I ran into a hugely long Kagro X comment thread here about how much trouble people are having acquiring Obama signs from the campaign. This appears to be a point of complaint all over the place.
Kagro's comment thread turned out to be really useful in a variety of important ways; it gave me lots of ideas and inspiration as to what to do about signage generally, and how to think about it across the board. But it also got me wondering about why there aren't Obama signs where I live, as well.
Sooo....I went down to the Dem headquarters on the main drag to check this out. First, though, I stopped off at the post office to pick up the first of several Daily Kos-branded hemp shopping bags I've ordered. Once I ordered one, I realized how useful these could be. Many more people use shopping bags than wear T-shirts, these days.
I walked in the door of the fine building in which the Democratic Headquarters is housing itself at this time. Whoo- ohhh!! Very nice architecture, very happy-making!
No one was in the antechamber. Just posters and flyers, and quiet. Quite pleasing just to stand in such a nice space.
I made some small noises. A young fellow walked in from another room, rather abstractedly. He presented himself, and his hand, and told me his name; very polite and calm.
I told him mine, and asked him if he knew about Daily Kos? He said no, perhaps a little confused. I then whipped the Daily Kos bag out of my knapsack, and informed him that I was going to give him this DK shopping bag in tribute to his volunteering at the Democratic Headquarters in Carlsbad!
He took it immediately, and unhesitatingly arranged it upon and over his head, with the handles (two sets!) carefully around his ears.
I didn't react to this generally charming response, but otherwise went on talking with the young man for a few moments before another young man walked in.
Upon this, the first fellow with my bag on his head informed me, "He never lets me talk."
I immediately responded; "But everyone should be allowed to talk! This is a democracy!"
The fellow with my bag on his head went into the back, obediently. I then moved on into a long conversation with second young man. He was very good. He knew all of the Obama talking points, fielded my comments immediately and honestly, talked faster than me at times (amazing!), missed nothing, didn't get hostile.
I ask him about all the stuff I read on Kos this evening about how people are bitching all over the country about how they can't get signs. The stuff I read on Kos (check Kagro X's thread if you want to know) was all about lots of interesting things, including how to make signs.
He said the Obama campaign doesn't buy signs from anyone but union shops. Interesting. We talked some more about all of this.
A woman walked out of the side phone office, wearing a shirt painted wonderfully with turtles. She talked to the young man about her scheduling. She had spent so many hours, and she could do some more, but meanwhile, she was done. Before she left, she turned to me, and offered her name, with a greatly calm and open aspect, the sort you have when you've done a good long stint of good work and are really tired but happy about it. I told her mine, and complimented her on her really great turtle shirt. She smiled and thanked me, and then walked on out, quietly.
After that we talked some more about how the Obama campaign also encourages people to get together and buy and make their own signs. Considering the banking crisis, "yes we can!" is taking on a whole new meaning here.
I talked about DailyKos and he got a little concerned. I said "I've promised people on DK that I'd go down here and ask" (about the sign thing). He asked, "Who?" with some concern. "I live here," he said remonstratively.
"I don't know your name!" I responded gleefully, because, though he'd told me his name, I never remember names for the first half dozen times I've heard them. "I know; they get trolled." I said. He calmed down a bit then.
I gave him a big hug before I left. He was slightly nervous about that, but overall not. Four stars out of five, easy. Four and a half. Definitely a positive Democratic Headquarters Experience. I will be back.