The case of the missing McCain-Palin sign
posted at 7:27 pm on October 12, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Send to a Friend |
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
When I was at the Minnesota State Fair in August, I asked the McCain team for a lawn sign. These days, campaigns deliver and install the signs themselves in order to make sure that they get displayed properly, and it took more than five weeks to get it. They finally installed a brand-new McCain-Palin sign on Thursday … but it didn’t last long:
Sometime last night, between 10 pm and 11 am this morning, someone stole the plastic sign from the wire frame. I think they wanted to steal the entire sign, as the wire frame was partially lifted out of the ground, but it must have proven too difficult for the thief. Oddly, it looks as though this was the only sign stolen in the neighborhood, as the other McCain and Obama signs I’ve seen were still there this morning.
I didn’t expect the sign to remain unmolested until Election Day, but I thought I’d have it for more than three days. But, hey — it could have been worse. I’d ask for another one, but it would probably arrive at Thanksgiving.
There are other things to enjoy, anyway. We spent the day on the St. Croix on a paddlewheel boat, having a great buffet lunch out of Stillwater and enjoying an unseasonably warm weekend. The entire family listened to a Dixieland jazz band, and we even ran into Brian “St. Paul” Ward of Fraters Libertas, my NARN colleague, on the same cruise with his family. Somewhat ironically, I’m wearing a Hines Ward jersey, which Brian’s family appreciated.
Update: From left to right: Ed, Marcia (the First Mate), David, Kayla (the Little Admiral), and Missy — with granddaughter #2, due in December.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: « 1 [2]
We all out to set up signs and have a video camera on them until they get vandalized.
PattyJ on October 12, 2008 at 9:55 PM
We put ours out this morning- thumbing our conservative noses at the neighborhood nazi restrictions- and if it gets stolen, I have another in the garage to replace it, and it’ll come in at night. Had to send away to some site to get them though, nothing at the repub headquarters here.
anniekc on October 12, 2008 at 9:55 PM
A wise man. A very wise man. ;-)
csdeven on October 12, 2008 at 9:58 PM
Why don’t the fairly decent among the Obama supporters realize that many of their fellow Obama supporters are thugs?
This reminds me of how moderate Muslims don’t seem to understand that their silence is the same as support for the worst among them.
Or are they afraid?
TheCulturalist on October 12, 2008 at 10:14 PM
Friday I’m off to Hong Kong/China and plan on wearing my McCain/Palin navy blue hat the entire trip..
Sadly the most dangerous leg will be a 4 hour layover in San Francisco.
theblacksheepwasright on October 12, 2008 at 10:15 PM
Beautiful family Ed!
Jay on October 12, 2008 at 10:15 PM
watch your back and don’t expect to find your luggage.
TheCulturalist on October 12, 2008 at 10:23 PM
Aw Ed, the fam is gorgeous!
We got signs (& shirts & bumper stickers) yesterday. I woke up this morning and my second thought (first thought: did the 5-days-to-18-year-old son get the 13-year old son to church on time - younger son was playing drums); do we still have two signs and are the still intact and not vandalized? They were both there (even the one on the corner) and intact. Color me shocked! Wait a minute… did I say “color”? Is that wrong? Does that make me racist? sarc/
On the way out of the neighborhood I saw three McCain/Palin signs and NO ‘bama signs.
My 11-year-old daughter was insistent that we wear our matching “Read My Lipstick… Sarah Palin” shirts to church. Saw lots of folks reading the shirts, little reaction one way or another (we go to a multi-cultural church and have discovered that some people *do* vote color) so I wasn’t sure what to expect - just hoped for the best.
Pachyderm on October 12, 2008 at 10:31 PM
You have a beautiful family Ed. You’re living the dream buddy. Thanks for your fine work here at HotAir. The sign stealers were just trying to help save the planet I’m sure.
Mojave Mark on October 12, 2008 at 10:36 PM
The Obamites are too weak to pull a wire frame out of the ground?? How will they have the strength to slash tires on election day??
TugboatPhil on October 12, 2008 at 10:37 PM
One in our neighborhood had letters cut out until it said ‘MAIN PAIN’. At least those vandals were creative.
michaelo on October 12, 2008 at 10:45 PM
What a lovely family. You have much to be proud of. Thanks for the reminder of what’s really important no matter what the world is throwing at us right now.
Our sign is still standing but I think it’s because the “No one died when Clinton lied” libs across the street moved this year and took their politically “active” (ahem) son with them.
inmypajamas on October 12, 2008 at 10:52 PM
Great family, Ed.
Does this mean you will have a port Little Admiral and a starboard Little Admiral? Or will the new one have to work her way up, like starting as an Ensign?
BTW regarding your sign….Where’s Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys when you need them?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on October 12, 2008 at 10:53 PM
Your thieves are despicable, and I regret that they’ve violated and inconvenienced you. That said, in my mind, I have a picture of Bill Murray in Candyshack.
I can see it now: “Freeze, Donkey.”
BuckeyeSam on October 12, 2008 at 11:10 PM
First
Wearing a steelers shirt in purple town……
EricPWJohnson on October 12, 2008 at 11:18 PM
My sign was stolen and the picture looks almost exactly like Ed’s!
Pilfered! Robbed! Swiped!
buzzbrockway on October 12, 2008 at 11:20 PM
Kayla looks like she’s doing her Piper Palin impression :)
Hannibal Smith on October 12, 2008 at 11:24 PM
I guess making your own sign would be out of the question. That would be something that primitives do (you know, like people in flyover country).
mockmook on October 12, 2008 at 11:29 PM
Check this out: I have a McCain yard sign. I’m just recovering from a head cold, so my voice is 5x deeper than it normally is. 3:00 AM - I stumble out of bed to get a glass of water. I hear noises in my front yard, so in the darkness I open the door to find 3 guys near my sign. Before they get to it, I yell “What the F*#&! are you guys doing there!”.
I normally have a deep voice but this came out much deeper and scarier than anyone could ever imagine. These guys nearly nearly died of fright - they were falling all over each other to get into the car and they burned rubber pulling out. Turns out they pulled the half-dozen McCain signs from my neighbors yards. It was a stroke of luck that they missed mine.
Based on their dialect and voice tones I would say they were between 25 & 30 years old. White.
This is what we are up against. We’ve got to somehow stand up to such bullies. McCain is disappointing me, debate-wise, with his failure to stand up lying bullies.
Quetzal on October 12, 2008 at 11:30 PM
Years ago, friend of mine had a problem with a dog pushing over his trash can. He put a metal plate on the ground, put the metal trash can on a small wooden pallet and used jumper cables to hook a car battery to the can and the metal plate.
The dog learned a lesson and stayed away after that.
I wonder if that could be done with wire signs?
The libs might come back a few times before getting the idea. Not quite as smart as your average dog, after all.
TheCulturalist on October 12, 2008 at 11:37 PM
I would question the one in the red polka dot dress…. (just kidding, just kidding). Glad you had a good family day. Maybe you should call the world record people, you might be in the running for the fastest time a campaign sign has been “jacked”.
Hog Wild on October 12, 2008 at 11:55 PM
A livestock quality electric fencer gives off a safe kilovolt pulse that kicks like a horse. Safe for use on cats, dogs, and liberals. It’s the only language they understand.
Video-cams are more sadistic for use on liberals and still recommended.
Feedie on October 13, 2008 at 12:52 AM
Beautiful family, Ed!
My sign’s been OK for the last several days since I put it up … I come out every morning expecting to see it gone. Actually I don’t know how my neighbors are voting - I’ve seen hardly any signs or bumper stickers around but mine. Weird.
Rosmerta on October 13, 2008 at 12:57 AM
Lookin’ good Skipper.
SwabJockey on October 13, 2008 at 5:00 AM
Actually I don’t know how my neighbors are voting - I’ve seen hardly any signs or bumper stickers around but mine. Weird.
Rosmerta on October 13, 2008
Same here, Rosmerta. My yard is the only one on our block with any signs. We have one for our (Republican) congressional candidate, district council and two for McCain/Palin (one I finally got from the Repub. HQ and the one I made myself that says…”Obama? No thanks, keep the change. McCain - Palin 08″. This is no indication of anything, but I’ve only seen a couple of Obama signs in yards of homes that could be considered “middle class”. Almost none in rural areas. Most of the Obama signs I’ve seen are in “distressed” areas and poorer neighborhoods. I guess they’re “hoping” for bigger handouts from The One.
SKYFOX on October 13, 2008 at 5:15 AM
My Obama sign didn’t even last hours in my yard here in Florida. Consider yourself lucky, they even stole the post in my case.
Typhonsentra on October 13, 2008 at 6:01 AM
Right on. Here in Pinellas the McCain to Obama bumperstickers are about equal, and over the past weeks I’d even give the edge to McCain. Contrast that with 4 years ago where they were probably 3:2 for Kerry. Obama signage is much less than Kerry was. A guy on my street even has a homemade McCain Palin sign…garish yet AWESOME.
McLovin on October 13, 2008 at 7:19 AM
You are assuming that there are any decent ones.
After 8 years of listening to the BDS, I have my doubts.
MarkTheGreat on October 13, 2008 at 7:25 AM
My daughter wanted to put a McCain/Palin sticker on her car, but being that she is in a college town I told her no. I didn’t want to see a long scratch down the side of her beautiful bright yellow mustang convertible. Because I knew that would be exactly what would have happened.
I also don’t have a sticker on my car for the same reason.
I do wear my McCain/Palin t-shirt though and I get only positive responses (although I have gotten dirty looks) but at least they can’t “key” me!
Rightwingsparkle on October 13, 2008 at 8:18 AM
SwabJockey on October 13, 2008 at 5:00 AM
Swabby,
Where have you been? Missed you old pal!
Keemo on October 13, 2008 at 8:22 AM
Why are liberals such jerks?
jencab on October 12, 2008 at 7:41 PM
In their self-righteous minds, conservatives are evil, so they feel totally justified, like they are performing a community service.
gxpgxp on October 12, 2008 at 9:53 PM
Unfortunately, there is much truth to this statement. Having lived in a Liberal area of Los Angeles for most of my adult life, I witnessed this first hand far too often.
When Obama loses this election, look over your shoulder often, and watch for vandalism in areas where people aren’t totin guns. These chicken shit Liberals slither around the dark of the night dead set on getting even with those wing nuts.
Keemo on October 13, 2008 at 8:27 AM
Ed, you SERIOUSLY need some atrozine on your weeds, er, lawn.
lionheart on October 13, 2008 at 8:37 AM
And you have a lovely family, especially the lil’ Admiral!
lionheart on October 13, 2008 at 8:38 AM
We shouldn’t be surprised at all this. After all these thugs and immature bullies are typical Obama constituency(and friends and associates and support groups come to that). He and Axelrod quietly like this sort of behavior and do not discourage it. Heaven help this country if O becomes President. His own private Brown Shirts?(no racial inference intended,those really did wear brown shirts).
jeanie on October 13, 2008 at 8:47 AM
I live in the wealthy section of town in Hollywood, Florida. This area is the epicenter of liberal/democratic politics with several key local politicians living there. During Kerry/Edwards the neighbourhood was wall-to-wall K/E lawn signs. Same for Gore/Lieberman.
This morning I counted 13 McCain and 3 Obama signs. What do you make of that?
epluribusunum on October 13, 2008 at 8:55 AM
put cayenne pepper on all parts of the sign that hands of a thief may make contact with and at least have the satisfaction of burning their eyes when they wipe them from laughing at the absurd theivery they just pulled off.
ajmontana on October 13, 2008 at 9:30 AM
It may just be high school kids having some fun. They switched our Kerry sign with a Bush sign in a conservative neighborhood in Western Michigan four years ago. And it looks like someone took an Obama/Biden sign from a house a block over in a conservative neighborhood in North Texas where we now live.
jim m on October 13, 2008 at 9:42 AM
Perhaps coating the sign with a small amount of acetone peroxide or fulminate of mercury?
Amendment X on October 13, 2008 at 10:03 AM
From the same guy who makes idiot bomb remarks at the airport.
epluribusunum on October 13, 2008 at 10:36 AM
That’s not hi-jinks, that’s suppression of your right to express a political viewpoint, and your neighbor’s too. Even in high school I knew better than to wander onto someone else’s lawn — that’s something you learn not to do before you enter elementary school (at least it was in the days when society let kids walk unescorted to kindergarten).
My neighbor also has a very large Obama sign. I might not agree with her politics, but if I see someone up on her lawn touching that sign, they will not walk off scot free. Taking down or vandalizing political signs is pretty serious stuff, which cuts right to the core of American political practices.
unclesmrgol on October 13, 2008 at 11:31 AM
It’s a given that any conservative bumper sticker will be ripped off or vandalized by the feral Left. I’ve had ‘em stolen and razor-bladed by liberal enemies of free speech. You really need to post them on the inside of your windows but, failing that, I buy several so I can just paste the new one over the missing or defaced one and press on. So far, I’ve had my McCain-Palin sticker on my back window for nearly a week without problem. My Bush-Cheney sticker lasted a couple weeks before it was ripped off, along with my “Support The Troops” sticker.
When the lefties are so predictable in their thuggery, it seems like it should be easy to trap them. I like the idea of electrifying your signs. What about tiger traps? Without the punji stakes, of course. Dog poo should suffice.
Tantor on October 13, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Uncle, I agree with you that what the kids did was not right. Our neighbor said he would have had a heart attack if we hadn’t switched back the signs. (He was exaggerating).
As to the wandering onto someone else’s lawn — it’s Halloween/Devil’s Or Angel’s) Night/Homecoming/HS football game time. I’m sure there’ll be a bunch of toilet paper in trees all over the neighborhood before the season is over.
jim m on October 13, 2008 at 2:32 PM
You have a beautiful family Ed.
aengus on October 13, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Comment pages: « 1 [2]