Sticking to the Politicians

I never really have understood people who put bumper stickers* on their cars for political races. Even if your candidate wins, you are still showing something out-of-date and very revealing about you personally with that sticker. Voting is secret for a reason-- it's no one else's business who you voted for. But I am especially perplexed by people who leave the stickers on their cars for candidates that lose. Especially when they lose BIG. Like imagine seeing a car with a Mondale sticker. Or whatshisname, the guy who did the big barbaric yawp thing during the last primary--he's Democratic spokesguy now.... I forget his name. I could look it up, but I'm lazy.

Like right now, if you see a "Kerry/Edwards" sticker, you know that perhaps that person is holding a grudge against the current president, and believes with their whole heart that there was some kind of travesty in the last election. When you live in a fairly conservative area like the smallish military suburb we live in, you don't see a lot of the Democratic stickers, but you still do. (And for sure when you travel to other sides of town.) But it's a kind of stubborn streak to leave a campaign bumper sticker on a car long after the campaign is over. If I see people now with Bush stickers, I suspect they're being a bit on the "gloat-y" side. Like Nelson on the Simpsons saying "hah-heh".

But then again, maybe they've just never heard of goo-be-gone, and desperately want to remove the stickers.

*To be completely honest, I've never really understood bumper stickers at all. Why put the "my child is an honor student" sticker, or the "My dumb kid beat up your honor student" sticker on your car? The only bumper sticker I've ever put on a car said "My other car is a broom". I liked that one. But I regretted putting it on the car-- it sort of ruined the clean lines of the blue little sporty car that I stuck it on. But bumper stickers are sort of like tattoos for your car-- they're semi-permanent expressions of a sentiment that may not be permanent. I'd rather just wear a snappy t-shirt.