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Politics

Hope and Spare Change: Obama Announces Bold New $5 Bumper Sticker on Twitter!

Nick Gillespie | 7.10.2012 9:49 AM

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As a kid, I used to pore over the great series of American Heritage Books of Presidents and Famous Americans, which, like the magazine from which the material was culled, were crammed full of great images and memorabilia. I remember being weirded out by reproductions of images of people being tarred and feathered, out of focus early photographs of Andrew Jackson (or was it John Quincy Adams), and trying to read political cartoons with word balloons windier than a typical installment of Cathy. There was a particularly great shot of Calvin Coolidge wearing - suffering would be a more apt description - an Indian war bonnet. 

I don't know if that series is still around and, if it is, whether it's being updated to inlcude the two incredibly lousy presidents we've had so far in the 21st century. But when the history of the 2012 campaign gets written, I hope there's space in it to remember that Barack Obama - so fashion forward in all things and as hip with the Internet as he is with drone technology - broke new ground by taking to Twitter to pitch a $5 bumper sticker.

We haven't had a federal budget in years, but there's always time for Twitter fundraising pitches.

Related (I think): According to a Hill poll of likely voters, 68 percent of Americans think that Obama has "significantly changed America." Fifty-six percent think he's changed it for the worse versus 35 percent who think he's made it better.

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NEXT: Matt Welch on the Dark Side of Anti-"Swiss Bank Account" Politics"

Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie.

PoliticsBarack ObamaElection 2012
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  1. BarryD   13 years ago

    I'm kind of weirded out by the fact that some people AREN'T being tarred and feathered, today.

    1. Fist of Etiquette   13 years ago

      They showed that dude getting tarred and feathered on HBO's miniseries John Adams and indeed it didn't look pleasant.

      1. EDG reppin' LBC   13 years ago

        The tarring part does seem rather unpleasant. But the feathering part could be a bit of a lark.

      2. BarryD   13 years ago

        They didn't use what we call "tar" today. They used pine tar, which as you know if you've rubbed up against an evergreen and gotten it stuck on your arm, it's sticky.

        It generally wasn't hot enough to burn. It was more of a humiliating pain in the ass.

      3. R C Dean   13 years ago

        The feathering makes it harder to scrape off, I believe. As well as being humiliating.

    2. Sheldon J. Plankton   13 years ago

      Dunno if this was depicted on HBO, but apparently the full treatment included setting the feathers ablaze at the conclusion of the process. I only learned this recently. It was not depicted in any of the colonial history books I enjoyed as a child.

      1. BarryD   13 years ago

        Not true. This was what the Brits did to Irish rebels in 1798. Different from what was described in, say, Huckleberry Finn.

        Note that the Brits also developed things like drawing and quartering.

        1. Whiterun Guard   13 years ago

          And haggis.

          1. BarryD   13 years ago

            The fucking sassanacks did not invent haggis.

            1. Pound. Head. On. Desk.   13 years ago

              There is considerable evidence the Sassenachs (English) did indeed invent haggis, not the Scots.

              1. Randian   13 years ago

                Does it matter which tribe of pasty buck-teethed Saxons really invented such a culinary abortion?

            2. Whiterun Guard   13 years ago

              You said Brits.

              1. Randian   13 years ago

                Again, who the hell cares?

                1. Mr. FIFY   13 years ago

                  Scotch Egg!

                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3dxTsJHzvI

                  1. db   13 years ago

                    Mayon-egg!

                  2. db   13 years ago

                    Mayonegg

                  3. db   13 years ago

                    Squirrels ate my Mayonegg

        2. Broseph of Invention   13 years ago

          And Jedward.

  2. Whiterun Guard   13 years ago

    Well I guess you can take the president out of the ghetto...

    1. BarryD   13 years ago

      Punahou prep school in Honolulu?

  3. darius404   13 years ago

    OT, but notable: On July 7, the President gave Executive Order -- Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions, granting him control of all communications in America in the in an emergency: http://rt.com/usa/news/obama-p.....tions-770/

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-o.....eM.twitter

    1. darius404   13 years ago

      It's especially notable, because the President had previously tried to get a piece of legislation passed that would have accomplished much the same thing, but Congress has so far declined to pass it: http://www.wired.com/threatlev.....gislation/

    2. JD   13 years ago

      This is the second time in two weeks Obama has granted himself powers by executive order. Does he foresee an "emergency" coming? Not that our government would create one or anything.

      1. ant1sthenes   13 years ago

        We're already in a state of emergency. Technically, we have been in a constant state of emergency for some time, well before Barack Obama ever took office.

    3. DesigNate   13 years ago

      Yay! Now those ratbagging, teatards won't be able to talk to one another when society collapses.

      /DNC

  4. Tim   13 years ago

    I would have figured on a T-shirt, but then the hard left is bumper sticker crazy. We'll soon be treated at stoplights to Barrack's mug next to "Eat it George" and "Coexist".

  5. kinnath   13 years ago

    We got your Obama bumper stickers right here.

    Obama: Dumber than Carter; Dirtier than Nixon.

    1. Auric Demonocles   13 years ago

      Obama: Never Raised Taxes. Well, Not a Tax Tax

    2. DesigNate   13 years ago

      I really want the Nixon one with the Obama O. That would piss off a goodly amount of the idiots where I live.

  6. Mo' $parky   13 years ago

    So is the theme for all of today's articles "the government hasn't passed a budget in years?" Will each writer have to find a creative way to work it into their article? Will writers be pared down as the day goes on? Will somebody be named Chopped Champion at the end of the day?

    1. Joe R.   13 years ago

      The appetizer basket:

      No budget
      Drug War escalation
      Drone strikes
      The TSA

      You have 20 minutes to write an article using all of these ingredients in some way. Go!

      1. generic Brand   13 years ago

        Entree basket:

        Citizens United
        Entitlement reform
        Voter ID laws
        Thomas Friedman

        You have 30 minutes for this article.

  7. D.A. Ridgely   13 years ago

    If I don't buy a bumper sticker, do I have to pay a tax or a penalty?

    1. Scotticus Finch   13 years ago

      Very nice.

  8. sage   13 years ago

    Obama: At Least He's Not an Actual Turd Sandwich!

    1. Episiarch   13 years ago

      Yeah, but he is an actual Giant Douche, so it all works out.

      1. sage   13 years ago

        Of course. But even he is not stupid enough to campaign on that. I bet Joe Biden would lap it up though.

        1. Brett L   13 years ago

          Ew.

  9. Invisible Finger   13 years ago

    How much does it cost me if I don't buy one?

    1. db   13 years ago

      That's between you and the IRS.

    2. sage   13 years ago

      If you like your current bumper sticker you can keep it.

      1. sloopyinca   13 years ago

        [rips off current bumper sticker]
        /government program

        Looks like you need a new bumper sticker, citizen.

  10. Lisa   13 years ago

    *no shovels were damaged in the making of this bumper sticker.

    (I would buy it if it had that disclaimer)

  11. R C Dean   13 years ago

    Whatever you do, HyR, don't put up a picture of the bumper sticker for us to mock.

  12. Mr. FIFY   13 years ago

    I may put one on my car, but upside down, akin to the distress-display mode for the American flag.

    But then, I can't afford to replace slashed tires... and there are a LOT of angry Democrats in my area...

  13. sloopyinca   13 years ago

    Talk about a divisive asshole. Here is Obama's bumper sticker page.

    I've never seen identity politics played on such a grand scale before. Well, not since you-know-who.

    1. sloopyinca   13 years ago

      Note it is more expensive for Hispanics, Latinos and Environmentalists to be Obama supporters than it is for Islanders, Asian-Americans, Women, JOOOOOOOOZ, Nurses, Veterans and Blacks?

      Why does Obama hate Latinos and Environmentalists?

      1. Mr. FIFY   13 years ago

        Is there a Hillbillies for Obama sticker? I'm afraid to click on the link, lest the White House see my porn collection.

      2. EDG reppin' LBC   13 years ago

        In the case of the Latino bumper stickers, the stickers double as auto-body adhesive/filler. They can double as replacement lenses for brake lights as well.

        1. sloopyinca   13 years ago

          ^^This^^ actually sounds like a plausible explanation.

          1. Mr. FIFY   13 years ago

            I'm gonna buy one at random, and fly it upside-down on my bumper.

            Bets on how many key-scratches my poor car will have before November? Double-or-nothing on number of slashed tires?

    2. db   13 years ago

      I saw one the other day that read " TOO INFORMED TO VOTE REPUBLICAN"

      While I don't vote republican, I would love to see them stuck on the side of the road looking for help and have someone drive off af

      1. sloopyinca   13 years ago

        I would actually put that on my car if I could pair it up with a "Democrats Suck" sticker.

        1. sloopyinca   13 years ago

          But only if neither one of them covered up my favorite bumper sticker of all time.

    3. JD   13 years ago

      I got a certificate error saying the website wasn't a trusted source. No kidding!

    4. Auric Demonocles   13 years ago

      "I LIKE OBAMACARE"

      But can you keep it?

  14. LimpoSimpo   13 years ago

    Seems to know which side of the rope to swing on.

    http://www.Big-Privacy.tk

  15. Brandybuck   13 years ago

    He needs to sell bumper stickers at five dollars, to combat the Swiss bank account War Machine of Romney. It's for democracy!

  16. ConstitutionFirst   13 years ago

    Yeah it reads: "NoBama 2012"

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