How Obama Supporters in Stanwood, WA Prevent Sign Theft PHOTO SLIDESHOW

Washington may be a "blue" state, but Obama supporters in Stanwood have turned into sign sentinels overnight. In a town of only 5,000 surrounded by other small communities, support for the McCain | Palin ticket is so strong that it's resulted in the theft of Obama signs. Click through Marilyn Kennell's photos below to see what her and fellow Obama supporters are doing to combat their stolen signs.

• • • • • • • • • • Obama supporters create prototypes. (Note the sign in the background that we decided was too negative). Photo by Marilyn Kennell of Stanwood, Washington.

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Comments

[beantowner]

FYI, there's a family in Portland, Oregon who have had their Obama signs stolen more than once. The teenaged son rigged up a webcam trained on their subsequent homemade sign to keep an eye on it (and to see who was stealing it, if that happened again). The family is broadcasting the "sign watch" on live streaming video. People from around the world are checking in on the site, chatting and keeping watch on the sign against vandals. It's an amazing thing. Check it out if you're interested at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/obama-sign-cctv-1

Scroll down to read the family's story.

[kbarker]

I grew up in Stanwood, WA. I still have family there too. It's a conservative, rural town that used to have a lot of dairy farms. Many of those have gone away over the years after the government paid them to stop producing milk. Others could not afford their property taxes as land values started to increase. So now many people have smaller "hobby" farms and work outside of the immediate community. My brother-in-law teaches hunters education courses every summer before hunting season starts.

I, however, am the family renegade. I moved away from the town and am a Democrat. I am proud to see this woman stand up to the conservatives and speak her mind. When you live in a small town, it's not easy.

[GeoLee]

My Obama Sign is in my WINDOW for all to see bur for me to keep. All my other candidate signs which are not being stolen are in a line leading up to the windo wo it gets seen along with all the rest at one time. I prefer to think those who are stealing them are really Obama supporters who don't have the money for a sign but want one for keepsake. I wish they would have made some out of paper fro free rather than just having the plastic type that fit over the holder. Maybe if they had been really smart, they would have sent out things on the internet that would have been able to be printed of and put together to make you own look official. Maybe theywill perfect it next time.

[Cambridge9]

One of my Obama signs got stolen right here in New England (I had 2), so I ordered 10 more and handed them out to f friends and neighbors. I figured someone wanted to put my original on their lawn (at least I hope that was the reason).

[IslandChica]

Kudos to you from across the water! I love those orange signs! We're the only ones in our immediate neighborhood w/ an Obama sign, but we're on a quiet "no outlet" street so I don't think anyone's going to mess with it! I wear my pin everywhere. Yesterday a group was holding up Obama & Gregoire signs on Hwy 20. They weren't getting as much positive feedback as I would have like to have seen (during the few minutes I was at the stoplight). So I'm off to the courthouse to personally deliver my ballot (& husband's) as I don't get a good feeling just dropping it into the mailbox.

[camanokat]

WOW! I just ran down to the Stanwood HQ to get my Obama "hope" sign but none were left. So i got a button instead. The place was jamming, with more people coming in all the time. The volunteer on sign duty told me the folks on the phones in the other room were phone banking this area and getting a fabulous response. I wish I could help with that task but I don't hear very well and phones are hard for me.

We're going to win this thing!! I'm getting excited!

[swpeace]

This morning I looked out my window and my sign was gone, so were those across the street, and the one on the corner. I'll buy another tomorrrow but I'd love to find one about stealing and trespasssing.

[nethead]

I was working as a DirecTV installer in North Snohomish county and saw quite the cross-section of residents. I would have to say that it's not as red leaning as one might assume from the country lifestyle. Many many Obama supporters up here. From the trailer parks to the horse farms, many Democrats or people just feed-up with the GOP.

Keep up the faith and thank you.

Joe in Tulalip

BTW: I got my Obama sticker at the Stanwood-Camano office :)

[ellawensmom]

My "Texans for Obama" bumper sticker was peeled off of my car.
I replaced it that one with two more.
If one of these goes, I'll double the amount.
I'm tempted to go take what gets taken from me, but i'm not a Republican so I won't.

[johnnygoodwud]

i saved up a few extra $$$ and on mon. ordered a 2' x 8' blue/white banner that simply says 'OBAMA" that will be put up in my front yard on election day. i live in a pretty republician area of n.w. suburb of chicago, on a very busy street. i'll be close to my sign all day tues. so it won't be stolen, and think perhaps i better up my home owners insurance while i'm at it.

[AfroLatina21]

Does anyone know where I can get those signs?

Did they make those themselves? I want one to put up on my wall in my house. I went on the Obama website and they are sold out of the Obama paintings made by various artists.

[Banji81]

My neighbor's Obama/Biden sign was stolen shorly after he planted it. When he replaced it, his neighbor 'coincidentally' decided to put up several McCain signs, including a pretty bold 'nObama' sign. And these are the friendly neighbors; the suspected 'nObama' guy actually helped the victim to plant the hedge around his mailbox not too long ago, and alos occasionally mows his lawn...ain't that something? Tsk, tsk, tsk...

[cpni66a]

I live in Ohio, in a very, let's just say, "Rebublican" neighborhood. We are the only African Americans who live down here, and the only ones with an Obama sign in our yard...(besides my neighbor, but his doesn't count because it's hidden, and you can't see it driving through the neighborhood.) No one has touched my sign, and they better not unless there's gonna be h-ll to pay!

[michyh]

Terrific! We've been egged , among other things despite being in a fairly OBAMA friendly neighborhood on the whole. Love the signs and the idea of the donation every time one is gone!
As Sam Cooke sang, " A change is gonna come!"

[reader39]

I keep my Obama sign inside of my car for that reason. I had to travel out of my blue neighborhood and into the neighboring red suburb a few days ago and some guy warned (threatened?) that I "might want to be careful driving around with that sign". It is really sad that the folks who consider themselves "real Americans" work tirelessly to suppress democracy.