of Obama yard signs, and the ones I do see are usually home-made.

There was a great post on DU about a week ago from someone, I think, in Oklahoma. They actually saw someone steal their yard sign (at night),
followed the thief in hot pursuit and called 911 at the same time. Turns out it was two guys who had 50 (fifty!) Obama signs in their car that
they'd stolen.

I really think there's a concerted effort by McCain/Palin supporters to remove these signs, to give the impression that "everyone" is for McCain/Palin.
But it also seems like a deliberate decision on the part of the Obama campaign to not push the yard signs or even make them readily available.
I wish I knew what the thinking was on that, but haven't been able to find any information.

Maybe they fear that they'd be defaced in some way and so would rather not have them widely distributed? I'd be interested in anyone's theory
on this.

I have seen some very neat homemade signs. They attract more attention than the others.
It took 3 weeks for the signs that I bought from Cafepress.com for 5.00 each.

Take your pick.

I guess it depends on which has a bigger bang for the buck. I don't know the answer to that one.

When did a neighbors yard sign ever sway your vote.

I must live on the other side of town, because I have seen far more Obama yard signs in my neighborhood. A few more McCain signs have been popping up recently (including a huge McCain sign on my way to work), but overall I would have to say I've seen more Obama signs! :)

My sampling comes from the neighborhood just north of Vallambrosa -- just north of the park -- so perhaps this is much more conservative.

I live in north Chico, between Eaton and Lassen. It's definitely lower income compared to the area near the park, so that explains more of the Obama signs. Driving around town seems equally mixed as far as signs go, however I have yet to see a McCain bumper sticker!

she keeps the stands in her garage for each election.

she uses cardboard, exterior paint or uses plastic place mats or some other flexible plastic sheets.

I saw a truck yesterday with plywood on the sides, painted blue with "Veterans for Obama/Biden" in large letters and flag flying which was propped up in the back.

about a small contribution to the campaign?

If so, then maybe it is a big deal. If signs don't make much difference, then I guess not.

make a small contribution to get one, to defray expenses.

Just my opinion.

priorities mister, priorities.

on how money is best spent in a campaign.

That would be the best way to set priorities.

maybe you could audit their books for us and come up with a better way to gain a 10 point lead in the polls.

The Obama campaign should be BEGGING people to
put up signs.

This "lawn signs don't vote" mentality is bullshit.

What, they don't believe in ADVERTISING?

Lawn signs and bumper stickers are a combination
of billboard and testimonial.

You can't BUY a stronger way to get out the message.

and Obama's 30 minute speech on Primetime to the American people on 2 networks.

I don't know maybe I'm stupid people knocking on doors telling me the campaigns message and making calls with policy positions seems a heck of alot more effective than the guy down the street I never talk to having a sign in his yard.

Oh yeah and the candidate himself saying it to a national audience days before the election and stating his case might sound stupid too. I guess guy down the streets sign will convince me.

We need to beat Presidential Nominee Ron Paul...he had the most yard signs in PA of all candidates in April for the Primary.

He had an insignificant number of supporters,
but he had a BIG impact on the primary.

Ron Paul had no effect on the primary. He was a sideshow for the nuts and if he wasn't there guess what John McCain would still be the nominee, probably with the same vote totals.

Name one GOP position that changed because of Congressman Paul being a candidate.

WTF are YOU talking about?

He kept them ALL off of their game.

Especially Mittens, who couldn't argue
economics with him.

as Dennis and Mike Gravel.

We disagree totally.

put into the party platform let alone the discussion.

Hillary would have won if the level of discourse
had not included Dennis's STRONG anti-Iraq war
stance.

Among other things.

I think you are wrong.

You think I am wrong.

October 11th, 2008 · 8 Comments

During an appearance on CNN’s The Situation Room, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, said Montana is “one of the only states in the country Ron Paul will be on the ballot as the Constitution candidate,” and “if you travel across Western Montana, you’ll actually see more Ron Paul signs than you do John McCain. … If you include Paul in the polling, he gets somewhere between five and eight percent. And then Obama and McCain are tied around five.” Schweitzer said, “Ron Paul is going to be the decider here.”


http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/10/montana-governor-says-paul-going-to-be-the-decider-in-state/

I'll concede my statement.

If we hit over 350 electoral votes. I'll stand by it. FULLY.

Ask Howard Dean.

I understand your concern, however, the prices are part of everyone's contribution. Here in Florida, i got my Yard sign for free because i have been volunteering, but some family members had to pay $8 for theirs. I know not everyone have the time to volunteer, but if you could, Obama will appreciate that you donate to his campaign by purchasing a yard sign. : )

On another note, one of my family member's yard sign was stolen the other night. She was very upset.. but now i am suspicious about those McCain supporters stealing them to make it seem like Obama does not have any support...

No I wonder

any tactic of the Obama campaign to any degree disgusts me. Many seem to equate disagreeing with a Democratic campaign's tactics with not supporting the Democratic nominee. Why are so many authoritarians voting for the Democratic candidate anyway?

The Obama campaign should be BEGGING people to
put up signs.

This "lawn signs don't vote" mentality is bullshit.

What, they don't believe in ADVERTISING?

Lawn signs and bumper stickers are a combination
of billboard and testimonial.

You can't BUY a stronger way to get out the message.

On edit:

Sorry, dupe. Time warp.

They inspire Obama supporters and when the Obama signs greatly outnumber the McCain signs they demoralize the McCain supporters. There are places where people may seem hesitant about openly supporting Obama, but when they see a neighbor with an Obama yard sign it is like a seal of approval.

Obama supporters love and clamor for the yard signs. There were none to be had here in La Crosse on Monday and there was a waiting list for the 4-500 signs they were getting from Madison. Hundreds and hundreds of people here want to buy the signs to show their support for Obama so I do not think that anyone should contemptuously dismiss them.

I have a "Women for Obama" bumper sticker. Just last week a woman followed me into
my driveway to ask where I got it. She was really looking for a discussion on Obams's
policies. We had a very good conversation and I truly feel she was leaning towards Obama
and needed some bolstering of that decision.

the same thing would have happened.

Just saying.

Are you saying that the proliferation of Ron Paul signs did or did not have an impact on voters?

After reading some of your responses, I can see that you do not think so.

I believe that they did.

Visability is a tool that is effective if no one knows who you are and it directs people to seek more information.

As per my response below:

I have read your thread, and I have to agree with PassingFair... it is a form of advertising; advertising that does have an affect on the community. I don't buy into the attitude that signs are meaningless. There is a good portion of the electorate that are influenced by what they see in their environment, whether it be a 'fitting in' mentality or voting by pure name recognition. Perhaps not so much in a presidential election, but I am sure it exists.

I kind of like the idea of volunteering to get a free sign,
but some people are too shy or too busy to do that.

I have people asking me for signs all the time, so I
volunteer, get the sign (or pay for it) and pass them
on. Not having ANY signs on hand for those that request
them is a BIG mistake.

It obviously frustrates supporters, and THAT is NEVER a good idea.

I don't quite get the 'signs don't vote' attitude.

The signs of a certain son of an ass have been popping up all over the place where I live. I have no doubt that these signs, as well as name recognition, will be a deciding factor in the election.

:hi:

The effect it had was it got Ron Paul's name out to the crazy people. Despite all Dr. Paul's signs he never was a contender for the nomination.

Right now I'm seeing a McCain Ron Paul style son surge on the highways. It tells me his support is low because the signs aren't in demand. If they were in demand there would be more McCain signs in yards and less on medians. Same as Ron Paul.

If no one has heard of who a candidate is visibility is an effective strategy.

If you don't know who Barack Obama is by now. You aren't voting.

Some guy who came in at the same time as me wanted a sign, and they said they were giving them only to volunteers. He declined.

Mine is gorgeous. Big, double sided.

:D

for signs for free so they can take them out and trash them. That has happened here.

My city is more Democratic but I've seen way more McCain signs. In the neighborhood directly around my house, there's 5 McCain signs and only one Obama (we don't have many signs of either candidate). Although I haven't taken a walk around the neighborhood in the last week or two so it could have changed. Signs don't necessarily reflect support of the area. I know it sucks having to see McCain signs though. I want to put out a Obama sign but I still live at home and my parents never liked putting signs out (they like to keep politics to themselves).

Ron Paul would be the GOP nominee.

techniques!

I think that his grassroots advertising was what brought him into the national spotlight.

:hi:

at the price you want one for?

Got rabies or something? Jesus Christ. It's assholes like you that make me not want to visit DU at all. I wonder how new members feel when they get assaulted and lynched by jerks like you.

The issue is relatively minor. I posted it, got some intelligent responses, (not yours, of course) and have come away more informed about the issue of yard signs versus spending money in other ways.

Which is more detrimental to the whole Democratic cause -- someone who runs a minor discussion about yard signs or someone who takes perverse joy in vicously attacking some post he/she does't particularly like for some stupid reason on DU?

You know what? You can keep your own "insider club" and I'll go back to lurking. I got used to attacks like this during the Clinton / Obama wars, but over a post about yard signs? About yard signs? Get a friggin life, dude.

Yard signs are a sore subject.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/breaking-obama-campaign-organizers.html

This should sum up our feeling on Yard Signs quite nicely.

And it IS a mistake to not facilitate
supporters with a tangible means of
expression.

I understand that campaign workers are touchy
about it.

I'm touchy when my company fucks up, too.

We aren't fucking up...we have the largest lead a democrat has had going into the final debate since Bill Clinton. We know what we are doing arm chair strategist.

We are going to win this and you all can celebrate I guess because you had a yard sign in your yard in California and think you contributed :rofl:

Fine by me as long as we win this.

That is the only explanation for the
hook being so far down your throat.

I DO volunteer. AND

lawn signs help.

Our lead is due to the seriously SCREWED UP
condition of this country.

BUT, we are LUCKY to have elected a candidate
like Obama.

Screaming at me that I'm not allowing him to support Obama because of a Yard Sign is adolescent. The inisistance that people are voting over their neighboorhood's yard signs is seriously adolescent. Thinking that this election is going to be won or lost over the yard sign war and not the ground work and ground game of millions of volunteers and the money that Obama invested in hiring people to organize and motivate those people is adolescent.

Dismissing the importance of lawn signs and
bumperstickers is a mistake.

Pissing off supporters with the "lawn signs don't vote"
attitude is a SERIOUS mistake.

"You people stink" "How can I support Obama without my YARD SIGN" Well sir you can make phone calls and help in the office "I don't have the time for that nonsense" "I need my yard sign" "Lots of cursing and yelling at people in the office" person leaving.

Seen that played out one too many times...and I edited for language.

So I hate Yard Signs and the people who come into our office demanding them...not asking for them...demanding them.

Lawn signs don't vote.

PEOPLE with lawn signs vote.

I know how you feel.

:hug:

your reaction was way over the top. in fact, if one of our posts were to be deleted as over the top it would be your response which is full of expletives aimed at me.

my snark is that we've been reading a form of this thread over and over all summer and now fall. this thread though has not been a forum to beat up on the campaign as much as previous threads.

and for what it's worth, i'm kicking your thread. :shrug:

What evidence is there that having cheaper, more easily accessible yard signs would send the Obama campaign into tailspin and cause him to lose the election?

and even got a bumper sticker and lapel stickers.

and don't matter.

If you want to make an impact volunteer.

i got some of my signs for free and i also bought some.

They offer them for a donation (I don't know how much) but will give signs to volunteers, people who have donated other times and people who will be putting them in prominent locations.

They are not "selling" the signs - the donations go to getting additional signs and to the operation of the local Obama campaign office.

We are not about to complain about whatever they are asking for the signs - until these volunteers took the initiative, we had no signs at all for months.

I have read your thread, and I have to agree with PassingFair... it is a form of advertising; advertising that does have an affect on the community. I don't buy into the attitude that signs are meaningless. There is a good portion of the electorate that are influenced by what they see in their environment, whether it be a 'fitting in' mentality or voting by pure name recognition. Perhaps not so much in a presidential election, but I am sure it exists.

Some people simply cannot afford $9.00. What would be a nice compromise is a suggested price; those who can afford a sign at an inflated price can offset those who cannot.

At the same time, I also feel that creative, homemade signs can deliver even more of an impact.

:hi:

So $9 bucks isn't excessive.

Two, if yard signs really, truly made the difference in campaigns, don't you think THIS campaign would be investing in it?

I know people want yard signs. That's why I took it upon myself to order some for the office I was interning in. But if people aren't willing to help and pay for them, then I don't fault the campaign for that.

and a Pony.

it's people like you that make him want to leave DU.

well, to be fair, he said it's people like *me*, but after reading your posts, I began to think... :hi:

We'll all be talking about the negative impact of lack of yard signs in Chico California.

I tried to be tolerant but I've had people storm out of the office yelling because at me because "I was not allowing them to support and help Obama" over a yard sign. If you want to support Obama volunteer don't get a yard sign.

People have differing opinions. However, we all want the same outcome.

I think signs make a difference, you don't. What is the purpose of denigrating your fellow dems?

I don't get it... we are on the same side.


:shrug:

over yard signs at the Obama office and I'm a volunteer not staff.

Oh yeah and the people who do the screaming do nothing for us other than put the yard sign up. So yes I fully denigrate those people.

They're called "voters".

Denigrate them at the campaign's peril.

Those people that the campaign is calling
and walking to meet, they are coming
TO you, and you are alienating them.

Nice.

but I also think that you need to realize that most voters who want signs are, indeed, putting themselves out there. They are doing a lot more than most of the population. Considerably more. These people are our base. I think that it is unfortunate that you think that these people should be denigrated. Perhaps you need to stick to data entry.

If you want a sign and don't want to spend $9, sign yourself up for a 3 hour GOTV phone bank shift. You'll probably do more to get people voting in that time and you'll get your shiny.

wire, two-sided, huge.

I just went up to one of the offices and picked one up.

Here's my sign:
and for $2 it has inspired people to honk their horns in support, or to simply shout, "Go Obama!" It's maybe the best $2 I ever spent.

We are out of signs within one week of getting them. We could never have anticipated the demand for Obama stuff in this area, still can't. We manage to keep a little supply of stickers, buttons, mugs, shirts and signs that we go down and get from the Sacramento offices. We also help supply Nevada County Dem headuarters. We charge $10 for the nice foam double sided ones. They get stolen regularly and people come in regularly to replace them. I have personally paid for 2 replacements for someone who got hers stolen and would be happy to pay for one for you. PM me your last name and the number of your local Dem headquarters and I'll see what I can do.

Make your own. Two sided Three D red white and blue Glow in the Dark etc.I bet they would cost more than 2 or 9 dollars.EXPRESS YOURSELF!

1.) Anyone know if these $8 yard signs include a contribution to the Obama campaign? For example, $5 out of each $8 yard sign?


2.) The Obama campaign can spend $10 million making about 3 million yard signs and distributing them, or it can spend that $10 million on a 30 minute paid TV special on several networks that will reach 20 million or more people. Which would have the bigger impact for the advertising dollar?

:P HOW CRAZY IS THAT? INDIANA MATTERS! Seriously, you live in CA and you think there should be a budget for free yard signs? :crazy:

I don't know why people keep saying they "cost" such-and-such an amount. I gave $5 because that's what I could afford.

I've never seen the one-sided yard signs. That seems silly.

What the hell?

Frustrating, perhaps, but from a National Party perspective it probably makes sense to put the resources elsewhere.

My advice is to cough up the 9 bucks if you really want a sign.