Sign posting and sign stealing

I've never quite figured out the need to advertise for whom you're voting. Buttons, hats, T-shirts, lawn signs. Maybe I'm just a poseur non-conformist. I do admit to owning a couple of Obama 08 buttons and a hat. I got the hat primarily because I have a really hard time seeing why we should contribute to a campaign. That just doesn't sound right to me - in a fundamental way. So, while I wanted to support Obama, I just felt like I needed a hat for my first $25.00. But that's another post. (I think its an old post-punk anarchy thing - Lobotomy!)

On the one hand, I guess its a way to passively canvass. Which is a good thing I guess. People might ask you questions about your choice, etc. But it can also become crazy I think. Like sign-stealing. What's up with that shit? And then there's the sign-stealing web cam vigil. Wow. 

How about stealing some of those housing developement sale signs that they seem to post in clusters of 5 or 10? Those really suck. Like anyone could get a loan to buy a frickin house!