Kerry Yard signs

[Poiuyt]

I just went to the Kerry headquarters in Appleton and was told that they wouldn't have any yard signs for a couple of weeks. Isn't that cutting it a little close? I've seen a lot of them around town, so they must have run out, but it seems strange that they aren't replenishing them more quickly. Does anyone know of anywhere else nearby where I could get one?

[Arger68]

1. Having the same problem here

in Southern Minnesota. Been to the local DFL office several times, but no signs yet. I think the demand is so high they can't get enough of them.

[chemteacher]

2. Demstore.com has cheap signs and fast service

[Lefty48197]

3. Check the back of your local freeper's pickup truck

There's probably a couple dozen in there.

[goddess40]

4. October 9th signs hit the yards

The Kerry campaign wants to put up signs on Oct. 9th. Why, I have no clue I just know my hand is sore from stapling them together.

[Dying Eagle]

5. I may have the answer

I was told that at the Appleton Office that it is there strategy not to hand them out till then. The Kerry Staffer there said that,"These signs are like silo's, once you see them too many times you quit noticing them" That is what I was told, IDK, All I do know is that I will be ordering mine Online this week.

I don't know if he was just handing me a line of BS, or what. But it does seem to make some since. Early October and they hand out a couple of hundred Signs would make it seam like a HUGE Kerry surge.

They do have around 25 Dottie for Congress signs. So I got one for my mom and myself, so at least I didn't leave empty handed.

[sybylla]

6. By waiting so long, their plan has been thwarted

So many county parties have ordered yard signs, bumper stickers and buttons because the campaign has not provided them. They've gone ahead without the campaign because the campaign has yet to convey that information to many of the local Dem orgs.

My county party's 100 yard signs came in on Tuesday and more than half of them are gone. The guy from the "un"-coordinated campaign that came to our meeting brought a measly 30 signs to be shared between aprox. 3000 dem homes. As it is, the 100 we bought will probably not last the week and we'll need to buy more.

October 9th will not be the big event the campaign was planning. If they'd planned for September 15th, it could have been something. If they'd gotten the word out to the local dem orgs, enough in advance, it could have been bigger. As it is, there will be so many signs up already that the October 9th event will have little impact.

And my county party has yet to get the memo on the October 9th yard sign event. So much for the coordinated campaign.

[ClassWarrior]

7. As I understand it, this is a plan by the JK HQ to conserve resources.

The thought being that a sign isn't going to change anyone's mind, it's just name recognition. Right now they're devoting dollars to TV, rallies, and other efforts. The signs will go out, but when the campaign feels they will have maximum impact; that is to reinforce the Kerry name right before the election.

An added bonus is the fact that the Internet has made it feasible for the first time ever for folks to buy their own signs, buttons, stickers, etc. So the campaign doesn't have to expend resources for more of those things just yet.

23.

[sybylla]

8. It's a plan that's shortsighted and underminds their future.

I agree, signs don't change voter's minds. But they do rally the troops. Grassroots 101. Someone who puts a bumpersticker on their car or a yard sign on their lawn begins to feel they have a stake in the race. Even if it's just getting even with the fundie nutjob who lives across the street and fills their yard with rethug signs, people start to take ownership in the campaign and are more likely to participate in other ways.

And if those yard signs come from local Dem headquarters, where volunteers are needed and from whom the candidates draw them, then the list of possible volunteers can grow. That way we don't have to abuse the usual 6-8 people who show up for everything when they're called on for canvassing, phone banking, rallying, giving rides to polls, staffing the office, dropping lit, walking in parades and acting as ward captains - all of which the K/E has asked local Dems to do.

It's truely not my intent to be argumentative. I just have a personal stake in this. I'd like to see my small county party able to take advantgage of the opportunity this election year presents to grow. And I'd like to see every dime we raise locally go to local candidates, you know, the underdogs who get no help from the DPW, ADCC, SDCC or deep-pocket honchos.

Each time we have to purchase buttons, bumperstickers, and yard signs, the K/E campaign is taking money from the "farm team" and as it goes in baseball it also goes in politics. If the farm team hasn't developed any talent, where will the big leaguers come from?

[LittleClarkie]

9. I've also heard some sentiments that yard signs don't vote

I think they are trying to use the money more for getting out the vote.

But then I also heard a rumor that they want to give out most of the signs all at once, because they figure we've all been looking at the Bush signs for so long that no one really sees them anymore. If a whole slew of Kerry signs just suddenly pop up, folks will notice them and we will get more bang for our buck, so to speak.