Bumper Sticker Etiquette: How long to keep them on your car?

[Stinky The Clown]

My cars and my truck remain festooned with leftover Kerry and Kerry/Edwards stickers. Prior to the midterms, they were an intentional act of defiance. That said, it was curious how quickly after the 04 cycle the various Bush stickers disappeared. The Democratic stickers, however, seemed to hang on, like the hardy brown leaves that remain in some trees after most of their more brightly colored brethren have been moved from bough to yard to compost pile.

I also still have some stickers leftover from the 04 primaries and even one for an 08 candidate already (no, I won't say who, because I work hard NOT to be partisan on DU with respect to the 08 hopefuls). I also have a few for state and local candidates - now electees.

So what's the etiquette around candidate-specific bumper stickers?

How many of you still have some on your cars?

Is it disrespectful to have them on your car after they've become all tatty looking and have a corner or two that have come loose and flap in the breeze?

[Donnachaidh]

1. I wouldn't take them off -- they are like those tags on suitcases

they used to use.

Sure sign of a well-traveled individual.B-)

[radfringe]

31. Was asked about my Kerry bumper sticker once

In the grocery store parking lot back in '05

I was loading up groceries, a man parked next to me was loading up his groceries. His truck featured several bush-cheney stickers, and a confederate flag sticker

man: Ya know - Kerry lost, aren't you going to take off that bumper sticker?

me: ya know - the south lost the civil war, aren't you going to take off the confederate flag sticker?

[Norrin Radd]

32. Great retort! n/t

[CrispyQ]

2. The only disrespectful sticker is a W sticker!

;)

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. OTOH, I have a disrespectful W

W-orst President Ever.

Along with my Dean for America, Kerry/Edwards, and Protect America - Defeat Bush.

I'm about ready for a new crop.

[twilight_sailing]

3. Keep them, they show you were right all along.

I still like seeing Kerry and Kerry/Edwards stickers on cars.

Very, very few "W" stickers remain. Wonder why?

[BOSSHOG]

5. I saw a classic "W" sticker

in the french quarter about a month ago. It looked just like his but it spelled out Wrong. There are many golden oldie bumper stickers in the vehicles in the quarter and about zero percent of them support anything conservative.

[loudestchick]

4. I still have one from the primary in '04. I'm still his girl.

Though I'm about to remove "issue" stickers...to get a "War on Christmas" sticker.:evilgrin:

[grizmaster]

6. depends on whether they're holding the bumper together or not

I guess that makes me a pragmatist on the subject

[TlalocW]

7. Solve your problem

By buying and having magnetic sign material cut into sizes that a bumpersticker will fit on. Put these on the back of your vehicle. That way, you can take them off when you want, swtich them around, and when you park somewhere public, you can open your trunk and throw them in there so you don't present a stationary target to any freeper vandals walking by.

TlalocW

[demdiva]

15. Wow ....you've looked into this

so many geniuses on DU today

[TlalocW]

19. I've done this before

I like to be able to switch my message around, and I live in a pretty conservative state, and while my car isn't a gem, I prefer to keep it in as good as shape as possible - no bumpersticker residue and no bricks through my windows from dittoheads. :)

TlalocW

[rusty_parts2001]

8. I pulled mine off election night after the returns came in

because every one of them (local Democratic candidates in a really red county) was a loser but I was proud to display them during the election season. Now, its time to think about '08.

[jgraz]

9. Replace 'em with this one

[wisteria]

10. Mine stay on indefinately.

Two cars, five stickers total.

[Donnachaidh]

11. heck -- I'm waiting on my DU bumpersticker

Cleaned a spot too :evilgrin::bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Mabus]

13. Our "Gore 2000" bumpersticker is still on one of our cars

It is the oldest political sticker on either car. I've also got a "Gore 2008" and a couple of other local Democratic candidate bumperstickers on that particular vehicle. We've kept the "Gore 2000" sticker on the car since we first put it on. It is a reminder to ourselves that we knew back in 2000 that Bush was the wrong choice for president. In 2001 someone tried to remove it but it still on there. I'm a proud Democrat and I want people to know who I support.

[Bjornsdotter]

14. I change mine often

I have a station wagon and I tape them in the back window. I usually change them about once a month, I have a huge collection and many times they are changed according to what is going on in the news.

Cheers

[sam sarrha]

16. as long as the other side is screwing up or we are trying to fix their shit

[Betsy Ross]

17. My "IMPEACH" bumper sticker

is staying on my car until the bastards are out of office. Then perhaps an "INDICT" sticker?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

18. i got classics

I drive a 12 year old car I call the "first amendment mobile"

I've got "Clinton/Gore 96" still on there as well as "Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Republican" and several others.

So far I have not been run over by an Urban Assault Vehicle with a W sticker.

[TlalocW]

20. More than anything I want

To hook up an LED message board on my bumpter to a keyboard inside the car. George Carlin suggested something like this. That way, you can type out things like, "You drive like old people fuck" to people behind you. (George's suggestion, not mine)

TlalocW

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

21. Two weeks

Then they become as tacky as leaving Christmas decorations up after January.

[Straight Shooter]

22. Heaven forbid I ever be mistaken for a bush supporter!

My Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker remains, and will soon (hopefully) be displayed alongside a GORE 08. :D

[hedda_foil]

23. I still have my Dean for America bumper sticker on my car

And it's not comin' off!

[mentalsolstice]

24. Kerry sticker went when we traded in the car

Now I have a "Re-elect Gore 2008" sticker. If I had a "Gore 2000" sticker it would have stayed as long as there was no mention of holy Joe on it.

[TankLV]

25. Anybody know how to get old ones off without ruining the finish?

I'm tired of my old ones and want to start from scratch - and I might give the car to somebody else - I want it to be clean and free of anything...

[conscious evolution]

37. A mix of fabric softener and water works wonders for getting the residue off.

[Maraya1969]

26. I tried to get one off the other day and it is STUCK. I am leaving the DU one

but I decided to take another off. There is some stuff like "goo out" or something that I am going to have to get.

So just to let you know if you keep them on for years they may not ever come off!

[rep the dems]

27. Just move them to a spot in your house.

I keep a Rendell sticker and a Patrick Murphy one on my bed and I have no intention of taking them down soon. I also put in signs for Rendell, Casey, and Murphy on my wall in an empty space between 2 posters of mine. They fill the space wonderfully.

[blue sky at night]

28. plastered.......

still have a recently replaced Kerry-Edwards.

[Generic Brad]

29. Minnesota is still full of "Wellstone" bumper stickers

I see more of those around than the "W" ones.

[nealmhughes]

30. Forever! Imagine if the first Stanley Steamers still had "Remember the Maine" stickers!

I saw an ancient (and this says a lot given the locale-- where old pre-seatbelt trucks go to die) pickup that had a very, very faded "Alabama Is Wallace Country!" bumpersticker the other day...

[DuaneBidoux]

33. As long as you want or don't

Although I'm amazed at the "W" stickers I still see on cars. God, do these people have NO shame?

[PassingFair]

34. DEAN for America

As long as he's working, he stays
on the car.

[JerseygirlCT]

35. I still have my Kerry/Edwards sticker on. Drives my DH crazy

(Although he says with my record, I'd do better to put a GOP sticker on. My guys seem to lose...)

For me, the sticker is solidarity for the rest of us who didn't vote for the moran. And as of yet, I haven't got a 2008 candidate.

But now that we've won Congress, it feels a little less necessary. I want a new sticker that still says what I am, but I'd rather something positive than negative. Suggestions welcome, lol!

[nickshepDEM]

36. I removed my O'Malley & Cardin stickers last week.

[El Fuego]

38. I was wondering that myself.

I still have my Kerry-Edwards sticker, but it's all faded to grey and pink now. I was thinking about taking it off in view of the '06 victory, and the fact that we are now looking to '08. I don't know.

The only reason I let go of my Gore-Lieberman sticker was because I traded in the car.

[Vinca]

39. I have to mention a bumper sticker I saw today.

It was old and faded and said "I'm Proud George W. Bush Is My President" with an American flag on it. The funny part was, whoever owns the car has obviously tried very hard to scrape the thing off. It was as scratched as it could be, but still readable. Made me laugh.