The most legal fun you can have in a campaign...

by: Michael Bersin

Sun Jul 20, 2008 at 19:54:55 PM CDT

Hearing protection when you're driving the posts is a good idea, too.

This morning I accompanied a sign crew for Mike Wagner, the Democratic candidate for judge in the 17th Judicial Circuit (Cass and Johnson Counties), as they set up 4 x 6 signs in Johnson County. For some reason signs tend to have to go up on one of the hottest days of the summer. Today was no exception to that rule.

Essential tools for the task include a lot of volunteers (the more the merrier), post drivers, six foot steel posts, cable ties, screw drivers, cutting tools, weed whackers, and of course, the signs. You need a truck to transport the fixin's and your volunteers. And since it's going to be a long hot day, you need to bring a lot of water.

A weed whacker is essential for clearing the line of sight.

Signs cannot go in a highway right of way. Getting the permission of the owner to place a sign on their property is an essential part of the preparation. In some municipalities there are restrictions which dictate the time frame when signs can go up, how long the can stay up, and when they need to come down. This can vary from town to town within a county.

Cable ties (also referred to as "zip ties") are a vast improvement over the old school technique of wire and pliers.

A screw driver is used to punch holes in the plastic sign. The cable ties are then run through the holes and around the steel posts.

Setting posts in an Alfalfa field (with the permission of the property owner) out of the right of way at a highway junction.

Steel posts (as extensions) can be connected using heavy wire or, in this case, exhaust pipe brackets.

A dozen signs and six hours later, a portion of the candidate's signs are up.