Missing Signs

The candidates' signs sprouted and bloomed in
yards, vacant lots, on street corners, beside
public buildings, or any other place where they
can be viewed from the road. They were planted
before the April primary, and some still flourish,
those touting the losers having withered and fallen.

But driving through Chattooga County and on up into
Walker, I've seen no signs for Obama, nor any for
Obama-Biden.

I went by the Chattooga County Democratic Party
headquarters, newly opened in a storefront less than
a month ago in Summerville, the county seat, to get
a sign for my yard.

There were stacks of signs for the party's other
candidates: Coker for state senator, Reece for state
representative, Winters for county commissioner, but
none for their candidate for the country's top office. I
was told they had run out of Obama signs but would
be getting some in shortly, "and some buttons, too."

A couple hours later I was at the gym to work out.
There I talked to a weight lifter who had an "Obama-
'08" bumper sticker on his car. He said he'd been
trying to get the Obama signs, too, said he was at the
Democratic Party office two weeks before and had
been told they had run out of the signs but would be
getting some more "shortly".

"Same thing I was told today," I said.

"I even left my phone number," he said, "asked them
to call when they got the signs in. They never called."

"I haven't seen any signs out," I said.

He said there are some. "Drive down Highland
Avenue, there's plenty through there, and all around
that area."

Yes. Well. That is where Blacks settled when the
city was totally segregated, and the area is still
mostly Black (and the cities are still segregated,
albeit in more subtle ways).

Does the color of the presidential candidate mean
that the signs promoting him are also segregated?

Couple days later an article in the local newspaper
quoted the Democratic Party chairman as saying that
Obama signs are being stolen and McCain signs are
being placed in front of those that are left in place.

But why are there no yard signs along the highways
and the major streets? Surely some of the houses are
occupied by Democratic Party members who could
quickly replace any stolen signs.

The majority of the local Democrats voted for Hilary
Clinton in the primary. And some stated they could
vote for neither Clinton nor Obama. I will not be
surprised if they vote for McCain in Novemember.

I also vote for candidates, not parties. I'm not happy
with the way Obama has waffled and changed
positions, but I will vote for him in November. I
certainly will not vote for a lying warmonger so
intent on seizing power for his cronies that he will
do and say anything in order to get elected. I know
of several who traditionally vote either Democrat or
Republican, but now say they will vote for indepen-
dents or third party candidates.

I would like to join them. I would like to vote for
Cynthia McKinney, the Green Party candidate. But
with the war abroad and the war at home against
working people and families, the situation is too
serious in this tight race to throw a vote away.
Actually, protest votes can only help McCain.

Come to think of it, I haven't seen many McCain/
Palin signs, either.