The sign on the side of the freeway in Malcolm, Iowa, was one of the first that represented the vision that I had when I sought out to see how political engagement was showing up in the landscape. This was the image that I had been seeking. 

This being the first freeway sign that we saw, we were still learning the best way to navigate pulling over on the shoulder of a busy interstate freeway and positioning our tiny car for a decent photograph as quickly as possible with the maximum safety from the big rigs speeding by.  

What drew me to this sign in 2008 was that it was hand painted in a specific style that was not in line with campaign branding. I was also surprised by the candidate represented; I was fairly ignorant to electoral politics and was led to believe that everyone in the middle of the country was politically conservative. Seeing this sign opened up to me how much more nuanced national politics can be, as opposed to the simplicity of states that are characterized by either ‘red’ or ‘blue’.

And then returning in 2016, it was surprising to me to find a candidate that was not a designated nominee as if to say that the sign maker was unhappy with the selected Democratic nominee.