As for the effectiveness of lawnsigns, I believe they are more psychological warfare than anything else.
Well placed lawnsigns can give the impression of huge popular support. They can also make neighbors in places dominated by one political party or the other more comfortable going against the grain if they see their neighbor's signs.
And they can lend new legitimacy to long-shot candidates. For example, I was surprised and impressed by the number of Tom Taylor lawnsigns that popped up here in Northeast recently. It was a signal to me that he was serious about the campaign and putting in some work, even though the DFLer clearly has him beat in sign volume. On the flip side, the absence of signs from the Republican candidate makes me wonder what's gone wrong in his campaign. All of this influences perception, even the perception of someone clearly too smart to fall for it (like me ;))
Lawn signs are also a bit of a cold war dilemma - they may not help you get any new votes, but if you don't have them and your opponent does you ARE likely to lose votes.
-Dorian Eder
Windom Park
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