Musings of a Democratic Tallahassee, Florida Driver

[greekspeak]

I drive across town each day to get to Florida State University. I always manage to hit rush hour, and to pass the time, I take my own little "polls" of bumperstickers. Here are some observations I have made here in "Liberal" Leon county.

1) The number of Shrub and Kerry stickers are at near parity, with a few more Kerry. All it takes is a few more Kerry.

2) Well over half of the Shrub stickers are on new or almost new SUVs, many with ICHTHUS fish, Choose Life liscence plates, and NRA bumperstickers. The Kerry stickers are on older cars, often alongside other liberal stickers, like "no blood for oil."

3) The average driver of a vehicle with a Shrub sticker appears to be a bloated white middle aged male, followed closely by bloated white middle aged women. The average driver of a Kerry car is harder to pin down. I see older white women, young white college guys, middle age African Americans...people of all stripes.

4) The drivers of Kerry cars seem to be more likely to obey traffic laws. I have to go through a school zone, and it seems the SUV with Shrub stickers on them tend to ignore the speed.

Do others make similar musings while driving? Lets compare notes!

[Florida_Geek]

1. Please note: Kerry cars are being "keyed"

so a lot of Kerry ppl are not putting their stickers on their cars. My is on a magnetic holder that I take off when I am in questioniable areas.

So to be even with W stickers in a conservative area IMHO speaks volumns.

[greekspeak]

2. Its vulgar to what levels these thugs will sink

I have not noticed a lot of keyed Kerry cars, but they may simply have magnetic setups like you. I have not had any problems, knock on wood.

[calimary]

4. My car was just keyed this morning.

Here in West L.A. Our street remains mostly Democrat, judging from the ratio of Kerry yard signs and bumper stickers to bush/cheney ones. But some new bush supporters just moved in, a few houses up. And this morning I went to my car to take my daughter and her best friend out to lunch, and what do I see along the driver's side door? I look on it as a badge of courage - for ME. I will not only NOT be intimidated. I think I'll find an even more in-yer-face anti-bush sticker to add to those already in my back window (along with the blue John Kerry one).

[Melodybe]

3. Here in MS it's half and half Kerry-Bush bumperstickers

but I have a funny story about the SUV's with "W" stickers.

First off you DO NOT see "W" on cars that are worth less than $30,000. The drivers are all white and upper middle class.

I was on campus a few weeks ago standing outside waiting for my ride and watching traffic. I saw a long line of cars coming and in the front were 2 brand new black SUVs. The two giant SUVs were the first two cars in the same lane. The 2 lane road goes by the busiest area of campus. The 2 SUV's proceed to park in the middle of the road at 5:05 pm, were they blocked both lanes of traffic. To be fair, however, the second land was empty. One frat boy screams out the window, "Do you want to go to Forrester's or Larry's?" The other fratboy driver screams, "I don't know, I just need to eat something!"
Meanwhile the row of cars behind them starts to honk their horns. Hungry frat boy sticks his arm out the window and gives the finger to the following cars and finally they drive away.

I thought, "What an inconsiderate asshole, I bet one of them has a "w" sticker." As they passed I made a point to check for stickers. Both brand new SUV's had a matching black "w" stickers.

My feeling is if they want to be assholes and parade around with "w" stickers, let them. Rednecks hate rich people too.

[frogbison]

5. Conservative southern Ohio

Many more Kerry/Edwards signs and bumper stickers than Bush. I would guess it's at least 12 to 1 Kerry. Gives me hope when I get worried about the polls.

[calimary]

6. I find I'm much more likely to be a careful, almost overly considerate

driver with the Kerry and anti-war stickers in my back window. I don't want to alienate any voter! But if the folks with the "w" stickers want to act like jackasses, EXCELLENT! I hope they DO!!! The next person they flip off may be wavering between Kerry and bush, and that might just be what tips 'em over to our side!

Hey, you never know.

[progressivebydesign]

8. I thought that was just me!

I am usually a very nice, polite driver.. always. BUT when I had my political stickers on the car, I drove even more carefully because I didn't want to make a bad impression of my candidate/party.

BUT.. I have a running joke that every time I get tailgated, cut off, sped by, it's almost ALWAYS someone with 1) an american flag 2) God Bless AMerica 3) a Bush sticker. (and I have NO political stickers now because of fear of retaliation of my hubby's right wing boss).

[progressivebydesign]

7. Here in my lovely town, which was believed to be conservative recently..

The Kerry and anti-bush stickers outnumber Bush by 20 to 1 right now. The Bush stickers, which are few and far between, are on BIG BIG cars, expensive SUV's and bloated newer sedans. The drivers are ALWAYS bloated, very white people in their 60's. I keep seeing these big pick up trucks and blazers and assuming it'll be a Bush sticker, but it'll be a Kerrys sticker, instead!

The Kerry people? They are all types! Young.. but mostly middle-aged, driving Subarus, pickup trucks, man.. everything. I saw a couple next to me on the freeway yesterday, and they looked "conservative", the man had on a white short sleeved shirt and tie, the woman was conservatively dressed, also... I about fell over when I saw the Kerry sticker on their big sedan! Today, I saw a car with a large sticker from an Episcopalian church, next to it was a NO WAR sticker. The Kerry support here just goes all over the place! Believe me.. this town, which is one of the more affluent in Washington, is always thought of as conservative, born again. Things are changing...

Oh, and Tacoma the nearest big city, is a hotbed of Kerry stickers, yet it's usually thought of as being very pro-republican because of the military bases and working class families. Not so anymore...

In the recent primaries, the Democrats outvoted the Republicans 60% vs. 40% in nearby counties... Things are changing folks..

[NJCher]

9. I saw 2 bush stickers in NJ

Both were on out-of-state vehicles; one from Nebraska, the other from PA.

I just saw one today on an SUV with a Jersey plate. The SUV was driven by a white woman, looked to be mid-thirties. Not bloated! But pretty unattractive, LOL. This was in one of NJ's few repuke counties. Even there I am seeing plenty of Kerry signs on lawns.


Cher

[seabeyond]

10. i have noticed with a kerry bumperster

i am conscious of my driving in courtesy for others. it is like cause kerry is on the back of my car i have a responsibilty to present a level of respect to fellow drivers. has been fun. and really not just cause i am a kerry supporter, but i have said out loud more than once to my boys, what a rude driver, of course there is a bush sticker.

[GoldenOldie]

11. A previous poster who had his care keyed

made up a bumper sticker that said "Keyed for Kerry".

[truthbetold]

12. Here in upstate New York...

There's not a ton of political bumper stickers. I've seen more Bush than Kerry, which is odd, considering that NY is highly democratic. But I live in a town that has a pretty good number of conservatives.
My favorite thing to do, is when I see a car with W bumper stickers, is to move in their lane (WITHOUT cuttting them off, I'm not an asshole), so they can see my "Defend America, Defeat Bush" sticker!
:evilgrin:

[GRLMGC]

13. Bush drivers

They generally are middle aged and ugly. Either that, or they look like assholes.