The first political bumper message ever printed came out in 1921. It read: "Vote for Harding." This political plug was not glued to the bumper. It had to be tied on.

It wasn't until the late thirties that stickers with glue on them came along. They were invented by Forest Gill of Shawnee Mission, Kansas, when a Chicago firm developed fluorescent printing ink. Gill simply combined this ink with a self-sticking paper developed by a chap named Fred Avery.

Some political stickers support causes. For example, one popular sticker declared: "I'm a member of the Silent Majority." The opposition countered with: "The Silent Majority Should Shut Up!"

But the bulk of these stickers urge people to vote for a candidate. They are not limited to presidential races either. Candidates running for state or local offices would have supporters paste them on the back of cars.

Why then, if bumper stickers are so inexpensive, have they faded from popularity lately? Think it over. The answer is obvious. Did you ever try to peel a sticker off the rear of your car, after a candidate has lost?

"Even though I make the things, I hate them," said one printing company executive, who chose to remain anonymous. "After the last election, I sprained my wrist trying to get one off my wife's car. She supported Buchanan. I never did get that sticker off. That glue is powerful stuff! That sticker was still there when we traded our old car in for a new one."

Stick This!

Here's a look at some of the funnier bumper stickers spotted on our nation's highways:

Don't Honk
Driver trying to sleep

Don't Steal
The government hates competition

Driver Carries no Cash
He's Married

Work Harder
Millions on Welfare Depend on You

Can't Feed 'em
Don't breed 'em

Your Kid's an Honor Student
But you're a Moron

God used to be my co-pilot
Then we crashed into a mountain and I had to eat him

God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts

Due to recent cutbacks,
the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off

So many cats,
so few recipes

My dad says
condoms don't work

Trespassers will be shot
Survivors will be shot again

All generalizations are false

The problem with the gene pool is that there's no lifeguard

Love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener

I hate plants, so I became a vegetarian!

America needs a Faith Lift

Keep honking while I reload

Seen a funny bumper sticker? Tell us! Send it to feedback@roadking.com. We may use it in an upcoming story.