In the last presidential campaign, I volunteered for the Democratic party, calling local voters on behalf of John Kerry's campaign. It was frustrating and ultimately fruitless work. Virginia, as usual, went resoundingly for the Republican incumbent.

I live in Loudoun County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, though lately the growth has been slowing due to the housing bust. In 2004, that growth was in full gear, but it was still one of the most Republican counties in a very Republican state.

This year, there are more people like me in Loudoun: Northern Democrats who are gradually turning Northern Virginia blue. Since our area is the most populous region of the state, Virginia now looks poised to vote for the Democratic nominee for the first time since LBJ's 1964 landslide. He won by 61% nationwide, the greatest margin in presidential election history.

I've been following the polls very closely, and since the financial collapse I was the first person I knew to say aloud, for all to hear: "Obama's going to win!" My friends and family, all Democrats, either didn't believe me or were too superstitious to be so vocally optimistic.

Now, though, the polls, commentators and I have everyone convinced. Unless there's an October surprise of cataclysmic proportions, Sen. Obama is sure to prevail.

Yesterday as I drove to work, I saw a man in jeans and a t-shirt run to a busy intersection near South Riding, Va. and stick a handmade lawn side in the grass. It said "Politicians Gone Wild" and showed images of Obama and Biden with black rectangles painted over their eyes.

I yelled to the man, "It's McCain that's gone wild!" He looked around. "Yeah, I'm talking to you," I screamed. "What form of government do you believe in?!" He looked around some more, then gestured to another driver, who pulled over in front of him. The stealth sign placer got in and they drove off, presumably to put another sign at another well traveled intersection.

Since then I've driven by the sign a few times and thought about destroying it, or turning it into an Obama/Biden lawn sign. But then I think, "What would Barack do?" I imagine he would leave the sign right where it is. It's a sign of the freedom of speech all Americans are accorded, right or wrong.

An epilogue: A while ago, I looked up the Politicians Gone Wild website and realized one of the photos was of McCain, not Biden. It was a humor site poking fun of both presidential candidates. So I was very glad I had not gone wild with their lawn sign after all.