How this project began
Ever since the 2016 Election catastrophe, I’ve heard folks offer this sage piece of advice: You can’t do everything — choose something you’re passionate about and focus on that.
I’m passionate about a grassroots, positive Democratic messaging campaign. I’ve long believed messaging is one of the keys to better electoral results for Democrats.
So I designed these pro-Democratic bumper stickers and similar T-shirts. Then I set up a CafePress shop — cafepress.com/donkey — where the items are available at no mark-up (no profit for me).
Why promote the brand?
I don’t think pro-Democratic messaging is sufficient. I do think it’s necessary — if for no other reason than to be a counterweight to anti-Democratic messaging. But I believe it has more value than that:
It stands to reason that positive messaging about Democrats can help motivate people to vote for Democrats.
And our promoting the Democratic brand can help remind Democratic party leaders of the progressive values and legacy which we expect the party to always stand and fight for.
Spice
In a previous series of diaries, I had a gimmick of picking a random region of the country and offering to order a bumper sticker for the first reader who Kos-mailed me from that region. I say “gimmick” because, while I of course did send folks bumper stickers as promised, it was just a means of adding a little spice to an otherwise redundant diary series posted to call attention to the CafePress shop.
Then it dawned on me
The quick and economical way to distribute pro-Democratic bumper stickers is to buy them in quantity and simply mail them to pro-Democratic folks who request them. The Daily Kos community comprises a huge number of pro-Democratic folks. So if lots of Kossacks would like to participate in this messaging campaign, I’m going to mail lots of Kossacks free bumper stickers.
To request a pro-Democratic bumper sticker free of charge, simply post a comment saying “Yes”. Thank you for volunteering your bumper for a good cause!
This offer is open to all folks who currently have a Daily Kos account. |
The first batch
If at least 50 Kossacks say “Yes” to participate in this messaging campaign, then I’ll order a 50-pack of bumper stickers and 50 postage stamps. When I receive them, I’ll Kos-mail each of the first 50 to let you know your bumper sticker is ready, and you’ll reply letting me know where to mail it.
More batches
The Inventory Chart below shows the current sponsors for this campaign and the current amount of pledged inventory.
If the number of Kossacks saying “Yes” reaches our next level of pledged inventory, I’ll use Kos-mail to let our next sponsor know it’s time to order their pledged batch of bumper stickers and postage stamps. They’ll ship them to my address. When I receive them, I’ll let the next group of Kossacks know their bumper stickers are ready, collect their address info, and mail out the stickers.
Inventory Chart
Sponsor |
Pledged # of Bumper Stickers and Stamps |
Is There a Corresponding # of Requests for Free Bumper Stickers? |
Date New Inventory Was Received |
Rob in Vermont
|
50 |
Yes |
5/15/18 |
David Akadjian |
50 |
Yes |
6/18/18 |
Meteor Blades |
50 |
Yes |
7/11/18 |
TomP |
50 |
Yes |
8/3/18 |
joanbrooker |
50 |
Yes |
8/4/18 |
igualdad |
10 |
Yes |
8/4/18 |
moondanc |
10 |
Yes |
8/8/18 |
Mother Mags |
10 |
Yes |
8/13/18 |
Counselor730 |
50 |
Yes |
8/17/18 |
sidnora |
10 |
Yes |
8/17/18 |
igualdad |
10 |
Yes |
8/4/18 |
bethann |
50 |
Yes |
9/8/18 |
SolarMom |
50 |
Yes |
10/1/18 |
nancyjones |
10 |
Yes |
9/17/18 |
Denise Oliver Velez |
50 |
Yes |
9/21/18 |
Rob in Vermont |
50 |
Yes |
9/27/18 |
socrates shoes |
50 |
Yes |
9/28/18 |
eliaVL |
50 |
Not yet |
10/16/18 |
bmaples |
50 |
Not yet |
10/16/18 |
Gatorgirlnc |
50 |
Not yet |
11/29/18 |
maggiejean |
20 |
Not yet |
|
PJ the WB Lefty |
50 |
Not yet |
|
B52D |
50 |
Not yet |
|
Raucous Indignation |
50 |
Not yet |
|
keepiru |
50 |
Not yet |
|
hilltopper |
50 |
Not yet |
|
Is There Enough Pledged Inventory to Fulfill Current # of Requested Bumper Stickers? |
Yes |
How many Kossack bumpers can we get these pro-Democratic stickers on?
There’s no predetermined limit. I hope lots of Kossacks dig this campaign! And if that’s the case, the campaign can be funded by a small percentage of folks who dig it; if 1 in 50 (2%) sponsor a batch of 50, then every group of 50 requests will be fulfilled.
A GOOD INVESTMENT
Putting pro-Democratic bumper stickers onto 50 vehicles costs $12973. That’s the cost of ordering a 50-pack of bumper stickers from CafePress and 50 postage stamps from USPS.com.
A bumper sticker even on a single vehicle will be seen by a lot of eyes over the course of time. I’d estimate the number of views for 50 vehicles could easily be in the six figures annually. So I think this is a good investment.
|
When you say “Yes” you can also mention your favorites
Based on your preferences, I’ll order a 50-pack of the most popular bumper sticker, if we have 50 “Yes” comments. If we have lots more “Yes” comments, other sponsors might decide to order different messages, so our inventory could have more than one message.
I’ll try to send you one of your favorite messages if you have a preference and if it’s in our inventory. However, if you’re very particular about which ones you’ll use, I recommend you use the links below to purchase the one(s) you want.
Saying “Yes” in the comments implies: “Yes, I’ll participate — if you send me a free bumper sticker, I’ll use it!”
Asking for a friend
If you don’t want/need a bumper sticker for yourself, but you have a pro-Democratic friend or relative who you’re sure would use it, you can certainly request one for them — I’ll gladly mail a bumper sticker to any U.S. address.
Available on classic vinyl
Since CafePress sells vinyl bumper stickers in economical multi-packs, they’re ideal for this project. I’ve also found that CafePress vinyl stickers are easy to remove if you need to. If you wish to purchase magnetic ones, you can use the links below.
If you’d like to be a Sponsor
Please Kos-mail me and I’ll add your username (or “Anonymous Sponsor”, if you prefer) to the Inventory Chart. Remember, you won’t need to put an order through until/unless we reach a level of requests that requires the full amount of inventory you have pledged. At that point, I’ll contact you via Kos-mail and give you my address info. Thank you!!!
CafePress bumper stickers are available in 10- and 50-packs, and postage stamps can be ordered from USPS.com. The cost including shipping:
- 50 bumper stickers & postage stamps — $12973
- 10 bumper stickers & postage stamps — $3973
Privacy
When I receive a batch of bumper stickers and stamps, I’ll use Kos-mail to let folks know their bumper stickers are ready — and you’ll need to reply with the address where you want me to mail your sticker. I’ll never share that info or use it for anything other than mailing your bumper sticker to you.
Extra stickers
Some folks who request a bumper sticker may change their mind, or, for whatever reason, not reply to me when I Kos-mail them that their sticker is ready. So if I end up with extra stickers, I’ll distribute them to latecomers — folks toward the end of the list who aren’t associated with a batch of inventory.
Quick Links to View or Order Bumper Stickers
Summary
This is a Community project which depends on two equally important groups: a large group of Kossacks who each volunteer to put a pro-Democratic sticker on their bumper, and a comparitively small group of Kossacks who each volunteer to order a batch of stickers and postage stamps if there is a corresponding number of Kossacks who request stickers. Batches will be shipped to me, and when I receive a batch, I’ll collect addresses, stuff envelopes, and mail out the stickers.
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
—Helen Keller