As Maine Goes, So Goes The Nation

Basically, in both directions simultaneously.

W. recently returned from Maine:

We recently retruned from visiting my sister and her husband, who live in Bangor, Maine. I wanted to figure out which way Maine will vote, so I counted bumper stickers and yard signs. The bumper sticker poll is Obama 14, McCain 3. However, the yard sign poll is McCain 22, Obama 4! Is that strange? Which is more accurate?

One factor which should be considered is that more than half of the cars with bumper stickers, had three or more stickers. I have always subscribed to a crank-detecting rule, which is that a person with more than 2 bumper stickers is not completely well-balanced. My reasoning is that if you have something to say, you should be able to say it with 1 or 2 bumper stickers; any more, and you are ranting. By this line of thought, the yard signs should perhaps be given more weight than the bumper stickers. However, Maine has voted Democratic in the last four presidential elections, and is favoring Obama in the polls now, so I guess I won't trust either the yard signs, or the bumper stickers!

BTW, the house of author Stephen King, who lives in Bangor, sports an Obama sign, and two end-the-war signs.

That is strange indeed.

Since bumper stickers can easily be mailed, perhaps bumper stickers tend to signify contact with a political organization with a national scope. The yard signs, however, suggest a political organization with a strong local presence.

As far as I can tell from this, the Bangor area has been trending Democratic of late, but it doesn’t mean the Republicans don’t have a kick-ass yard sign operation.

Two days ago, I put four Obama bumper stickers on my car, but I’m already a well-established ranter, so the characterization fits.