Introducing the Totally Unscientific Bumper Sticker Poll!

Forget Zogby, Gallup, Chris Bower's daily swing state chart (newly tweaked) on Open Left, Intrade's prediction markets, ABC, CBS, and Fox/Rasmussen and just look around you! In Ann's Totally Unscientific Bumper Sticker Poll, Obama is winning hands down.

One of the great things about being a lawyer in Colorado is that you get to practice law all over, well, Colorado, the most beautiful state in the USA. In making my more or less weekly excursions up and down the Front Range corridor of I-25, I have been making note of the number of McCain bumper stickers compared to Obama's and relating that back to 2004 when one saw the ubiquitous "W" and Bush/Cheney tags everywhere.

It has always been the case that when in the heart of Denver, one sees more Democratic stickers in general. As one heads south, things get increasingly red as one heads through Arapahoe and Douglas counties and on into the Belly of the Beast, El Paso County, home of Focus on the Family and all things conservative.

But in recent forays into this territory I have seen fewer of McCain's stickers than Obama's--not that there are a whole lot of Obama's in El Paso County, but there are not a lot of McCain's, either. Last week I saw only one McCain in my whole 60 mile trip down to Colorado Springs. This is a huge change from 2004, when my blood pressure went up 10 points just on the drive down to The Springs because of all the "W"s I saw.

Liking a candidate enough to deface your car with a bumper sticker shows a level of commitment above and beyond the average voter's and may indicate a stronger base than is otherwise reflected in traditional polls.

So let's take this nationwide, HuffPost readers! As you drive around your own town today, do your own bumper sticker survey, and report back here in the Comments section as to your findings. Truckers, let us know your findings on your cross country hauls. Cabdrivers, give us your take also! Keep a tally and report the number of McCains vs. Obamas in your daily travels. Things may not be as dire as the "scientific" polls would have us believe.

As they say in Indian field hockey circles, "Chak-de!" (Buck up!).

Comments

[NoSandwiches]

I live in a precint that gave more votes to W than any other in my district, and I see plenty of local "GOP" candidate yard signs, but not a single McCain one. In canvasing the neighborhood, we saw 14 houses with Obama signs.

[vidivici]

I live in the reddest state in the union, Utah, and I can tell you I have never seen a McCain/Palin bumper sticker or yard sign. On the other hand I see Obama bumper stickers and yard signs frequently (3 are with in walking distance of my home).

[enoughofthiscrapalready]

Ok this is great because I thought I was the only one taking note of this bumper stickers business.. I'm in Jacksonville Fl. & i can safely say Obama stickers out number McCain stickers 5 to 1. A stark contrast, may I add, to the 2004 election season. I don't see McCain yard signs anywhere but it is early.

[Maggy Hawk]

I live in Tucson, Arizona. There are three Obama signs in yards on my street (mine's one of them). I see Obama stickers on cars. I've seen exactly one McCain sticker, and it was one before Palin got on the ticket.

A lot of people here in Arizona can't stand McCain. Everybody else has been getting earmarks for years, and we get nothing! Our infrastructure is crumbling. The roads are like Swiss cheese.

McCain's never done one thing for anybody in this state, unless you count the special interests.

[NOTVOTINGGOP]

I'm out in Southern Cali and I have seen one McCain bumper sticker. I'm seeing more and more Obama stickers and feel connected to fellow drivers that have their Obama stickers. I own a nice car and this is the first time that I ever put a bumper sticker on any car I've ever own.

[Censorme]

I live in Albuquerque, NM. I say the ratio is 25:1 in Obama's favor. I have seen numerous yard signs for McCain, but none for Obama. I called the Obama campaign HQ here in Albuquerque about yard signs for Obama, they have not recieved them yet. I can't wait for them to get them because I anticipate many, many Obama yard signs. In 2000 and 2004 there were far more Bush stickers then Gore or Kerry stickers. Bush won NM in 2004 just barely, so I hope if the stickers are an indication of the voter turnout, it looks good for Obama!

[Normanz]

The reddest of the red, small-town values state of Oklahoma is proud to announce that ZERO McCain bumper stickers have been seen, and four, that's right, count 'em, four houses have yard signs for McCain. (This in a town of approximately 120,000.) Obama bumper stickers and yard signs, too many to count.

[codfishtiff]

I live in the great swing state of Iowa and as of today i have seen a total of one McCain bumpersticker and one McCain yard sign. Are Mccain supporters too embarrassed to show their support? Maybe they are having trouble accessing the "internets" for campaign merchandise.

[hnordquist]

So, I am north of Santa Fe, NM, and I have seen exactly 1 McCain sticker, and it was on a window in a house, not on a car. I work in the very conservative town of Los Alamos, and have yet to see one. Lots of Obama stickers, though. I am still holding out hope for Obama in NM.

I have noted this to many people. If the polls are so close, where are all the supporters. I went to the Obama office in LA (always repub) and it was packed. Down the street in the repub office, one old lady sat there looking sad.

[johnkalel]

h, just saying that I admire your taking on RedState today, 10/16. You were great taking the battle to the authoritarians.

[ilovevodka]

I keep bringing this up to my husband!!!! We live in AZ and I have seen 1 - yes, just 1 - McCain sticker, while Obama stickers are everywhere. It has baffled me because I would think that in the Phoenix area more people would be supporting the person from the home state. Maybe most people realize he is just a carpetbagger.

[KIMBER]

I live in Los Angeles CA, where, of course the Obama to McCain bumper sticker ratio is about 10,000 to zero. I see multiple Obama stickers every day - frequently we're bunched up together in packs of 3 or 4 at stoplights. I've heard anecdotal evidence of McCain stickers, but I haven't personally seen any - and I do occasionally make it out to Orange (red Orange) county. When I was in Missouri this summer, I saw a McCain bumper sticker - I remember because I had to stop and wince. I saw many more Obama's even there.
For the record, my own (professionally) home made bumper sticker says "Obama - this time we really need to choose the smart one."

[tropos]

Ann - thanks for the fun and relevant post. Living in Maryland in the DC metro area - which is solidly blue, I see far more Obama bumper stickers than McCain ones. But then, Maryland is not a swing state.

Btw, I firmly believe that California is the most beautiful state, and Maryland is #2. CO is probably #3 then. :-)

[ORSunshine]

Last week was when all the conservatives were falling all over Caribou Barbie -- there hadn't really been enough time since the announcement for the stickers to get distributed and then stuck on vehicles. But, I bet if you drive down to Co. Springs next week you'll see an uptick in the number of McCain/Palin stickers...

[Miravanguild]

Obama is either winning or McCain is poor at organizing... There are a few Obama yard signs around here, but no McCain..

[mediawatcher1975]

Both statements are true.