OK, that’s ONE I’ve seen. Any others out there?

Today I saw my first actual “Republicans for Sheheen” bumper sticker on an actual vehicle.

And this was on an SUV, so it was definitely a real Republican, right? (Just kidding, GOPpers — can’t you take a joke?)

I’ve heard, privately, from a lot of folks whom you might otherwise expect to vote Republican who are backing Sheheen — both because they like Vincent, and because Nikki worries them a great deal.

And anyone who pays close attention will note that Henry McMaster sort of stands out these days, because there aren’t many other leading Republicans going out of their way to be seen with Nikki. (What we have is lots of people who don’t really know Nikki backing her in polls, while state business and political leaders who’ve actually dealt with her and know a thing or two about the issues generally aren’t too thrilled with her.)

But aside from the Chamber of Commerce endorsement, you don’t see a lot of visible, public demonstrations of intent to vote for Sheheen from traditionally Republican quarters.

At least, I haven’t.

Alas, I didn’t get to talk to this person, to get an elaboration on why he or she is taking this stand. This was in the drive-through queue at McDonald’s today. A couple of times I almost jumped out of my truck to run up and hand the driver my card and urging him or her to call me, but each time I put my hand on the door handle the line moved forward again.

So then I decided I’d follow the vehicle when it left Mickey D’s, and if it stopped anywhere nearby, try to cop an interview there.

But then, it happened again. I ordered a double quarter-pounder, without cheese (you know, because of my allergies). When I paid for it, I checked with the lady taking the money: “Without cheese, right?” “No cheese,” she said. Then when my food was handed to me in the bag at the next window, I said, “No cheese, right?” She said that was right. So I pulled up a few feet, and opened it up to check, and sure enough, each patty had welded to it one of those things that looks like a square of orange, molten plastic.

So I got out, walked back, squeezing between the car behind me and the window, knocked on the window and said, “THIS is with cheese.”

And then I was asked to pull over to the side and wait for what I had ordered, and had been assured twice I would get.

This happens to me roughly a third of the times that I go to McDonald’s. But McDonald’s isn’t special; I have similar problems at sit-down restaurants. That’s why I always check. It beats finding out five miles away (which has happened). What really gets me, of course, is when this happens after I’ve been assured, repeatedly, that it won’t.

Anyway, that’s why I didn’t get an interview with the Republican for Sheheen.

Do you have one of these stickers on YOUR bumper, or know someone who does? If so, send me your contact info at brad@bradwarthen.com. I’d like to chat with you.

14 thoughts on “OK, that’s ONE I’ve seen. Any others out there?”

  2. jfx

    More curious, even, than the motivation behind that sticker, is what drives people to eat at McDonald’s. That is some unholy grub.

  3. Mark Stewart

    Mine has been travelling around my neighborhood – and Nikki’s – for the past couple of weeks. There seems to be a silent, ambivalent majority around that may or may not be supportive of her campaign. So I’m on the record. As not supportive. But I’d REALLY like to see more from Sheheen.

  4. Lynelle Rush

    I have one, too, since Vincent is the man for the job!! There are several of those bumper stickers around here and in Greenville.

  7. KP

    I don’t have one yet, but I plan to call and get it. Of course, I haven’t voted Republican since the first time Sanford was elected, but it’s not MY fault. I didn’t leave my party, my party left me.

  8. Sally

    I voted for McCain and will vote for Mulvaney against Spratt. I will also vote for Sheheen. However, I’m a special case; not only am I from Kershaw County, I’m an educator and a military wife. Spratt voted for two resolutions condemning the Iraq War in 2007 which served no purpose but to rebuke the President and demoralize the troops in the field. At that point, Spratt lost all support from me, and I had voted for him in every election prior to that.
    I tilt right on the political spectrum, especially on the national level. But I believe that I would a very good example of an independent. I vote for the person, not the party. And given Nikki’s apparent lack of sense, accounting ability and morals, I would not vote for her for dogcather.

  9. Ralph Hightower

    Could it be Dr. Oscar Lovelace? He ran in the GOP primary against SC Guv’not Mark Sanford and endorsed Sheheen this week.

  10. Brad

    One blog reader e-mails me to say:

    Attached is my sticker.  Scarily similar to your blog post, but on the other side of my gas guzzler.  I am more anti – Nikki than I am pro Vince, but I fully support Vince.  I’ve requested a Repub for Sheheen yard sign, but have been told they haven’t been printed.  I don’t want my neighbors thinking I am a lefty wacko, therefore don’t want a regular sign.

    Which caused me to respond that maybe I should have some “UnPartisans for Sheheen” signs printed up. The reader wrote back:

    I’m down with that – I’m increasingly less “republican” or “anything” for that matter –  each day.

    Here is the benefit I see to the “Repub for Sheheen” stickers:  In my unintelligent way of thinking – there are a slew of voters that won’t educate themselves about the candidates, and go to the polls as robots and vote for the party candidate.  In fact, many of those people might even think that pressing the button for a Democrat could affect their eternal salvation.

    What I hope these stickers show those people is – it’s okay to vote the other “side” – and in fact – alot of “us” are doing it.

    I’d also support an “Anyone but Haley” yard sign if you are feeling froggy.

  12. Juan Caruso

    Once again, “Republican In Name Only” lawyers, who not only lead the RNC and most state party machines, but who rarely express public support the fellows with whom they intimately network, have found another way to delude the public.

    To those with the skills to observe reality, only the name on this sticker is news. What will be news is after the elections when the more astute tea partiers suddenly realize the profession behind most of the rain on tea party parades.

    The legal profession’s network, or the “Lawyer-Political Complex”, has hidden tentacles permeating the highest levels of every important economic activity, including our defense establishment and government.

    Due to undeclared conflicts of duty, particularly between the three supposedly separated branches of our federal government, this obscene network threatens to subvert our country one piece at a time.

  14. Mark Stewart

    Juan,

    It seems only fair that if one is going to call moderate Republicans RINOs, then one ought to be willing to call those Tea Party and strict social conservative types as members of the extreme fringe. Just to be clear, lawyers or not, I would imagine that most mainstream party operatives are interested most in gaining and retaining political power. Which, to me, means moving as near to the center as possible without losing the core principles that define the parties.

    That’s why I see the Tea Partiers to be as niave as the whackier elements that used to hold more sway over the Democrats. Regardless of his party’s name, I am sure that Sheheen is a reasonable centrist. That’s a much more supportable outlook than that which I hear trumpeted from the far right.

    Believe that the far right can win by alienating the “RINOs”- but be prepared to find that the center continues to hold after the general elections. At least, that’s my view of November.

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