Sketching Out Blog: Sketches of art, watercolor, photos, recipes, books, interviews, Jewish topics, and Highland Park, New Jersey

Political Lawns in Highland Park

Hillary Clinton for President lawn signOne of my hobbies is, while I am driving around this bitty borough of ours, to note political lawn signs. During local elections, many lawns here have signs. Over the past few weeks, I’ve noted the national election lawn signs going up. My block now has one Obama sign and two Hillary signs.

A few weeks ago I saw one Hillary Clinton sign and several Obama signs in all of Highland Park. As of this past weekend, however, that changed: now there are quite a few of both. On Sunday, our mayor, Meryl Frank, held a meeting with Senator Robert Menendez called: “Hillary Clinton:the best choice from a Jewish Perspective” (which I would have liked to attend, but life with three kids makes such things difficult). So Meryl is publicly supporting Hillary.

We don’t do signs on our lawn. I once put a political sign on our lawn for a local election. My husband and I decided we were not doing that again. For one, we like our neighbors, no matter how they may vote. And for two, I got an unpleasant phone call as the result of putting up the sign.

I have not seen any political lawns signs on any of the Orthodox Jewish homes here. (No, I take that back…I did see one Hillary sign.)

No Republican signs. I do know of at least one Highland Parker who is planning to cast his vote for McCain.

The signs merely reflect the most vocal people here in our borough. Someone once said: “just because a person is the loudest in the room does not mean that he/she is right.”

What does your neighborhood look like?

Jill says

I do the sign watching too. Highland Park has a lot! I like living in an area where people are involved and speak their mind.

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Hellibrarian says

I don't need a political sign. I just have my daughter shrieking in my ear "Vote for (fill in whoever her grandmother supports)!" while we are in the voting booth.

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Laurel Kornfeld says

Hi, Leora,

I subsequently contacted Senator Menendez and tried to convince him that John Edwards was the best presidential choice from a Jewish perspective. In retrospect, it's amusing that neither Hillary nor Edwards got the nomination.

The coolest thing for me was seeing my own campaign signs around town when I ran for Borough Council, sometimes at the homes of people I didn't even know!

No matter who they are for, these signs seem to grow like weeds. Maybe it's something in the soil...:)

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