Where's All The Campaign Signs?

Marcy Burstiner, journalism expert over at the North Coast Journal, points out something I suppose I'd noticed but paid scant attention to: There seems to be fewer campaign signs in people's yards compared to elections past.

She points out that what signs are out there are mostly for city council races. True that. She's referring to Arcata but it seems to hold true for Eureka, too.

I've wrote here before I find those signs rather annoying, despite being one who regularly has them in my yard. People don't seem to understand when I suggest those signs are akin to yelling at people as they pass by your house: VOTE FOR GARY JOHNSON! and so on.

I suspect the reason for the dearth of sign this time is the lack of candidates people want to admit supporting, with historically low opinions of the top two presidential candidates this year. 

That wouldn't explain the lack of Johnson signs, but I'm used to that. My personal experience has shown libertarians are more timid than most when it comes to expressing political opinion publicly. I believe the only Libertarian Party candidate signs I've seen up here since I became involved with the LP in '92 are ones I've put up. Same goes for bumper stickers, although I do recall seeing an "Enough is Enough, Vote Libertarian" sticker on a car in Arcata decades ago. Not sure whose car that was.

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to see a Ken Anton/state assemblly sign up I don't believe I had anything to do with. Over on Eureka's Little Fairfield Street. Wow! Someone other than me with an LP sign in their yard??? How can this be? I did give a sign to a lady on Pine Hill who said she was going to put it up elsewhere- on Washington Street, but that's a ways off from the this one. Nice to see, though.

The dearth of signs is fine for me since that gives the LP a bigger percentage of signs out. Even just the three signs I put up on I street. I felt I'd pulled a coup when I got those out on such a busy street. Sadly, last time I drove by they were gone, either stolen or perhaps the homeowners felt self conscious of the signs as so many libertarians do and took them down. I didn't want to put the homeowners on the spot by asking what happened.

In the meantime, I still have Anton, Johnson and Fullerton signs in my yard, although I moved the Fullerton one to my living room window to avoid vandalism, never mind the strong winds blowing at the time.

I suppose it's all for naught when you think of it as they're not there forever. I take my signs down as soon as the polls close and suggest everyone else do the same. It's rude to yell at people when there's no reason to.