Come on, feel the noise (Jack Bog's Blog)

All over our part of Portland, somebody's put up large, expensive-looking signs on the utility poles that say "Vote Early." They're all illegally placed.

What is the point of this? I know the line about how voting early gets political canvassers to stop bugging you -- once they see that you've voted, they move on (if you'll pardon the expression) to others. But is that all this is about?

What is it about voting early that's worth all the expense and trouble that the sign-hangers are going through? Are they afraid that if people don't vote early, they'll forget to vote at all?

And who are "they"? The Bushies? The lefties? Since it's Portland, I would guess that it's the Democrats. Why are they going through this?

To me, it's just more confusing noise in a political atmosphere that's already charged with a cacophony of messages of dubious validity.

Whoever it is, I sure hope they plan to take all those signs down once the opportunity to "vote early" is past -- say, by the middle of next week. Meanwhile, I await the graffitists' clever "additions" to the curious message.

Comments (8)

Voting early is critical. I'm not condoning the placement of signs on utility polls, but high turnout in Portland may elect John Kerry. Early voting will allow canvassers to concentrate on all those unlikely voters that the pollsters keep ignoring. In January 1996, Gordon Smith was ahead in all the polls, but Ron Wyden was elected Senator because of the effectiveness of getting every possible Democratic voter to vote.

This year the stakes are even higher and voting early helps in those efforts.

Posted by TimC | October 18, 2004 9:32 PM

As a hysterical aside, go to the Drudge Report for a laugh out loud video of John Edwards doing his hair.

Posted by brother gary | October 19, 2004 6:28 AM

I think people should think about this when considering voting early. A lot can happen in two weeks. Once you seal that ballot and mail it, there's no changing your mind.

Posted by Dave Lister | October 19, 2004 8:12 AM

Some people don't need anymore time to think about it. Nothing could possibly happen in the next two weeks to change my mind about George W. Bush, except maybe for the worse.

Posted by raging red | October 19, 2004 9:14 AM

I just realized that there ARE actually more things to vote for besides the President, so people might still want to wait to make up their minds about those other things.

Posted by raging red | October 19, 2004 9:18 AM

I saw some people holding them by the Hawthorne bridge. One also holding a "Vote Democrat" sign beneath. That's not to say the other one wasn't sending Jedi "Vote Republican" vibes to passers-by. I just didn't feel them...

Posted by ThePieman | October 19, 2004 9:37 AM

Jack,

When I saw those go up I assumed they were the Ds. ThePieman's comment seems to support this. I immediately assumed it was an effort to get votes "in the bag" before whatever October suprise Rove has been hinting about. I'm betting that we will roll Bin Laden out of the Pakistani base where we've held him for months. But then maybe I'm just another crazy lefty who thinks elections should be about issues.
Brooks

Posted by Brooks | October 19, 2004 9:53 AM

Written at the bottom in tiny type:

"Paid for by America Coming Together, www.act4victory.org, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee."

Posted by no one in particular | October 19, 2004 12:12 PM

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Monday, October 18, 2004

Come on, feel the noise

Comments (8)

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