A question about political signs

[photogirl12]

We are in a Congressional race in NY, and we are having a hard time keeping signs in the ground. A fallen angel must be swooping down and collecting them for his own yard because they are dissapearing. We built a large yard sign on the corner of someone's private property for them and the competition built and installed their own (on the private property). The owner of the property as gently as possible lowered their sign face down. The next day, the fallen angel smashed our sign (on private property). Is this commonplace?

[B Calm]

1. Happens all over the country

[photogirl12]

2. Where can I pick up a playbook

...we are new at this, we need to know the rules.

[spag68]

4. The rules

For progressives the rules are "honest truthful signs, no retribution" For the rethugs, no rules Survailance however is permitted.

[Sydnie]

3. In a nasty campaign, absolutely

To the point of rubbing the sign with pepper juice or poison ivy or vaseline to stop the signs from disappearing.

I once had a candidate place a sign in front of my house that I had not authorized. I removed the sign. The next day, another sign was there. I removed that one. The next day I actually saw them come back to replace the sign again. I had a verbal argument with them and told them that I would call the police if they placed any more signs on my property. They tried to explain it away by saying the people in the house across the street told them they could put it on my property! That excuse was laughable at best.

Sign stealing or defacing, in some campaigns, makes the news more often then the debates or the issue differences of the candidates.

Place a sign at the bottom of the sign telling them that the sign is under video surveillance. The vandalism should stop then.

[photogirl12]

6. The opposition

went to the extent of having a thug in a black Lincoln pull over to the side of the road to put their sign back up and "take care" of our sign. It just makes me so angry!!

[SheilaT]

5. Just keep on replacing them.

At some point, whoever is taking them away will tire of the game. I would not bother to booby trap them with vaseline or hot pepper myself, but simply replacing them lets the thief know you won't be intimidated.

True story: Two years ago I ran for the Kansas State House. I lost, but that's not the point here. I had yard signs up, and got a call from one of my potential voters in a great fury because my sign was vandalized. Someone had come by and had literally ripped it up and scattered the pieces around her yard. The hilarious part to this was that she also had a Kerry sign, which was untouched! And she was the ONLY person who had one of my signs vandalized.

Which simply goes to show, that you never know. Oh. Also, (and I am so sorry I didn't take a picture) in one yard there was my sign and a Kerry sign. Right next door, my sign and a Bush sign! If you go door to door and ask them to vote for you and put up your sign, they just might do it.

[Nite Owl]

7. He who has more signs

wins!

[photogirl12]

9. Yes, Nite Owl

...and that is why you have 3 of this canidate's signs on your property.

[photogirl12]

8. The worst thing is that

the opposition just went on tv saying that our canidate's people were knocking down their signs. Now it is starting to become obvious...they are putting them on Dems property. The sign that we put up was about 2'x4', so it was kinda an expensive sign, and there isn't too many of them left.

[Nite Owl]

10. I know but

1. these are republicans, they are like the mafia around here, it has to expected, this is what they are aboout
2. call the opposition's campanign and let them know that this is private property and it must be removed immediately by them or you will do it.
3. if they do not respond (which is likely) then take action by reporting them to the town or whomever is in authority over this.
4. call the media and report it, beat them to it

[Redneck Socialist]

11. political sign wars have been around as long as there have been signs

In one campaign I worked on out in Oregon we were putting up huge signs, billboards really, mounted on 6" X 6" posts. The opposition would chainsaw them down. Not nice, but part of the game IMO.