Political signs don't really motivate

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for September 15, 2024)

Imagine if your neighbors stuck signs in their yards telling everyone about the conditions they suffer from. "We're proud of our itchy armpit fungus!" Would you be convinced to get infected, too?

I'm already seeing political yard signs. If people advertise their support for a political candidate, could they be convinced to put signs in their yards proclaiming their diseases and mental problems?

Scratch the part about mental problems; political signs already announce those to the world.

Have you ever seen a political sign and thought "I should hop on that train!"? Or, are you more likely to think "Ugh, one of THOSE people"? It depends whether they share a condition-- support for a candidate-- with you.

In either case, it's something best kept to yourself. Sharing too much isn't smart. In the case of politics, it creates animosity and division among neighbors. No good will come of it.

It's much more likely to hurt you economically than to help you. If you're a decent person who does a good job, telling the world you're on a political side probably won't win you extra opportunities, but in the current political climate, it can cost you. Maybe you say if they'd boycott you over political opinions you don't need their business. That's fine.

There are celebrities I used to have a good opinion of until they expressed their political biases. Suddenly my opinion of them fell off a cliff. I don't consciously boycott anyone, but once I know someone has horrible political opinions, I can't unsee it and I lose interest in things they are involved in. There are actors and authors I will never again be able to enjoy after finding out too much about what they support.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work in the opposite direction. I might discover a famous person agrees with me and form a favorable opinion of them, but it doesn't motivate me to seek out their content. It's better for them if they don't make an issue of it so I don't know.

It's the same with political yard signs. If I agree with you, it's not going to make me think better of you, but if I think you're supporting something terrible, it will make me think less of you.

To be honest, I don't know if it works the same with people who are more partisan than I am. You'll do what you do either way.

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