Progressive Bumper Sticker

Bumper Sticker Shopping Through ThisNext

Post script: Dear Goodness me. ThisNext blogging is even worse than I thought. Not only is it super-controlling, stripping out html, it doesn’t even work properly. There’s supposed to be a bumper sticker graphic with a link for buying the bumper sticker in this article, but look for yourself: No graphic, and no link, is there.

Now I’m going to have to go back in and remove that garbage code, and place in my own link to the bumper sticker - direct, without any extra affiliate nonsense. Thanks for nothing, ThisNext. I’ll keep blogging for myself.

The more I see of social networking sites like ThisNext, the more I think that independent web sites are really the way to go for substantial networking. Making links and “friends” comes quick and easy on social networking sites, but so easy that the benefit is ephemeral, the relationships lasting just as long as a click.

The Whole Kaboodle On Bumper Stickers

I have just begun to explore a new way to shop for bumper stickers online: Kaboodle. Kaboodle is a kind of social networking site dedicated to shopping.

The truth is that when I think about shoppers, I don’t think about people who buy bumper stickers. I think about people who go to shopping malls and buy far too many clothes for themselves.

On the other hand, when people want to find a bumper sticker for themselves, how do they find the right one? Well, they go shopping.

Maybe, in order to be more successful, progressives need to think more about how to help people who are shopping for ways to express their progressive political ideas. Maybe, Kaboodle is the kind of place political progressives need to go more often. If we want people to pay attention to what matters to us, turning the huge shopping infrastructure in our favor couldn’t hurt.

I’ve spend a little bit of time this afternoon exploring the bumper stickers that are already listed on the Kaboodle system, and adding a few more of my own. I find that I appreciate the way that the system allows me to categorize bumper stickers into lists and sub-sections. Is this capitalist system inherently anti-progressive, or can it be legitimately turned into a medium for progressive activation of previously apathetic citizens?

The following are a few bumper stickers I’ve put together into a section called liberty.

Political Bumper Stickers by oakgall

I’d like to hear from other people what they think about this system, and how they’re using it.

Why Did Barack Obama Turn His Back On the Constitution?

Watch out, Barack Obama - progressives have endured seven years of hearing from Democratic politicians that the Democratic Party would stand up for strong progressive change, but only after the current election, during which certain compromises of progressive values would have to be made. Every time, after the election is over, we get the same excuses. They say that the Democrats can’t act now, that we need to wait, that they need just a little bit more power.

They must think we’re pretty stupid, because they’re trying to pull this trick on us again.

This time, Barack Obama promised unequivocally that he would filibuster the FISA Amendments Act and its retroactive immunity for telecommunications corporations that helped George W. Bush illegally spy on millions of law abiding Americans. Then, Obama went ahead and voted to kill the filibuster, and voted for the FISA Amendments Act.

This broken promise has inspired a huge progressive backlash against Barack Obama. It’s spawned bumper stickers like this one, asking, Why did Barack Obama turn his back on our civil liberties?

It’s also spawning a new network of anti-Obama web sites by political progressives. See Progressives Against Obama.

This FISA Amendments Act vote has got to be the most obtuse piece of political triangulation I have ever seen. It has cost Barack Obama his image as an idealist, lost him progressive votes, and hasn’t brought Obama any more support from Republicans.

If Obama loses the election, it will be the FISA Amendments Act that did him in.

It’s like Lucy, telling Charlie Brown that she promises to hold the ball still for him to kick this time.

Sorry Lucy, but you’ll have to find some other sucker to play around with.

The Most I Can Muster Lately On a Barack Obama Bumper Sticker

What with Barack Obama breaking his promise to actively oppose the FISA Amendments Act, I’m pretty downhearted about the Senator as a presidential candidate. The Constitution is kind of sort of the core document of our nation and all, and if he won’t protect and defend it, what can we depend on him to do?

This is the closest I can come to designing a pro-Obama bumper sticker lately:

Sigh. At least he’s not John McCain.

Jennifer Granholm for Vice President

In less than one hour from now, Hillary Clinton will give a speech to concede the Democratic presidential nomination to Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton herself indicates that she is not seeking the position of Vice President in the Obama White House. Besides, it would be too tricky for Barack Obama to manage both Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton maneuvering within his own administration

So who will the vice presidential nominee under Barack Obama be? Let’s consider someone who is like Hillary Clinton, but without all the baggage.

Consider Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. Governor Granholm has obvious demographic similarities to Hillary Clinton, without all the baggage that Hillary Clinton would bring.

Besides that, Granholm has executive experience of the sort that Barack Obama needs to balance his ticket. Finally, consider the rancor with which the Michigan delegate problems were resolved. Adding Jennifer Granholm to the Obama for President campaign would go a long way toward Democratic Party healing.

If you agree, show your support for Granholm. Put this Obama-Granholm 2008 bumper sticker on your car, and promote a better choice for Obama’s VP everywhere that you drive.

John McCain is History

I want to try to put this in a nice way, but it’s a hard thing to tell someone that their time is over. The Age of John McCain is over. John McCain’s political career is finished. The time for John McCain to be elected to anything is done.

I’ll put this in another way: John McCain is history.

It isn’t just because John McCain is old. A person can be old and still remain relevant and be able to contribute meaningfully.

It has to do with John McCain’s place in time. John McCain has failed to update his ideas.

John McCain is a politician of the past. McCain embraces ideas and attitudes that are two generations out of date.

John McCain has no vision for the future of America. His agenda is one of defense, trying to delay progress, to fend off hope, to desperately cling to the old ways of thinking that he and his supporters are fond of.

John McCain is a relic of time gone by, of plans that didn’t work out, of limitations that most Americans have transcended.

The way of John McCain is the way of the failures of America’s past.

John McCain is history. Now is the time for America to do better than it has done. Now is the time for a candidate of the future. Now is the time for Barack Obama.

Vivian Figures for U.S. Senate from Alabama

Take a look at the narrow gaze of cable television, and you might think that the only elections being held tomorrow are the presidential elections in Montana and South Dakota. Turn off the tube, however, and look for election information on your own, and you’ll see that there’s a lot going on beyond the presidential election.

Tomorrow in Alabama, for example, there will be a primary election to determine the Democratic nominee for United States Senate to go head to head against Jeff Sessions, the incumbent Republican.

My bet is on Vivian Figures, the most experienced, most coherent of all the Democratic contenders.

Figures is for strong education for all children, for trade that keeps jobs in the USA, for a health care system that serves all Americans instead of just the insurance companies, for an end to the drain of American dollars into the Iraq War. Vivian Figures isn’t a partisan ideologue out to score points. Her ideas for America just make sense.

Find out more at Figures2008.com - the official Vivian Figures for Senate campaign web site.

Stop the Hate. Elect Barack Obama President in 2008.

If you’re like most Americans, you’ve had it with the ugly attacks against Barack Obama. They’re racist. They’re religiously bigoted. They’re ignorant. They’re ugly and just plain mean.

It’s become clear that the agenda of the Republican Party, George W. Bush and John McCain has failed America. It’s going to take a generation to dig the USA out of the hole that McCain’s dangerous agenda has plunged us into.

There are some people who are so afraid of letting American move on out of the fearful politics of the Bush era that they’re willing to throw anything against Barack Obama in the hopes that something will stick. They don’t care how hateful it is. They’ll say whatever comes to mind.

Stand against the hate. Stand with the presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008 with this anti-hate, pro-Obama bumper sticker.

United We Stand - We Being All Humanity

One of the tragic consequences of the regime of Homeland Security has been the shrinking of human consciousness. The idea of the Homeland, reset the ideal of e pluribus unum to the instinct of nationalism. Under the Homeland, we have abandoned the values of democracy for the security of turf.

When people repeated the motto United We Stand, the we didn’t refer to anyone but Americans. The rest of the world wasn’t included in we any more. We were not part of humanity any more. We became exclusively Americans, and set ourselves apart from everybody else.

It’s time to step away from the Homeland, and return to the United States of America that we used to know. This bumper sticker helps us do that. It takes the Homeland Security motto United We Stand, but brings our focus back out to see the whole Earth, not just the USA.

United we stand only works if we stand with all humanity. Otherwise, we’re not really united.

Clinton Supporters for Obama 2008

As of last night, Barack Obama has the majority of pledged delegates for the Democratic presidential convention. Barack Obama also has the support of most of the committed superdelegates. There are a few small state primaries still to be held - Puerto Rico, South Dakota and Montana are next - but for all intents and purposes, the Democratic primary competition is over. Barack Obama has won.

Now is the time for Democrats who have supported Hillary Clinton for President to reconcile themselves to the fact that their favorite candidate will not be the Democratic presidential nominee. Barack Obama will be.

Clinton supporters of good will can now help in the effort to ensure that John McCain does not become the next President of the United States. It’s time for a show of support for Barack Obama by people who have supported Hillary Clinton. Putting this Clinton Supporters for Obama in 2008 bumper sticker on your car can help.

You also might encourage the Clinton Supporters for Obama blog to continue its efforts.