Election Yard Signs

I read this article recently about yard signs and elections.

I've been thinking that yard signs are kind of stupid. I mean, who looks at yard signs and says, "Well, my neighbor is voting for candidate X, so I think I will, too"? I'd hope it wouldn't work that way. I don't really see the point in yard signs, so I read that article to see if they had any redeeming qualities, or even if they work in ways that aren't apparent to me. This particular article said that signs increase the level of support among the people who actually put them out. I don't know if I think that's good or bad. Good if it's a candidate I agree with on the issues, and bad if it's one I disagree with, I suppose. I guess if I were the person running for office, I'd try to get people to put out my yard signs, too, because it would be a smart move to increase my level of support. But, inside, I'd just be thinking how silly yard signs are.

Yesterday, Jake and I went for a walk after dinner. Our route took us past a large home with a big brick fence around it. It's probably valued within the multi-million dollar range, considering it's in Old Town. A couple of weeks ago, I walked past the same house and it had a couple of your average-sized yard signs out for McCain. Well, yesterday those yard signs had been replaced with a couple of GIGANTIC signs, one for McCain and one for a local candidate whose name escapes me now (though I do remember the slogan at the bottom of his sign: "Drill Here, Drill Now!"). They were so gigantic, I don't know if I can still call them signs so much as banners. They were at least a couple of yards long by a couple of yards high. I wish I had taken a picture to include because these signs were just ridiculous. Maybe if I have time in the next week before we move, I'll swing by there again, just to snap a photo. In conclusion, I can tell everyone that I have seen that yard signs do lead to escalation of commitment. The people who own this house have committed to much bigger yard signs over the past couple of weeks.