Why is someone tearing down campaign signs? As already discussed in a Spy letter to the editor, vandals recently destroyed a large Biden sign. Another road sign was defaced with spray paint. And it gets stranger. At least two Trump signs were rigged with what looked like fake booby-traps, apparently to deter anarchists and Antifa from removing them. Closer examination has shown them to be anti-theft devices.
What is going on?
As far as the vandals attacking the Biden signs are concerned, one explanation is fear and desperation. A new Wall Street Journal /NBC News poll shows President Trump down by 14 points. With the President still ill with the coronavirus, hopes for a comeback are fading.
What caused the drop in the polls? There are many places to start. Just looking at last week’s news, it is hard to determine whether it has been the President’s non-payment of income tax, his stellar debate performance on September 29th, or something else. Evidence of his leadership failures on addressing the pandemic mounts every day along with the national death toll, now over 212,000.
Of course, the WSJ/NBC poll was taken before the President disclosed he has the virus. We all hope for the President’s recovery, but will there be a sympathy vote? Not likely, given the long history of reckless behavior on Trump’s part, which includes holding a fundraiser after he knew he had been exposed to the virus and ignoring the social distancing and mask rules at the first debate.
There is also the issue of what he has done since disclosing his illness. In addition to the White House issuing conflicting reports on the state of his health, the President faked a “work session” at Walter Reed Hospital at which he signed blank sheets of paper. Perhaps worse, he risked the lives of Secret Service agents and others with a bizarre drive around the hospital, yet another ill-conceived photo op. Doctors were shocked.
It’s also not likely that Monday night’s photo op will help. Some doctors question whether Trump should have discharged himself from the hospital at all, an act setting the stage for prime-time news coverage of Marine One and Trump, in full business attire, returning to the White House. Then he walked, unassisted, up the stairs and, amazingly, promptly removed his mask and put it in his pocket before posing for a short video in a doorway.
I remain hopeful that the President will fully recover from the virus, but 72 hours in the hospital don’t appear to have taught him anything. As one friend of mine commented, “It’s too bad Trump has the virus, but he has only himself to blame.” The friend added, “You reap what you sow.”
Could it be that the destruction of the Biden signs is an expression of fear that the election is lost and that the Trump era is about to end? Could it be that some deranged thought process has convinced the vandals that destroying the Biden signs will somehow either intimidate Biden supporters from voting or, worse, serve as a graphic demonstration of how strong Trump’s support is. There is nothing like violence to cement political power.
Not so curiously, I am not seeing much about Trump signs being destroyed. I am sure it is happening somewhere, but I just haven’t seen it here. And if there is vandalism on the left, I am not sure it is fair to credit former Vice President Biden. Antifa and “anarchists” are not part of the Biden campaign and, given that they are both unorganized groups, the thought that they are coordinating with Biden is far-fetched.
Also, as noted earlier in this piece, it is rapidly becoming apparent that Biden does not need, let alone want, the help of hooligans to support his campaign. He is ahead in the polls by double digits.
We are all blessed that less than a month remains before this sorry chapter in our nation’s history ends. When the smoke clears, we will hopefully have a new day, a day of honesty and seriousness. A new administration that listens to scientists and will focus the resources of the federal government and bringing the pandemic to an end.
Here is a message to the vandals: Your acts are only creating sympathy for the other side. Seeing the defaced Biden sign on Oxford Road only makes me less likely to vote for Trump, not that there is any chance of that.
I hope you get caught and turned in to appropriate authorities.
If you see one of these vandals or know anything that might lead to their arrest, contact the Talbot County Sheriff at 410-822-1020.
J.E. Dean of Oxford is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. For more than 30 years, he advised clients on federal education and social service policy.
Wendy VanNest says
Well said. Thank you.
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece. Much appreciated.
Warren Davis says
I couldn’t agree more with the thoughts expressed in this letter. Can’t wait to get this election (and pres. Trump) behind us so that we can begin to address our crises in the economy, health, environment, and social justice in a serious way. Political signs are messages of hope and should be respected.
Warren Davis
Oxford
John Dean says
Thank you.
Wolcott says
Thank you so much for this. I couldn’t have said it so well if I tried but you are right on the mark
Laurie says
100% agreement with everything you said. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Come on, Nov. 3! These last two months have passed more slowly and been more chaotic than the last four years. Enough already, time to clean house.
David Reel says
In J.E. Dean’s latest Trump is always terrible all the time op – ed, (a theme that he tries to advance as predictably as the sun rising in the east every day); Dean opines that one explanation for the ongoing spate of vandalism against Biden campaign signs is fear and desperation by supporters of President Trump. By that “logic” then the ongoing spate of vandalism against Trump signs must be based on fear and desperation by Biden supporters.
Perhaps that thought has not crossed Dean’s mind since he says “I am not seeing much about Trump signs being destroyed. I am sure it is happening somewhere, but I just haven’t seen it here”.
Allow me to enlighten you Mr. Dean. Vandalism destruction and stealing of signs supporting President Trump and other Republican candidates is happening here in Talbot County as well as in other counties on the Eastern Shore. You saying “I just haven’t seen it here” is likely based on one of three things – you are not paying attention, you filter out news that does not fit your view of the world and/or because Republicans are doing what they so often do – clean up messes (e.g. vandalized signs) created and left behind by other people.
A front page above the fold article in another local media outlet is spot on. The article leads with the following — Campaign signs – whether they be from President Trump or Joe Biden — are being damaged, stolen and vandalized throughout the Eastern Shore. The same article includes a recap I assembled of at least 18 signs promoting President Trump and Congressman Harris that have been vandalized, destroyed or stolen. I have no doubt this is the proverbial tip of the iceberg and there are many more such incidents out there yet to be confirmed. So much so, I am presently engaged in more research to help quantify the scope of this problem. Unlike Mr. Dean who prefers to base his opinions only on what he has seen personally, my expanded recap will be based on what has occurred and is occurring, not only on what I have seen.
The same article referenced above also notes Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble said his office is seeing calls about campaign signs from both political camps. The article reports Gamble also saying both presidential candidate’s signs have been targeted, though he said he did not know how many signs of either had been defaced or stolen. Always the consummate professional, Sheriff Gamble said — Honestly, I have not made a tally. It’s all about people’s property that is being destroyed. What it says doesn’t matter to us.
Mr. Dean, if you are relying on a recent one sided partisan letter to the editor signed by local Democrats (complete with a picture of ONE vandalized sign), you are woefully uninformed. Time to take off your “Trump is terrible” blinders and acknowledge this is a very serious problem that crosses party lines. Otherwise you are part of the problem, not even remotely a part of a solution.
John Dean says
Thank you for your response despite the insults included in it.
I condemn the destruction of any political yard sign, regardless of the candidate. I hope if you are aware of anyone that has destroyed a Trump sign that you turn the vandal into law enforcement authorities.
Please know that my piece was not based on the letter to the Spy editor. You might have noticed that the picture accompanying the article was different than that accompanying the letter. I took it myself. I was sufficiently outraged that I decided to write the piece.
Please also know that I acknowledge in the piece that Trump signs have been destroyed. I simply had not seen any in my part of Talbot County. I did not undertake a survey of the entire Spy readership area. I also had not seen the local news stories you reference.
Two wrongs do not make a right. Thus, I will stick by my condemnation of whomever destroyed the Biden signs. Even if Trump signs have been destroyed, the Biden signs should be left alone. As I said above, law enforcement authorities need to be called in the case of any sign being destroyed.
If you see Trump signs destroyed, I would encourage you to submit them to the Spy with the request that they be forwarded to me. I would welcome seeing them and would encourage the Spy editors to consider publishing them.
Violence has no place in American politics.
Again, thanks for taking the time to comment.
Steve Slack says
How many minds are changed by the plethora of political signs littering the landscape?
John Dean says
Thanks for commenting. In my view, very few. I’d love to see a study on the psychology that prompts some of us to consider this an important part of elections.
Reed Carey says
Oh, I hope they’re not “turned into” appropriate authorities – it would be terrible to have them as our authorities. Rather I hope someone turns them in to the approriate authorities!
John Dean says
Excellent point. Thank you for flagging the mistake.