At Obama campaign offices in Virginia's Tidewater area, yard signs are finally in.
This is welcome news for members of an activist group in Williamsburg called Liberals United and Undaunted (LUAU), who've had to drive through a gauntlet of McCain signs for weeks, leaving them feeling outnumbered and overwhelmed. It seems a McCain supporter has been handing out McCain/Palin signs from the back of his pickup truck, advertising his giveaways with a handmade "Families For McCain" poster and directing his customers with a painted arrow.
"I can't help it," said Tim Bernard, a professor at the College of William and Mary. "It's getting me more and more angry. All I've seen is McCain/Palin."
Still, Bernard can't decide whether he wants to put up a sign himself. "It's the gesture of it--you know, it's like you're saying, 'I don't want to talk, I don't want to engage, I just want to put up a sign.'"
His friend Paul Reagan concedes that a yard sign isn't the best means of communication, but when your house is flanked on either side by the opposition, you need to take a stand.
"It's primitive," Reagan said. "It's a way of staking out territory. I feel like there must be plenty of people who aren't McCain supporters, but it's the intimidation of all those signs."
Reagan, Bernard, and most members of LUAU are transplants to Virginia, having moved from other regions of the country--primarily the northeast--in the past 15 years. They like it in the South, where the pace is easy and people are generally friendly, but around election time, things can get tense.
That's where LUAU comes in. Founded in 2004 by Martha Howard and Arthur Knight, the organization allows liberals to come out in the daylight and make new friends. "People who live in more balanced areas of the world have no clue what it's like to live where there are really strong and never challenged areas of social conservatism," Howard said. "When we moved down here, I thought, 'now I have to walk the talk.'"
Walking the talk has meant building a healthy mailing list of like-minded people and then planning informal gatherings--"LUAU Parties"--where folks can socialize and talk issues. Nearly every gathering also involves some sort of positive action, like letter-writing to elected officials. The group is also good at raising money. In 2004, a potluck brought in around $2,700 for John Kerry. Last month, a backyard barbeque raised $5,000 for Obama.
These are dedicated liberals. So when they haven't been able to get their hands on basic yard signs, they've felt frustrated. Where have the signs been? Organizers at the local Obama office explain that up till now, the campaign hasn't seen yard signs as a priority. Instead, the campaign has emphasized opening offices and organizing a sophisticated ground game of phone calls, canvassing, and voter registration.
But yard signs matter, particularly in a swing state like Virginia, where the opposition can sometimes feel downright belligerent. Reagan points to a recent experience at the Newport News Shipping Terminal, where he works. When he slipped an Obama bumper sticker to someone in the office, the boss took offense. "It was like, you're voting for HIM?"
Reagan worries that the polls, which give Obama a slight lead in Virginia, might be deceiving. Mike Blum, another LUAU member, agrees. "If you ask people dispassionately who they'll vote for, they'll say Obama's the better choice. But in the voting booth, you never know."
So Blum wants his yard sign. So does Reagan. As for Martha Howard and Arthur Knight, they already have one--they ordered it themselves. Now that the big shipment of signs is in, Howard hopes to see every polling place covered with Obama signs on Election Day, when she's sure folks will have to stand in long lines.
"I think when people see all those signs, they won't give up and go home. They'll stand in line as long as it takes. The signs will make them think it's worth their time to stay and cast their vote for Obama."
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.