Obama campaign eschews yard signs
September 22nd, 2008 at 08:36am Pat Cunningham
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In my travels around the Rockford area, I’ve seen only a few yard signs touting Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy — mainly because, I figured at first,  that Illinois is not a battleground state. Nobody seriously doubts that Obama will prevail here.
But now it turns out that the Obama campaign simply ISN’T BOTHERING much with yard signs in any state or locale. The theory is that they’re not worth the time, effort and expense that could be devoted to more productive activities.
I’m not sure I agree with that notion, but the die is cast.
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4 Comments Add your own
1. Dave Barrett | September 22nd, 2008 at 10:48 am
In order to win the total focus of a campaign must be convincing undecided, swing-voters to vote for your candidate. Something that is important to your die-hard supporters and the die-hard supporters of your opponent but will do nothing to win the votes of the undecided is a distraction and a waste of time and resources. All the studies conducted on the matter show that political yard signs play almost no factor in convincing anyone for whom to vote. Although it is counter-intuitive to political junkies, who pay a great deal of attention to yard signs, undecided voters pay no attention whatever to the things and generally do not even see them.
If the McCain Campaign is spending more time and resources creating and distributing yard signs than the Obama Campaign this is good news — for the chances of Obama being elected!
2. Pat Cunningham | September 22nd, 2008 at 11:48 am
Dave: I would be inclined to agree with you in most cases, but yard signs can perhaps make a difference in a contest where race is a potential factor. Consider, for example, this passage from a Rockford history book with respect to the first time that Charles Box, a black man, ran for mayor:
“Box later said that his campaign had strategized from the outset to allay the notion that a black candidate had no chance. The method was the planting of yards signs in white neighborhoods — 2,500 of them — quickly creating a widespread perception of Box’s candidacy as (formidable and legitimate)
“When white folks saw Box’s campaign signs on their neighbors’ lawns, they knew it was all right to jump on the bandwagon.”
On the other hand, you and the Obama campaign might be right that efforts expended on other activities are more worthwhile.
3. Mr. Baseball | September 22nd, 2008 at 8:26 pm
i am for a complete ban on all yard signs, political and otherwise. They’re tacky and detract from a community. I also feel they don’t help a candidate. My wife thinks otherwise.
4. Craig Knauss | September 22nd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I’ve been seeing Obama yard signs and vehicle stickers out here in S.E. Washington. I like seeing them because it shows a break in the right-wing machine that’s existed here. And since we have a lot of Oreganders shopping up here, they see the signs also. And that could mean more electoral votes.
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