BREAKING: Obama Campaign Organizers Trying To Win Election Instead of Get You Yard Signs

[CreekDog]

having more votes is more important than having more signs. guess which campaign knows that?

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

Despite Obama’s 100% name recognition, opponents of the “maybe worry about visibility after registration deadlines close” strategy pronounced the situation “dire” on the front page of Daily Kos yesterday.
So dire was the situation that volunteers in the office were taking up collections to have their own signs printed.
Asked about this dire situation in Virginia, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe responded*, “You have got to be $@!#ing kidding me. Is this a joke? I’m busy, I have to go.”

Obama campaign strategists believe that, with their massive months-long, grinding-it-out-every-day registration plan, that 80 percent of those new registrations would vote for Obama, and that 75% of the newly registered voters will turn out. If 75% of an 80-20 split on 300,000 new registrants turns out, that’s Barack Obama adding 135,000 bonus votes to his total in Virginia alone. Organizers in Obama’s Virginia campaign offices have been sternly instructed to focus on those numbers by spending long, exhausting days recruiting volunteers instead of spending their limited time worrying about whether there are enough yard signs to go around.

[liberal N proud]

1. Concentrating on what is important

Yes, it is nice to have the visibility with the yard signs, but I see their point.

It would have been nice though that they would have included that in early messages they sent among the thousands that they have sent already.

I have had people tell me they are worried because they see lots of romney signs and not very many Obama signs.

[CreekDog]

5. well Obama's campaign is doing what it did in 2008 with respect to signs

if you want him to do more signs, expect less voters getting to the polls.

the sign thing is bullshit.

anyone who is that worried about the campaign that they are fretting over signs needs to volunteer and they will immediately learn that signs mean squat.

[liberal N proud]

10. Not arguing that point, just saying...

A lot of older people still are hanging on the old yard sign as a way to gage the campaign.

[TBF]

12. In Texas they'll just be destroyed anyway -

the campaign has sent out bunches of bumper stickers (I sprung for my own "dogs against Romney" sticker down here and I have gotten compliments on it!). Like anything else this is a substance vs. style argument. Substance - win election. Style - put up signs in white bread suburbia.

I'll go with winning.

[CreekDog]

22. True

[Mojorabbit]

29. In Orlando on one of the busy highways

there is a section where I live lined back to back with Romney signs. It is frustrating to see. We went blue in 08.

[femrap]

42. I disagree...

I've read that many voters do not make up their mind who to vote for until they're on the way to the polls. They may see that one of their neighbors who they like has an Obama sign and that makes an impression. I think you forget that most people aren't political junkies and don't have high IQs.

On the night before the Ohio elections in '06 for gov, senator, and other top state positions, a bunch of us had people bring back their yard signs and then we placed them in the VERY PUBLIC NO-NO SPOTS (entrance/exit ramps to freeways, dead end highways where one has to go left or right, etc.) It was a lot of fun, really.

You have no idea how furious the repugnants were the next morning. We covered our entire county with 4 groups.

I tried to get our County Dems to do the same this year, but they seemed too scared or didn't have the energy. We have an important Senate race this year as well.

But the Obama sign is pretty crappy anyway....the writing is so small.

But I do agree that door-knocking gives the best results.

[treestar]

2. One can always make a homemade sign, too

[femrap]

43. How about

Romney
Ryan 4
RAPISTS

[treestar]

48. Good one

Properly spelled, too!

[appleannie1]

3. Thugs just steal the signs as fast as you put them out anyway. If all they see is Robme signs

some of them might be smug enough to stay home figuring they have it in the bag.

[TeamPooka]

41. good point

[bklyncowgirl]

4. I'm making my own window sign. With any luck Sandy will blow away the RR lawn signs.

[femrap]

44. Good idea. nt

[madaboutharry]

6. Yard signs are a waste of money.

I would like to know who the person is that said "I'm voting for so-and-so because I saw a yard sign while I was driving down Elm Street."

[KharmaTrain]

28. I Do The Opposite...

I didn't know the names of the teabaggers running for state and local offices. Thanks to all the yard signs on the local wingnut's lawn I now know! Signs can have an impact!

[madaboutharry]

38. LOL!

[eyewall]

45. Glad you mentioned that,

we do the same thing. There's always a bunch of nonpartisan offices so we use the wingnut yard signs to help identify the republicans on the ballot.

[pointsoflight]

7. They have pulled by on signs/stickers nationwide.

Smart, IMO. They don't need exposure, waste of money, don't have much impact. The ground game--calling people, knocking on doors, making new contacts, etc.--is a much better use of resources.

[alfredo]

33. I post down ticket yard signs. Reggie Thomas for the 88th in Kentucky. Go Reggie!

[Coexist]

8. and 2008 was a good year for whom?

Barack Obama...

[SickOfTheOnePct]

9. Good to know

In my neighborhood, the count is 14 - 3, Romney to Obama.

[SingleSeatBiggerMeat]

21. Oh No.

We lost the election.

[jkrichter]

11. Donating for votes

[Left coast liberal]

13. For cripes sake! Is this the Onion? Their ground game is phenominal.

Who cares about yard signs?

[underthematrix]

14. According to reports by hate group watch organizations

there has been a serious uptick in the number of peeps joining white supremacist and white hate groups. I live in northern Nevada. My husband is white and I'm AA. I told him we could not put out any signs or anything on our cars because we do have folks here who think nothing of destroying your property because of differing political views. Hey I'm practical and hate drama. In 2008, you saw more signs because most hateful folks didn't think we would elect our first biracial president but we did. Now some folks are pissed off about it so it's better this election cycle to focus on the REAL WORK - making sure people get out and vote.

[ffr]

15. SAC & TAC

Just as we have in our Air Force, there are different divisions with different tasks. Tactically the registration and visibility have served their purpose. They were part of the strategic plan to win the election through GOTV and it is that plan that is being implemented with muster.

SAC - Strategic Air Command
TAC - Tactical Air Command

[EmeraldCityGrl]

16. I suppose you first need a yard. Not every voter has one.

Just stating the obvious.

[alfredo]

35. My yard signs deflect attention away from the bare spots in my yard.

[wisteria]

17. People know who President Obama is. It it is Mitt with the ID crisis.

And, signes keep on getting stolen anyway. I have a window sign up.

But, after he wins again, I would like a yard sign to put out so I can tie balloons on it and rub it in the noses of all the repubs living on my block with there perfectly alligned Romney signs.

[GoCubsGo]

18. Around here, they get vandalized.

I pass by one house that has an Obama/Biden sign in the yard occasionally. It's very wrinkled, because somebody most likely came up and crumpled it. The owners uncrumpled it and put it right back up. Typical of the right wing assholes in this shithole town.

[eyewall]

40. We had that happen too in '08

My racist republican neighbor would take our sign and throw it behind bushes or any place he thought we wouldn't find it. I finally stopped putting it back up and gave it to someone who wouldn't have that problem. They were excited to get it. I said to my neighbor "You really don't like living in a democracy do you?" and he of course went ballistic.

[Baitball Blogger]

19. Something I noticed about the Romney signs in my area.

Okay, Romney signs outmatch the Obama signs about 7 to one in my small canvas going in and out of the development. That still leaves a lot of lots neutral. But here's the thing, I don't see any Romney signs along the major arteries. This is a hardcore red county. No fear of anyone taking the Romney signs down, but I have yet to see one on a main artery near home.

[Shana]

20. While I agree that there are more important things for the campaign

than worrying about yard signs, there's a certain amount of the voting populace that wants to go with the winning side, and the visibility of yard signs is an indication of who's ahead in their area and therefore worthy of their vote. There's a number of "low information voters" (I know, it's a euphemism) who don't follow politics the way we all do and aren't knowledgable about all the issues. For them, the tally of yard signs is as good an indication as anything else would be.

[CreekDog]

23. You're right

But the campaign isnt going to divert GOTV resources for that.

[AgingAmerican]

24. We don't steal yard signs either

That seems to be a major campaign 'activity' for republicans, stealing Democratic yard signs.

[alfredo]

37. It happens quite a bit around here. I live in a Red (welfare) state.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. Here in my area, the republicans pepper public properties with yard signs.

Right of ways along streets, grassy areas in front of public buildings, and along freeways. Just absolutely covered with republican candidate signs. And some are those great big ones held up by metal bars that have to be hammered into the ground.

Our republican congress rep has no Democratic opponent and his signs are everywhere.

This goes back as long as I can remember. Laws against signs on public property don't apply to these assholes in a red state.

[Historic NY]

26. OMG signs....contribute get a KQQL magnetic or 44 sticker....

sheesh....I give mine away and I'm covering his back by giving them money not wasting it on some sign that few see and most disappear.

Trinkets is thats what this is all about.

[graywarrior]

27. When I volunteered in NH during 08, we were told to make our own signs

So we did.

[BlueMan Votes]

30. I live in a very republican subdivision...

There are always a LOT of yard signs for the repug candidates- there were even a lot of Bush/Cheney signs in 2004, and McCain/Palin signs in 2008. But this year- although there are still a lot of signs- all for local and/or congressional races, and all for republicans.
But not a SINGLE Romney/Ryan sign.
Also- I've noticed that the local/congressional Republican candidates almost NEVER have the word "Republican" anywhere on their red-white-and-blue yard signs.

[SheilaT]

31. As one pretty savvy politico I used to know always said,

"Yard signs don't vote." He stressed to those of us running for office to do as much door-to-door canvassing as possible.

I ran for office, my state's house of representatives, in 2004. Where yard signs proved very useful to me was in the yard sign survey we did in my district in the two weeks before the primary. We made note of the addresses of those who had signs for the more extreme right-wing candidates in the contested Republican primaries. The extremists all lost that year, and those signs came down after the primary. But I knew where they had been, and I did not bother to knock on their doors when I was out trying to convince people to vote for me.

I lost my race to the popular, moderate, incumbent Republican, and I haven't run for office again, but it was a very good experience and I'm very glad I did it. And yes, the most useful thing we ever did was that sign survey.

[undeterred]

32. I live on a busy street and we had no yard signs

so I went over to the office and got a few signs this morning for me and my neighbors. We are all Dems, but its nice to spruce up the street in time for Halloween when everyone is out!

[bloomington-lib]

34. We'll see how many of those yard signs are up after the hurricane

worry about getting people to the voting stations instead of signs is the way to go

[struggle4progress]

36. Robin: "Holy swizzle-sticks, Batman! North Carolina looks close! Y'reckon mebbe we oughta

print us up a big mess of yard signs?"

Batman: "Yard signs can't vote, Robin. And when the polls close on November 6, ain't nobody gonna be drivin around countin yard signs"

[AlbertCat]

39. Less to clean up after the election.

Of course, Repug signs will still be littering the side of the highway in May. They think that crying indian commercial from the late 60's is funny.

[eyewall]

46. I asked my wife to not put a bumper sticker on her car.

We have an unfortunate preponderance of neanderthals in our town, we live in a semi rural area, and I don't want to have to worry about vandalism or her safety.

[EC]

47. Yeah, and?

Don't get it. Are you complaining or what? This makes sense. To tell you the truth if the office had told me they were out, I would have been just as happy with any of the Democrats signs...even just a sign saying I'm voting Democratic or something like that is enough.

[CreekDog]

51. I'm complaining about the people who worry that there aren't enough yard signs

[atufal]

49. I was a poll watcher in Indiana in 2008...

I asked about the signage rules around the polling place and if they wanted me to put up any. My contact told me not to worry about it. By the time people were heading to the polls, their minds were already made up. And the Obama campaign would have already helped them make that decision by then.

Just insane ground game.

[Coyotl]

50. Just put an empty chair on your lawn FCS!

Maybe an "I vote" sign on it

[FightForMichigan]

52. Plouffe is right

Yard signs don't vote.

If you really wanted one, you could buy one for a $20 donation on the Obama site.

I had a conversation with an older lady at my temple Friday about the lack of yard signs she was seeing. I said, first, this is Michigan, we're not a battle ground state, resources are going elsewhere. Second, the focus is on getting people out to vote, not planting yard signs, and in our state House races, candidates are discouraged from spending their few dollars on yard signs rather than actual outreach. She thought it made sense after all and asked if that was the way things are going to be going forward. Depends on how it turns out this year, I said.