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Political Bumper Stickers & Signs- Yes or No?

(Cross-posted on BlogHer)

It must be election season, because I see more and more political bumper stickers popping up on cars, and signs in yards.

I am uncomfortable pasting a sticker on the back of my car, announcing who I am going to vote for, or whom I am supporting in this (or any) election.  On one hand, I understand why people do it- they are excited about their candidate(s), and want to make a statement. 

But on the other hand, I realize that some people take elections very seriously, and it kind of scares me if I would happen to come in contact with someone who, let’s just say wasn’t supporting the candidate I was.   

There is that old saying, never to discuss politics or religion, and I understand why.  Politics is one area, where people just have strong feelings, and a lot of times it is in black and white- no middle ground.  The attitudes I have found more likely than not, have been if you are voting for X, you are “right,” but if you would even consider voting for Y, you are “wrong.”   

I have had very few political conversations with people who support their candidates strongly, but can understand why someone else would want to vote for the other person, or the other side.  It doesn’t matter if we are talking Democrat or Republican, Independent, or Libertarian- it happens in every political party.

If I put a bumper sticker on my car for the candidate I believed in, there are going to be people who don’t think that is the “right” choice.   Would my car be vandalized in a parking lot?  I have had my car keyed a few times, for a lot less than having a political bumper sticker on my car.  Would I be subjected to road rage?  I don’t know.

Another issue for me, I don’t want to have my political beliefs become a barrier between the people I know.  I am guilty too, of doing what I just wrote about above.  I met a really nice lady the other day, and we happened to be pulling out of the same place, at the same time, and I saw her political bumper sticker on the back of her car.   Five minutes before that, the thought of which presidential candidate she was supporting, hadn’t even crossed my mind, but now I found myself thinking about it.  If I had, had the opposite candidate’s sticker on my car, what would she had thought about me?  Would it, present a barrier in us becoming friends?  I don’t know. 

If feel this way about bumper stickers, then you can probably imagine that I would never in a million years, put a political sign in my front yard!  What if none of the neighbors supported my candidate?  Would I be the neighborhood outcast?  Would my house be vandalized?  What if the candidate someone was supporting didn’t win?  Would they remember my house displayed the “wrong” candidate’s sign?  Would I be compromising my family’s safety?

I live in mid-size town, and every election year, there are reports that political signs get stolen and vandalized.  It happens to signs from both political parties.  Unless it is just a bunch of kids, not knowing what they are doing, obviously some Republicans are damaging and removing signs from yards supporting the Democratic candidate, and vice-versa.  What would it take, for this to go one step further?  I don’t know. It just isn’t a risk I want to take with my family, my house, or my car.

Finally, call me old-fashioned, but if you have read this far, you have probably noticed that I haven’t said which candidate at this point, I believe I will vote for.  And I’m not going to.  Not in this post, or in any post.  I firmly believe that everyone has a right to decide for themselves, and they are capable of making that decision, on whom they are going to vote for.  I don’t think it is anyone else’s business, whom I am going to vote for.  That is the whole reasoning behind casting a secret ballot- you don’t have to tell if you don’t want to.

Chances are, you know or have a pretty good idea who you are going to vote for.  I doubt revealing who I am probably going to vote for, will change your mind, and I don’t really see any great things coming from telling someone who I am going to vote for, only to find out they are going to vote for the opposite person.  Awkward at best.

So now you know that I am a definite No, on sporting political bumper stickers and signs, what do you think?  Do you have an Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin bumper sticker on your car, or a sign in your yard?  Or are you like me, and would never do this?

17 replies on “Political Bumper Stickers & Signs- Yes or No?”

I feel the same way. I would never see a bumper sticker on someone’s car and say “oh they like so and so and now I’m going to vote for them!” It really seems like a waste if you ask me!

And I’m with you on not discussing politics. My husband and I will go back and forth but that is pretty much the extent of it.

I had a sticker on my car for a bit. It seemed to open up conversations for friendy debate, but it also opened the flood gate for slurs, criticism and ignorant arguments. I’m cool with people not agreeing with me, but not so cool about those who cannot have a constructive conversation, debate or otherwise.

Oh and someone threw something at me. That was the day the sticker came off.

No stickers or signs here either and there never will be.

There are too many insane people in this world for me to trust.

Only my husband knows who I am voting for. I don’t even tell my parents b/c they would lose their minds.

I believe that if we want to get our candidate into the white house, we have to do as much as we are able.

If you are not able to put a sticker on your car (safety issues, for example), perhaps you can make phone calls on behalf of your clients campaign to voters in swing states.

signed-
Another Mama for Obama!

I’m (obviously) open about who I support. I believe deeply in the candidate I support and am not ashamed to spread the word.

Not so much w/ the presidential races, of course, but in smaller races name recognition often DOES win elections so I think it’s good to get the name out there are much as possible via yard signs and bumper stickers. I also think that if someone’s name is everywhere it gives voters who haven’t thought much about it impetus to think about it.

I worry a bit sometimes too about what people will think/how people react, but the older I get the less I care what people think about me. That’s kind of their issue. And the sign vandalism usually IS kids. Really. We’ve had it happen to us, in fact. It’s really, really poorly looked upon when members of the opposing party do it so it would really backfire for the campaigns if they vandalized other people’s signs.

I do think politics CAN be private – but it’s also a really special kind of public activity. Maybe I feel differently since because of the political nature of my DH’s job we’ve been active in our local party. I’ve done countless jobs to get out the vote. I’ve worked on campaigns for candidates I’ve supported form both parties. Some of it I refuse to do (ie, call people and say “vote this party ticket!” I could never get behind that!) – but I find a lot of it to be really positive and community building, even when I disagree with someone’s political choices.

I tend toward what you outline in your blog here. I’m honest with people when they ask, but I’m not prone to advertising. My wife is another story. I also don’t like stickers on my car. Most of use wouldn’t think about putting stickers on furniture that costs a fraction of what our cars cost (but that’s another story). So we have a compromise. I didn’t want the bumpersticker on my car, so she taped it to the inside of the window instead. Whose sticker is it? Not tellin’. I’m also very clear on what my purpose is for engaging in different activities. And in most circumstances, including commenting on this blog, my purpose is not to politically persuade people.

Nice thought provoking topic.

We donated money to our candidate last month, which we’ve never done before. I feel very strongly about this election, but I don’t have a sticker on my car or a sign in my yard, for all the reasons you mentioned. I do have a “support stem cell research, the life it saves could be your own” sticker on my car. My dad has a rare autoimmune disease and stem cell research in other countries has shown some promise, so that’s a huge issue for me, and one that I think is good to get people thinking about. But as for presidential elections, I doubt most people are going to be swayed by a sticker on my car. (I can’t believe there are still people who are undecided!) I know that I do think less of people when I see a sticker for the other guy on their car. So I’d just as soon not have negative thoughts directed my way by people who don’t like my candidate.

Part of the reason I have sticker on the back of my car? I live in a supremely conservative community, and I just want to remind others that not everyone is lockstep with them and their views.

CA is blue, but Orange County is Red.

I am the 5% here that is Blue.

T.

This is an extremely polarizing election year. I feel very strongly about the candidate I’m going to support, and I do blog about it. I’m a Baby Boomer, we voice our opinions.

However, I respect everyone’s right to their opinion on their own blog, or a bumper sticker, or a yard sign, although I wouldn’t post a sign on my own propery or on my car.

I would never let another person’s opinion come between my friendship, however, if you read my blog, you will find that some people are so narrow minded, that that’s exactly what happened to me. I lost a ‘friendship’ over my voicing my opinion on my blog.

My feeling ~ don’t let the door hit you in the arse on your way out.

It’s your blog, blog on my friend!

Smaller local elections, signs in the yard yes…Presidental elections, absolutely not! I too would be afraid of any reprocussion, vandilism etc. People can really be jerks sometimes.

I firmly believe that politics should be private. If you want to discuss them, discuss them with someone who will not try and eat you alive if your opinions differ. If I notice my opinions differ, I immediately shut up.

Great blog post btw! I found you on allmediocre, and I’ll be back!

Stop by anytime and visit me!
http://Www.ijustvacuumed.com

i go back and forth about this. i don’t do bumper stickers so i don’t have plans to put one on my car, but i am considering putting up a lawn sign. i have worried that my house could get vandalized as a result, but others in the neighborhood have signs and i haven’t seen any vandalism yet, so…

i don’t, however, see any harm with blogging about which candidate you support and why. i think there’s always the chance (with politics, parenting, etc.) that something you write might make someone else think twice about their decision. i still need to find the time to write about why i’m supporting obama. 🙂 but i certainly respect yours and others choice not to blog about who they support. it’s a wonderful thing to have choices. 🙂

Okay- I agree with you, but for different reasons. I’m not so much worried about vandalism. My reason for not putting stickers on my car has to do with devaluing the car. It’s really hard to get those stickers off. It usually scratches the paint or leaves gunk on the windshield. Too much hassle. I don’t even like the candidates enough to peel the backing off of a sticker, much less scrub the gunk off later.

I would have to be really passionate about a candidate to do this. So far, I am not feeling that way in this election. Maybe I’ll reconsider after watching the first debate this Friday. The thing is, I agree with McCain on certain issues and Obama on others. I’m truly an independent. I guess I just need to figure out which issues are more important to me and my family.

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