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* MisterJayEm in comments yesterday…
Setting aside for the moment matters of ethics and legality, stealing yard signs and campaign literature is *tactically* wrong because it does not affect the outcome of elections.
A person whose yard sign is stolen will still vote for your candidate’s opponent. And you know what else they do?
They talk to everybody they know about how their yard sign for your candidate’s opponent was stolen by one of your candidate’s supporters.
D’oh.
A stolen yard sign gives your opponent’s supporter a perfect opening to talk to anybody they come in contact with about who they’re supporting and why.
Don’t give them that opening. Don’t steal yard signs.
– MrJM
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 12:07 am
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Seriously, are people sitting in their living rooms with dozens of lawn signs? With soil and grass bits on them? You can’t throw them out or the neighbors would see that.
It doesn’t make sense. The only thing that make sense is the sign printer himself stealing the signs to reuse the parts to sell more signs.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 6:09 am
Agree, with one minor note. “Tactically” wrong because it doesn’t affect the outcome of elections”. Stealers may have an impact on the election, but opposite of their sleazy intentions. Which only reinforces your point, Mr.JM.
Comment by Matts Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 6:15 am
I agree 100% with MrJM, with one small caveat. If your opponents signs are in the parkway or otherwise littering public land, you’re doing your community a favor by removing them. Lol.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 7:20 am
Remember this?
https://abc7chicago.com/archive/7756686/
Comment by burbanite Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 7:32 am
In 2012, I thought it would be cool to put out my 2008 Obama yard sign in addition to that year’s version. The first night someone stole the 2008 sign and left the 2012 version. Someone from my own party stole my sign!
Comment by Illinoised Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 7:33 am
Hit the nail on the head regarding yard sign theft, but the whining of people like Roskam about it is unbearable.
Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 8:02 am
Some smart guy on this board told me yard signs don’t vote?
Comment by Real Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 8:11 am
About a decade ago we had a candidate get the signs taken constantly. We advised to buy more signs and cry foul to the press and supporters but do not retaliate. Got great earned media. So as MrJM says don’t engage in illegal behavior. Now the night and into the early hours of the election this candidate put 4 crews into the district and dropped every single one of the opponents signs. I kid you not. The opponent was quoted when they lost by saying there were some things they did not anticipate. Hilarious. The opposing party never again did this again to the candidate in the years that followed.
Comment by Dudly Magoo Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 8:19 am
This is 2018, you take your own signs, its not stealing because they are yours, you get the spin, and can give the homeowners the signs back without spending money.
Comment by the Patriot Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 8:57 am
Yo don’t tell me how to live my life.
Comment by A State Employee Guy Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 9:04 am
You want to outdo your opponent in the sign posting, buy more signs. Taking down your adversaries signs is an act of desperation.
Comment by Retired Educator Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 9:20 am
I have been extremely tempted to remove all Arthur Jones’ signs I come across but fear being spotted with one in my hand or car.
Comment by Soothsayer Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 9:37 am
If you want to steal signs, steal them the day AFTER the election.
Comment by Leigh John-Ella Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 9:39 am
JM is spot on. It hardens that household’s votes and many more. People feel violated when you take anything from their property.
Comment by A guy Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 9:42 am
I knew a campaign manager who back in the day would go out and steal his candidate’s signs from the houses he knew would make a ruckus. It always works. The home owner would inevitable take another sign and ask for extras for their neighbors.
Comment by potato Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 9:47 am
@Soothsayer
People actually have Arthur Jones signs? I think you can justifiably steal signs from actual Nazi sympathizers.
Comment by Actual Red Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:10 am
If the risk is getting caught, but the reward is not having to see a Trump sign in my neighborhood,, I’ll take the risk every time.
Comment by Collinsville Kevin Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:11 am
Favorite sign story: I remember the ‘94 Rostenkowski primary when Banks and Joyce crew nailed Cullerton signs to people’s trees — to undermine Cullerton and support Rosty.
Comment by Contract Disputin' Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:19 am
I assume your Arthur Jones and Trump sign stealing is puffery or just makes you feel good to say it. If not, you believe that you should silence someone else’s freedom of expression? Someone else’s opinions? Simply because you vehemently disagree with them?
Frankly, I would rather the signs remain so that I know who the nazi sympathizers and Trump supporters are so that I can avoid them or work against them.
Comment by Robert Lincoln Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:23 am
I’m not a fan of yard signs. I don’t think they’re useful, an eyesore before elections and nuisance graffiti after. Theft of signs doesn’t bother me.
Comment by Wensicia Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:52 am
The village of plainfield uses the police force to take yard signs. Amazingly, they only end up being signs for the opponents of the current board members and not the board members themselves.
A few years ago, the police department was caught with hundreds of signs in the police dumpster behind their security fence.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:53 am
Lots of yard signs in public ROW. I wish our city would take them away.
Comment by Duopoly Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 11:12 am
Politics ain’t beanbag and anyone complaining about stolen yard signs has probably never knocked a door in their life. But thanks for the free “tactical” advice. I guess you get what you pay for.
Comment by Doorknocker Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 11:29 am
If your campaign is worried about stealing signs to win, you’re probably on a losing campaign, stealing yard signs or not.
Instead of teams of 4 going out to steal signs, that team if 4 is better knocking on doors then stealing signs.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 11:31 am
MrJM- always making sense.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 11:43 am
¿Por qué no las dos, Willy?
Comment by Doorknocker Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 11:54 am
MrJM is spot on with this one.
+++ - Da Big Bad Wolf - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 6:09 am:
Seriously, are people sitting in their living rooms with dozens of lawn signs? With soil and grass bits on them? You can’t throw them out or the neighbors would see that. +++
From what I’ve seen, stolen political signs are usually dumped (when I used to live next to a wooded vacant lot with a marshy back corner, I recall seeing a lot of them dumped there)
Comment by titan Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 12:35 pm
===(when I used to live next to a wooded vacant lot with a marshy back corner, I recall seeing a lot of them dumped there)===
That’s horrible. Gas station dumpsters are a much better choice. From what I hear anyway.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 12:45 pm
Thieves
Not thiefs
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 12:52 pm
Just noticed that my yard sign for Heidi Henry was stolen. Neighbors sign for Lance Yednock was stolen too.
Comment by Huh? Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 2:15 pm