I wonder an upside-down sign like this thows a politician at all when addressing a crowd. The temptation to point it out to the person holding it must be strong.

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US presidential hopeful Barack Obama gives a speech on July 24, 2008 next to Berlin's landmark, the Victory Column. Before, he discussed transatlantic ties with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, at the start of a European tour aimed at burnishing his foreign policy credentials. Barbara Sax / AFP - Getty Images