Putting aside the fact this action is totally undemocratic (that’s democratic with a lower-case “c”), this is pure genius.
Congressman Tom Reed, a Republican representative seeking re-election in New York’s 23rd District, grew a little weary of having his campaign signs stolen.
The signs feature the phrase “Extreme Ithaca Liberal,” a shot at the opposition party in the area who have resorted to extreme platforms and now extreme measures to combat Republicans.
And it’s not the first time the signs have disappeared. Volunteers for a Democrat opponent were caught removing signs while still wearing their campaign stickers in 2018. Another woman admitted taking them down earlier this month because they were “rude”.
With a pattern firmly established, Reed’s campaign got clever and installed a GPS tracking device in one of the signs.
Sure enough, an activist from a prominent “resistance” group in the area was tracked down and confronted when the sign disappeared.
[WATCH] After multiple campaign signs promoting U.S. Rep. Tom Reed disappeared in Corning, Reed's campaign manager planted a tracking device and decided to confront the culprit. A retired pastor has been charged with petit larceny. pic.twitter.com/QKQgZ998SI
— Spectrum News ROC (@SPECNewsROC) July 12, 2018
Reed campaign manager Nick Weinstein showed up on the doorstep of Gary McCaslin, who took exception to having been caught red- (blue-?) handed.
“I can’t believe this, Nick. You tracked this sign to my house?” an exasperated McCaslin asked. “Is Tom Reed that desperate that he has to put little thing like that inside of a sign and track it?”
Weinstein was able to get the sign returned, but McCaslin refused to return the tracker, instead suggesting that team reed call the police.
“So we did,” the campaign wrote on their website. “And, after law enforcement reviewed our videos, Gary McCaslin was charged with petit larceny, punishable by up to a year in jail and a one thousand dollar fine.”
This is amazing: Rep. Tom Reed's campaign put a GPS-style tracker ON THEIR CAMPAIGN SIGNS and tracked down the person who they say was taking them https://t.co/PD7DUVoIjn
— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) July 11, 2018
Weinstein accused Reed’s opponents of being “willing to go to criminal lengths to try and hide their Extreme Ithaca Liberal agenda from the public.”
McCaslin, who is scheduled to appear in court on July 19, had his lawyer argue that he was simply a citizen acting “out of decency” by picking up the signs, or as he called it, “taking out the trash.”
Liberal Rev. Gary McCaslin not quite getting that "shall not steal" thing, busted after being tracked by GPS stealing .@RepTomReed campaign signs https://t.co/QQCKi984sV
— Janis Kelly (@Janis_Kelly) July 12, 2018
While it’s a pretty solid effort — using GPS to track down a liberal — it falls slightly short of our favorite example of how to combat sign stealing on the left.
In September of 2016, a fan of President Trump saw seven of his “Make America Great Again” signs disappear, so he rigged one to zap any would-be thieves with an electric jolt.
Someone tried to steal and destroy a Trump sign in a private garden, but it was boobytrapped and he got an electric shock.
Caught in the act pic.twitter.com/cSmKarRsUf— Alan Silver (@AlanSilverNews) October 5, 2016
What’s better, watching a liberal get shocked with an electric jolt or watching one get arrested for stealing signs?
Cross posted at the Mental Recession
