Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign

Yesterday was the first day candidates for city council were allowed to display campaign signs off-premise. That means there was a sign-installing blitz on residential front lawns by all candidates. I offered my services as driver and sign installer.

On some of the streets I went to, the competitors had already been there. Which was good. It meant I could put up bigger signs than theirs.

The houses that support Candidate, that is, the houses that were first to have asked for Candidate's sign, have a distinct look and feel. The homes are better kept, they have front gardens, they recycle, they are people-friendly. Even the sparse, austere homes look intelligent, some feel artistic, all look like they made an informed, conscious choice to support Candidate.

The houses that support the competitors? I am biased in my assessment, but these houses look like the owners are friends of the competitors and they conduct life in a slam-bam, me-first way, or they just want a sign to cover up the garbage on their front porch, or the sign is another piece of garbage growing on their front lawns.

Later, every street will be revisited as more people agree to or ask to have signs put up. But most of this first batch of sign-takers initiated the communication for signs. To me, the condition of a house is a sign of the quality of the candidate the house supports.