Political Clutter

The US Presidential election tomorrow will mark the end of our political Silly Season. And Wednesday will be the beginning of the "Serious Season" when Presidents traditionally have had free reign to grow the economy (by taking from the poor and giving to the rich) and to protect our security (by bombing innocent foreigners.)

During political campaigns many people use cheap cardboard yard signs to post their opinions about who should be given these awesome powers. Yard signs have never ever caused a single person to change his or her vote. They should go the way of political lapel buttons. (Since I've lived in Pasadena I've seen a political button being worn only once: it turned out to be the candidate himself.)

I've been photographing some area yard signs recently. These include a few McCain signs which have been stolen and destroyed. More interesting are the home-made Obama signs. A few bumper stickers and pictures of our favorite Alaskan governor round out the post. Click any picture for an enlargement.



I found these Obama Bake Sale signs on the grass. I suspect that duct tape failure rather than Republicans caused them to fall to the ground.


Yard sale for Obama offering T-Shirts, Apparel and Gifts. Also carved Pumpkins.


I suspect McCain signs were ripped down by passing high school students. After a while people began posting their McCain signs far from the sidewalk in hard to reach places - like high on tree trunks.




This huge Obama sign is not homemade. But it's like 20 feet high and was in someone's backyard overlooking the Silver Lake Reservoir.


Bumper Stickers. First we have a red pickup truck I saw in Temecula California. Note the NRA sticker.


I fantasized that McCain would pick Condi Rice for Vice-President, then he would win the election and die in office, giving us our first female president, our first black president and our first gay president all at once. The Rice bumper sticker advertises this website.


I have no explanation for the last bumper sticker. It shows the words "Green Is In" with a Nazi swastika, a Communist hammer and sickle and an American five-pointed star.


I didn't take the last two pictures. First is Sarah Palin and her daughter with a bloody caribou she just killed. Then a Photoshopped Dancing With The Stars parody which Caesar sent me.

Remember: no matter who wins the election, on Wednesday "Palin for President 2012" committees will start to form across the U.S. thus sowing the seeds for the next political silly season.




LATE ENTRY: I couldn't resist adding this Obama vs. McCain dance video. Apparently Joe Biden can't dance.



A previous MM post is called A Surge of Political Bumper Stickers - it includes a picture of Rachmaninoff. A very early MM reference to perplexing political bumper stickers is here.

ADDENDUM: One of our neighbors posted this painting on their home after the election.
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Bumper Tags: 2008 Presidential Election. . . Barack Obama. . . John McCain. . . yard signs. . . Sarah Palin. . . bumper stickers