WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — The idea came to George Davey like a vision.

In his backyard, which overlooks one of the busiest streets in this bustling suburb of the Iowa capital, he would build a giant sign — a mini billboard, if you will. And it would feature the photo of his chosen candidate in the upcoming Iowa caucuses: Donald Trump.

Last fall, Davey, a 49-year-old computer engineer and father of two, casually mentioned his plan to his wife — intentionally leaving out the key detail that it would be a very large sign. He knew she’d probably stop him if she knew exactly what he was planning — a full-on pedestal propped up against their wooden fence complete with lighting. Better to do it and ask for forgiveness later, he thought.

Davey, as he explains it, isn’t a super-political person, though he did once help lead a fight to block an increase in the local sales tax. But he was a longtime fan of Trump, having followed his career since he was in college. He’d read all of Trump’s books and even posed with a wax figure of the New York real estate magnate turned reality television star a few years ago at a wax museum in Branson, Mo. A picture of him and his icon became a cherished possession.

When Trump announced he was officially running for president last summer, Davey was thrilled. He not only sees Trump as one of the great business figures of the modern era, but also as someone whose story is distinctively American. “He’s a great dreamer, someone who has vision,” Davey said.

Sometime around October, Davey began to put his plan in motion. He scouted pictures of Trump on the Internet — looking for that perfect one. He settled on an image of Trump that, as he sees it, is a bit ambiguous. Is he yelling at someone, or is he just talking? “It’s up to interpretation,” Davey said. He sent the image to a sign company in California, where he ordered a 4-foot-by-8-foot vinyl sign that could withstand an Iowa winter. When it arrived a few weeks later, Davey couldn’t believe how amazing it looked, but he quickly rolled it back up and hid it from his wife.

Story continues

The Friday after Thanksgiving, Davey finally began to put his plan in motion. With his wife out shopping at the Black Friday sales, he ran into his backyard. There, with the help of his father-in-law, he secured the vinyl sign on the pedestal he’d designed, and they lifted it up, securing it to his fence so it wouldn’t blow over. He saw neighbors peering out their windows, puzzled looks on their faces, while cars on the nearby Jordan Creek Parkway began to slow down.

Slideshow: On the trail and down to the wire in Iowa >>>



“It wasn’t until we stood it up and went around to the other side to look at it, that were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to be wild,’” Davey recalled, a huge grin on his face.

He ran back into the house to grab his camera, but by the time he’d returned, cars were already lining up to take photos. It was only the beginning. Now cars are often stopped on Davey’s block, as people jump out to take photos or selfies with the sign. And reporters from all over the world have come to photograph it.

Some have tried to vandalize the sign. Some have thrown eggs, which largely bounce off the vinyl. It was trickier to remove the chocolate syrup a group of kids threw on the sign a few weeks ago. Since then, Davey has installed two security cameras — one that he can monitor from inside the house, and another that records video, which he’s saving.

The only person who hasn’t shown up is Trump, but Davey is still hoping. A few weeks ago, a Trump campaign aide dropped a thank-you package on his doorstep, which included a few T-shirts and a Trump yard sign, which he held up for his wife.

“They gave me this?” he said. It was minuscule compared to the one in his backyard.

“Seriously, they gave me this?”

(Videography and cover tile photo: Khue Bui for Yahoo News)