Tulsa Topics

One of the key elements of running a successful campaign is name recognition. This is accomplished with various means including television, radio, newspapers, and one of the most important methods, campaign signs. Not only does this get the candidate's name out to the voting public, it's also a good indicator of a candidate's support base. Needless to say, good campaign sign placement can make or break a candidate in an election bid.

Two effective countermeasures that an opponent can use to neutralize a candidate's sign campaign are:

1. The now you see it. Now you don't method.

This tactic uses resources that are readily available. One resource would be to use people needing to fulfill their public service debt for being convicted of a non-violent crime. This tactic was recently executed on the Medlock camp -

On Saturday, one of Medlock's supporters saw a city police vehicle filled with people doing public service to work off their non-violent convictions, picking up yard signs at the location shown in the photos below. The supporter approached the “guard/driver” and asked him what they were doing.

(Note: For those "detail oriented" readers -The license tag for the 15 passenger Police van was, 3-51818 and the Fleet ID # was 2001614. He was seen directing the team to pick up our signs on Saturday at 12:40 PM.)

He said, “We’re supposed to pick up all of the signs.”

The volunteer told the guy that the signs in question were legal within the ordinance, but the guy told him they were supposed to get them all.

Title 42 of the Zoning Code, Sections 12-1.C and 1221.C.4.h, permit election campaign signs on private property if erected not more than 45 days prior to an election and removed within seven days following the election. Title 51 of the Building Codes, Section 3102.16, says that no sign shall be permitted in the right-of-way of a street under any circumstances, except as provided in Section 3102.12.4 In addition, Title 27, Chapter 13 allows for the issuance of a citation for placing signs in the rights-of-way.

City inspectors have been instructed to remove all signs located on the public right-of-way. Where the right-of-way line is not clearly determined, the inspectors will pick up all signs inside the power line or fence line extension. If there is no power line or fence line, the inspector will pick up all signs within 12 feet behind the curb line.

If you have any questions, please contact Mark Hogan at 591-4069.

Here are the pictures that illustrate the sign placement and the obvious "Now you see it, Now you don't" tactic (Note: clicking on the picture will open a larger version)-

My contact over at Medlock's camp tells me that to date, at this one site, the city has picked up roughly $30 in signs that were legally placed, with the permission of the property owner, in just over 36 hours.

Wow, I think I'm going to recommend they put a "Bounty" out on the people removing their signs. Maybe make it like one of MeeCiteeWurkor's contests, they are always fun.

Oh... I almost forgot the second election sign countermeasure tactic... It's late so give me a break... okay!

2. The "sandwich your opponent sign tactic."

This countermeasure sign tactic is used if you don't have power over city employees to help with your campaign. It can be used if there is some remnant of morality, because it's not stealing.... it's more of a facade. This tactic is used by well funded campaigns that can afford additional signs and is usually executed with surgical precision by "paid by the sign" employees masquerading as "volunteers." To fully understand this tactic, an illustration is worth a thousand words -

Stay tuned to Tulsa Topics for the next installment of "How to run a dirty campaign." Upcoming material will include the following topics: How to steal an opponents campaign manager; How to steal your opponents platform and make apathetic voters believe it's yours, and the ever popular; How to use the biased media to your advantage.