It's SNOWING right now in Durham NH. It seems like enough to start accumulating, too. Hooray. It's weird, because the maple trees outside my office window still have yellow leaves on them. Anyhow, happy snow everyone!
I have been thinking a lot lately about lawn signs, especially why the Edwards camp went with navy blue backgrounds. Seems like a lot of candidates went with darker signs with white letters. Who researches this stuff? Do they drive around in the day and night, sunshine and rain, to measure which signs are more visible? Well, my new JRE sign will certainly stand out in the new fallen snow, for anyone who happens down my dead end street.
Lawn signs are popping up all over NH like mushrooms. I haven't done any official counting like Cosmo did last week, but I am using them to teach my kids how to read! My son actually can tell a John Edwards sign from the others, but I'm not sure he's reading. Anyway, I am starting to see trends.
There's a small home in Dover with a bunch of Ron Paul signs that, I swear, reproduce overnight. RP, interesting enough (to me anyway) has signs with both dark & light backgrounds. Hillary, of course, has a gazillion signs up too, and more giant sized ones than anyone. The funniest positioning is the huge Hillary sign at their Dover HQ, because across the street is a giant (white, square) Obama Hope sign at someone's home. So when those staffers & volunteers gaze out the window, that's what they see. Good thing for them the windows are small & high. And what are they doing gazing out windows anyway...back to work, people!
I spotted my first Gravel sign on my way to NHIOP Sunday. There's one intersection on Rt. 101 that's a Republican breeding ground. Easily two dozen signs, mixed candidates. I've seen a few Mitt signs, one or two Huckabees on the Seacoast. And, of course smattering of Edwards in and around Dover.
The make up of the signs is curious to me, too. Most are standard rectangles, landscape layout. Obama's are square, and seem to come with attachments (Hope & graphic O only, or add the Obama name to it). No verticles. My JRE sign, like most others, is thin plastic over a wire frame. Ron Paul's are corrugated plastic--much more durable. I don't think I've seen good old fashioned cardboard ones in a long time.
My friend Julie, who lives in Iowa (and IS caucusing for Edwards!!) said she's been spotting Iowans for Sensible Priorities lawn signs in her suburb of DesMoines. PrioritiesNH does car magnets and cool watches, but I have yet to see lawn signs. Friends of the Earth made up some specialized Edwards signs, but mostly I'm seeing straight up candidate signs only.
I'm heading up to the North Country for Thanksgiving, and can't wait to see what's up there for signage. I loved the North Country for Edwards signs we spotted in North Conway a few months back--nice touch with the moose! I expect to see some Richardson signs in Whitefield, but who else? And, who for the Republican side? I don't see them going for Giuliani or Romney. Hmm, I guess I'll just have to wait & see.
Anyway...Happy snowfall, and happy thanksgiving!
