Homemade Obama Signs & what they tell us about this election

"Someone stole our Obama for President sign from our yard last night. They stole nearly all the Obama signs in our neighborhood. The ones they didn't take they spray-painted black. So I made this sign today and staked it in the yard. I fully expect it to be trashed by morning. At least they know the result of their pranks: we give more money to Obama's campaign." Credit

Obama lawn signs were in short supply the past couple months, for a few reasons.

1. The Obama campaign gave out fewer free ones. They encouraged supporters to buy the signs at the Obama website to support the campaign financially.
   
2. People who did order lawn signs reported delays in receiving them.
3. Obama signs were stolen in droves across the country, particularly in small towns and suburbs.
   

So people made their own signs, and those homemade signs often expressed much more than support for Obama.

Homemade signs expressed people's opinions on the economy, the environment, the war, and foreign policy.

People expressed outrage at the incidents of theft and vandalism that made it necessary for them to make their own signs in the first place. credit: Eriepressible

Around the internet, blog posts went up explaining how to build a sign that can't be stolen and how to use cameras and video equipment to catch thieves in the act. (Several thieves have caught that way, including a couple in Bath, Ohio.)

The Wall Street Journal reported on a 16-year-old Portland boy's attempt to video -- and stream live -- the theft of his family's sign. Somehow, the live stream at CCTV gained an audience. Now dozens of people around the world are now taking shifts so that the family and its sign stays safe (they call themselves CHAOS, or Citizens Hanging Around the Obama Sign)



Just say no to intimidation

The thefts went on everywhere. In Sacramento, one family plastered their front yard with 100 handmade "Obama '08" signs after several previous campaign signs were stolen. After the first few signs were stolen, the family put up a sign saying, "If you take our sign we will donate money to the Obama campaign." When that sign was stolen, the Jeglie kids made 100 "Obama '08" signs on index cards and put them in the front yard, while Ginni Jeglie donated money to Obama's campaign for every sign that was previously stolen.

There were news stories about tool-wielding citizens building quasi-permanent signs to thwart thieves:

Credit

Credit: SilencedMajority.com

Credit: Marin Independent Journal

These lawn signs were especially creative (and tough to steal):

Austin, TX Credit: BurntOrangeReport.com

Pennsylvania Credit: a35mmlife

Hampton, VA Credit: Gary L. Cooper

Signs of admiration and hope

Many homemade convey a level of excitement and admiration rarely shown toward politicians:

Credit: richardrodriguez1977

Credit: beaucolburn

Some of the most charming signs are the handiwork of kids:

Credit: JamesOClark


"The local office was out of Obama signs, so Samson's sister, Aster, made one herself."
Credit: daddy2samson

Credit: Granite Shavings blog

And then there were the originals:

Credit: Carolina Victory

Credit: Prometheus Unbound

Credit: Carolina Victory


Credit: Dangerous Intersection

This is really just the tip of the iceberg. You'll find lots more original Obama signs, art, and crafts collected on the free photo-hosting site Flickr.com. Try:

• The Obama Craft Project Pool on Flickr
• The Obama Street Art Pool on Flickr
• The 2008 Election Graphics Pool on Flickr
• The Crafters for Obama Pool on Flickr